Oh god not another Multiband compression question!!!

[Guest]

Hi Earle,
I know I know, your probably bored of getting these questions regarding multiband compression but here goes anyway...

Basically, I'm not 100% certain i'm using the settings correctly,
On a Song of mine (ala Metallica) I'm mostly using very low thresholds - 40 etc on the low and low mids as the bass and guitar muting needs tightened a bit.Then the high mids need controlling.
But the problem is although I'm pretty close I don't know if I'm using the MB correctly, should I just be setting the thresholds on the peaks?
Sorry again for another Multiband question mate.

[har-bal]

Hi Earle,
I know I know, your probably bored of getting these questions regarding multiband compression but here goes anyway...

Basically, I'm not 100% certain i'm using the settings correctly,
On a Song of mine (ala Metallica) I'm mostly using very low thresholds - 40 etc on the low and low mids as the bass and guitar muting needs tightened a bit.Then the high mids need controlling.
But the problem is although I'm pretty close I don't know if I'm using the MB correctly, should I just be setting the thresholds on the peaks?
Sorry again for another Multiband question mate.

Remus

No problem...You are correct in stating you should set the thresholds on the peaks.

Once you have done this the question then becomes now what. If you start pulling down the thresholds blindly the song will eventually sound terrible. So here is a little trick.

Download this free tool from the following link and pay attention to screen #4
http://voyager.adsl.dk/knef/vumeter/

You can cycle through the screens by pressing your "right" arrow key or your enter key.

When you are making adjustments with the mutiband compressor look at the screen and the levels should be almost horizontal. If you do this your music is balanced.

Cheers

Earle

[Guest]

Thanks for that Earle, your a real friendly and helpful guy!
not like some of the other mastering forum users who just give us generalized answers!!!
cheers again mate.

[har-bal]

Thanks for that Earle, your a real friendly and helpful guy!
not like some of the other mastering forum users who just give us generalized answers!!!
cheers again mate.

Remus

No problem, let us know how you make out with it. Remember...as you are adjusting your faders on the multiband compressor look at the tool and you are shooting to make the level horizontal.

Cheers

Earle

[Guest]

Finished!!! done! completed!
about time too, Earle thanks for your help with this, you were right about the Multiband(waves linear) I just set the
threshold to the peaks and brought it down ever so slightly more for a bit more tightness
A slight 3db dip of the midrange boxiness, followed with Voxengo Elephant for more level and voila!, instant Metallica (well maybe not quite)
I used such a simple chain, EQ, Multiband, elephant, but with your tips it worked wonders.
I think a lot of the problem with mastering your own material lies in the fact that you can get too caught up in the "more more more!" scenario don't you think?
So thanks again, and let me know when Har Bal V2 comes out, cause I'd like to get to grips with it though 9 times out of 10 of my customers mixes are usually well balanced I'm sure it would help alot with problem tracks.
P.s. Why is there such a commotion regarding the use of your program? I find a lot of hostility from other engineers on forums (not naming names) I have to admit I was an out and out sceptic but reading more and more about it and hearing others tracks that have been processed through Harbal I have nothing but praise for it.
Such a simple idea regarding the "balancing" of the frequencies but from the material I've heard it seems to work wonders.
Cheers.

[har-bal]

Finished!!! done! completed!
about time too, Earle thanks for your help with this, you were right about the Multiband(waves linear) I just set the
threshold to the peaks and brought it down ever so slightly more for a bit more tightness
A slight 3db dip of the midrange boxiness, followed with Voxengo Elephant for more level and voila!, instant Metallica (well maybe not quite)
I used such a simple chain, EQ, Multiband, elephant, but with your tips it worked wonders.
I think a lot of the problem with mastering your own material lies in the fact that you can get too caught up in the "more more more!" scenario don't you think?
So thanks again, and let me know when Har Bal V2 comes out, cause I'd like to get to grips with it though 9 times out of 10 of my customers mixes are usually well balanced I'm sure it would help alot with problem tracks.
P.s. Why is there such a commotion regarding the use of your program? I find a lot of hostility from other engineers on forums (not naming names) I have to admit I was an out and out sceptic but reading more and more about it and hearing others tracks that have been processed through Harbal I have nothing but praise for it.
Such a simple idea regarding the "balancing" of the frequencies but from the material I've heard it seems to work wonders.
Cheers.

