- Joined
- Jan 23, 2021
- Messages
- 104
- Karma
- 56
Hello, I write in search of help with an issue I have during the mixing process. My mixes sound very low because there is too much difference between the peak and the average levels of the mix. I use a greatly muffled mini drumset recorded with only 1 microphone. I also record a distorted organ line and a distorted bass-organ base (both with a very narrow dynamic range). To get a good balance between my drums and the rest of the instruments, I have to set the drums on a level in which many of the kick and snare hits are above any note played by the organ and the organ bass. So this gives me a great distance between the drum hits (both peaks and average) and the rest of the instruments, resulting on a horribly low sounding mix. I've tried to correct it using a limiter, and the result improves, but it's still very low. I've tried limiting the drums only versus limiting the whole mix, but I get the same results, as the limiter affects only the highest peaks of the mix, that are the percussion ones. If I limit harder to reach the other instruments too, my drums start to sound horrible.
I don't use any EQ yet, although some day I will, nor external effects. Maybe recording my drums with more mics would give me a better control of the height I can give to each element in the mix, besides allowing me to compress each drumset element separately. However, I really like the idea and simplicity of recording my whole drumset with only one mic and wouldn't like to change it. I've also weighed the possibility of using drum triggers or electronic drums, even with the option of canceling the dynamic sensitivity so to get more even hits (like in a drum machine), but I don't really feel comfortable with the idea.
I don't know how much of the volume issue I have is related to the somewhat atypical drumset I use or the recording of it with only 1 mic, and how much is related to the own nature of percussive instruments. In any case, I'd like to know if there is anyway I can improve the peak to average ratio in my mixes to get final louder results. It can be changing something on the recording phase or in subsequent phases of the production. Lastly, if there is any solution that implies the use of some device, it would have to be a hardware one rahter than software, as I work completely dawless
I don't use any EQ yet, although some day I will, nor external effects. Maybe recording my drums with more mics would give me a better control of the height I can give to each element in the mix, besides allowing me to compress each drumset element separately. However, I really like the idea and simplicity of recording my whole drumset with only one mic and wouldn't like to change it. I've also weighed the possibility of using drum triggers or electronic drums, even with the option of canceling the dynamic sensitivity so to get more even hits (like in a drum machine), but I don't really feel comfortable with the idea.
I don't know how much of the volume issue I have is related to the somewhat atypical drumset I use or the recording of it with only 1 mic, and how much is related to the own nature of percussive instruments. In any case, I'd like to know if there is anyway I can improve the peak to average ratio in my mixes to get final louder results. It can be changing something on the recording phase or in subsequent phases of the production. Lastly, if there is any solution that implies the use of some device, it would have to be a hardware one rahter than software, as I work completely dawless