"3D-sounding music" mixes.

[Slugworth]

I hope everyone is doing well. I wasn't sure which category to submit this post under. I do write songs and my question(s) is about engineering. Recently my friend (and singer on many of my songs) Laura sent me a mix of her song that she used this person's full-production service for https://www.airgigs.com/demo-produc...-Production-by-Multi-Instrumentalist-&-Singer

He did great work on her song to this point. Quality and sound-wise it sounds just like the songs under the Audio tab on his Airgig's page. I am linking my songs on SoundCloud only as reference to the differences in sound quality and depth of how mine were mixed/mastered compared to Gaston's work.

How does he (Gaston) achieve such a full sound and 3D projection? I love that work that Mariano (the engineer that I use) has done on my songs. However, after hearing Gaston's work I am now wondering how mine can possibly be improved to achieve a similar sound. I message Mariano about this and I am waiting for his reply. I figure I would bring it up here as well to hopefully obtain more input.

One thing that I notice between the two engineers is that Gaston's mixes seem to have more overall clarity, punch and depth with more noticeable low frequencies in the overall mix. Or at least definitely with low end on the bass guitar and drums (he uses drum kit samples and assembles them into arrangement).

To Mariano's defense I feel my songs use more instruments than those on Gaston's examples. My songs generally include bass guitar, drums, guitar(s), horns, keys, percussions and vocals. All of those are competing for space and frequencies which may effect clarity and projection within a mix.

Soundcloud link

https://soundcloud.com/nil_three%2Fsets%2Fnimo-playlist

All responses appreciated.

 

[Mark Richards]

...after hearing Gaston's work I am now wondering how mine can possibly be improved to achieve a similar sound. I messaged Mariano about this and I am waiting for his reply...

How that's accomplished is what audio engineers do for a living. Now that your guy knows the sound you're looking for, he should be able to deliver it.

 

[-mjk-]

3D mixing is a topic that is close to my roots as an engineer. I was working with a now-famous engineer back in the very early 80s, on 3-dimensional mixing (I was actually mentoring him on the technique). There were some amazing articles in Recording Engineer/Producer magazine that had charts to help engineers visualize the soundstage along with techniques to achieve that outcome. I couldn't wait for the next issue to arrive so I could dissect it.

Clients noticed. I started getting more mixing requests from outside.

When I built my modern studio I had to find software solutions for the hardware that we used, but I am happy to say that I can get any 3D stereo field now, that I used to get in the 80s.

Experience cannot be underestimated. One cannot simply slap on a plugin and expect good results. Spaces have to be created in the mix for instrument placement. Another very important aspect is unmasking.

To Mariano's defense I feel my songs use more instruments than those on Gaston's examples. My songs generally include bass guitar, drums, guitar(s), horns, keys, percussions and vocals. All of those are competing for space and frequencies which may effect clarity and projection within a mix.

I'm not going to make this about anyone personally, but the number of instruments and the spectrum is irrelevant. It all depends on the skill of the engineer and that starts with hearing.

The last thing I want to mention is that I couldn't have done what I did without the Aphex Aural Exciter, Type B. To this day I have an exciter on my console's 2-mix bus and ever mix I have ever done in my studio has had that exciter on the bus. There is something about psycho-acoustic juxtapositioning that can really clean up the midrange smear that may happen due to console components or (in a DAW) intermodulation distortion.