Remus

Har-Bal version 2.0 wlLl be available Nov 23rd, 2005. There was a time when Paavo and I would address folks in the forums who were knocking the product even before we released it.. We have since stopped that practice and feel this way. If you want it you will buy it if not...oh well.

We know the product works and a lot of time and effort were put into its development. It happens to be the secret weapon for a lot of major studios around the world but I guess it would be bad for business to actually admit that fact.

Har-Bal has proved to be invaluable for balancing tracks. Most companies will adopt this technique in the near future. Trust me on that one.

We don't knock anyone's product. If it works we are the first to tell folks about it.
Cheers

Earle

[Jonny Mumra]

Hi Earle, great little link there to the Vu meter.
How do you get this to work with a daw is it a plugin im not sure how to incorporate it.


Thank you.

[har-bal]

Hi Earle, great little link there to the Vu meter.
How do you get this to work with a daw is it a plugin im not sure how to incorporate it.


Thank you.

Jonny

It isn't a plugin it is a standalone tool that will monitor any audio going through your DAW.

Screen #4 is very helpful because it always lets you know where you are with your audio balancing. (Try to keep the level horizontal) Just make it smaller and place it in the corner of your screen during production or mastering and monitor it from time to time.
I was testing it with the new Har-Bal feature. IntuitQ does a great job of balancing the audio.

Once your audio is balanced you can become as creative as you want.

It is a great tool!

Earle

[Guest]

yeh the vu meter is a great tool, but i do seem to be having trouble with it regarding the freq analyser,
i played several similar commercial rock tracks through it and the freq analyser showed a totally UN-horizontal display,
in fact - from left to right - the bass freq's were the lowest then mids were a bit higher then the hi mids and treble were VERY high.
Maybe a bug, or could it be my soundcard??? Terratec 24bit??? this card is just for casual listening and not for audio work, but i wonder if there may be a glitch somewhere???
Hmmmmmmm.....

[har-bal]

yeh the vu meter is a great tool, but i do seem to be having trouble with it regarding the freq analyser,
i played several similar commercial rock tracks through it and the freq analyser showed a totally UN-horizontal display,
in fact - from left to right - the bass freq's were the lowest then mids were a bit higher then the hi mids and treble were VERY high.
Maybe a bug, or could it be my soundcard??? Terratec 24bit??? this card is just for casual listening and not for audio work, but i wonder if there may be a glitch somewhere???
Hmmmmmmm.....

Remus

Try making it more horizontal by using an equalizer and tell me how it sounds. You may watT to start with the treble.

Earle

[Guest]

Hi Earle, I actually was playing Commercial tracks at the time e.g nirvana, Bon Jovi Metallica etc... and mostly on the Metallica there was a defintive "rise" in the hi mids to treble and was not horizontal.
Perhaps I'm getting it wrong though...are you reffering to the "mixes" looking horizontal and NOT the mastered versions???

[har-bal]

Hi Earle, I actually was playing Commercial tracks at the time e.g nirvana, Bon Jovi Metallica etc... and mostly on the Metallica there was a defintive "rise" in the hi mids to treble and was not horizontal.
Perhaps I'm getting it wrong though...are you reffering to the "mixes" looking horizontal and NOT the mastered versions???

Remus

I am speaking about the mastered versions. Does everything you put through it have a drastic rise in the mids and treble area?

Earle

[Guest]

Well it seems mostly Metallica ( Black Album) is the most extreme.
Though the Nirvana tracks also show similar rises in the same area.
I think it must be the sound card, cause I analyzed the same tracks in Voxengo span and they showed much more uniform balances, my metal demo and Metallica track were very similar.
AH, technology is a pain sometimes...

[Guest]

by the way Earle, did you check out the Metal clip on the previous topic???
Be good to get anothers opinion...
Also can you delete my user profile from the board??? I need to re register under my actual name, I should have thought about this before deciding on the username, sorry man.
Ged Leitch.

[har-bal]

by the way Earle, did you check out the Metal clip on the previous topic???
Be good to get anothers opinion...
Also can you delete my user profile from the board??? I need to re register under my actual name, I should have thought about this before deciding on the username, sorry man.
Ged Leitch.

Done, and I will listen to the mix.

Earle