an interesting realization in audio/mixing...

well, today I realized something rather interesting. I suppose it's something i've always known, but not really sat down and thought...OH that's WHY that's the way it is....let me explain.

So, when mixing a song there are a few rule of thumbs to go by (in theory). One of the hardest to master, but most critical is eq masking. It's basically the idea that each element in a mix should kind of have it's own "space" within the mix. It has to be just right...not too out of place from everything else, but also not too blemished in with everything else and just creating mud. Obviously, the choice of instrument, player, mic, mic pre, mic technique, gain staging, and about 20 other factors play a role in exactly how a single source will sound, but the idea is to take the end result (where the source will ultimately end up in the mix) into consideration when making all those technical decisions.

Typically, the closer you can get your source to how you want it to sound IN THE MIX from the very beginning...the better. So, this got me thinking about the quality of all the different analogue elements in the signal chain. What makes such a good mic so expensive?

Oddly, when recently mixing a tom drum I started thinking about all this. If you think about it...a tom is one of the best examples of something containing a clear and obvious spread across most of the freq spectrum. A really good tom (or any other instrument) will sound reallllllly really good when played all by itself. It will be full and bright and beefy...all at the same time. BUT...that won't necessarily matter in a mix. You aren't going to be throwing up the 50hz, or 12Khz freqs on a tom drum in a mix...even though they're there in the source recording. You'll likely be doing some sort of mud scoop, a little low end boost, and a thin q of high end for attack. You'll literally mold that thing into it's exact space in the song, but the point is....by having such a full range of tone from that tom to begin with you aren't boxed into the sound of it, at all! You can spend less time planning how to capture the tom with technique and foresight because you'll have such a good & complete sound to work with right from the get go (and i don't say that meaning it's a good thing).

This can be applied to any instrument! A great sounding acoustic will sound AMAZING all by itself, but that doesn't matter in the mix of things (assuming it's a full band of sorts)! Sadly, a $200 guitar probably sounds less than impressive by itself., but if you can envision how and where you want to use the sound of that specific guitar in a mix, and plan all the other sources accordingly...you can make a pretty damn great mix.

So, knowing all this...it gave me that AH-HA moment. You can make incredibly good recordings using especially crappy gear if you plan accordingly. In fact, by using the crappiest gear when starting out you'll be doing yourself a huge huge favor. Forcing yourself to learn the sound of an instrument, mic, mic pre, etc. Cheap instruments, mics, pres, etc typically have only one sound. Yes, some of them are just utter crap, but then there are the few that actually have the potential to sound great...when mixed in with enough other elements that were chosen to compliment each other.

Have you ever solo'd the elec guitars in a mix once everything is done? They sound far less than impressive. In fact, they often times sound thin and anything but punchy and rock. Of course they would without the low end of a bass guitar and the thumping of a kick drum to suck the compression in and out gluing the mix together. But, if every element in the mix sounded incredible when solo'd, you'd have a huge mess on your hands. Bass guitar competing with kick drum, vox competing with guitars, and don't even get me started on keys.

The point is, great gear gives you more potential to take your mixes in totally different directions...after the fact. They don't paint you into a corner (as easily) right from the start. So, for a pro audio engineer that's great, but for the kid at home...it might not be needed nearly as much as you think.

Anyway, I suppose I've always worked with these fundamentals in the back of my mind, but I've never really sat down and explained it all out to myself. It's likely I'm wrong on a few points, and obviously great gear doesn't always give you a "full range" of sound to work with. There are $3000 compressors that give you all of ONE sound....but I promise you that sound will be jaw dropping.

as tall as a lion

music. i can't really even begin to explain what it means to my life. i survive off of it. for me, music is almost like a living thing. doesn't matter the band, instrument, genre....anything. it's all the same. it's all physical waves hitting my ear drums. in my mind. it's something that can take me away to an entirely different place in an instant. it can talk to me and make me laugh, cry, happy, sad, angry, energetic. it follows me wherever i go. it's always in my mind playing over and over in different variations, different keys, and different patterns. it's something that affects me on another level entirely.

falling in love with a new song is like falling in love with a stranger. it's refreshing and different. it's exciting and you have no idea what to expect. it will take you anywhere it wants to and there is nothing you can do about it.

that's not to say there isn't music i find horribly annoying--but that's part of the fun.

anyway, there is no way i can or will ever be able to write anything that explains my relationship with music. so, i'm going to stop now!

--this week was pretty cool. work was chill. shot two events and i feel they both went pretty well. i'm waiting to hear back from the client of the most recent event...and i really hope she's happy with them as I could tell the pictures were of huge importance to her.

a girl and a boy

so, some random girl asked me out to dinner tonight.


didn't see that one coming.


it was fun.


peace!

is anyone truly happy?

i often think that i am. some days i'll take a seat. relax. think to myself -- "i am so very happy right now."

then there are other days where i find myself wondering if i really am happy. it's not that i'm sad, but maybe confused. where is my life going? where is this path taking me, and how can i be sure to end up where i want to.

keeping in touch with carrie has been nice, but i still wonder what i'm doing with her. what do i expect to happen? i don't want to move back to lynchburg any time soon, and by staying in touch it's really unfair to her. i know she doesn't feel like she can really move on with me saying "i still love you." it's true that i do, but is it fair for me to tell her that? not really. i think it's just me being selfish. i don't want to face finally having her let go by dating other people.

hanging out with graham is usually pretty fun, but today it just kind of sucked. he's got such a different perspective on what's important in life than i do. i know his mind is filled with complicated/deep thoughts, but all he let's himself truly contemplate is money and appearances...and definitely to a point that's unhealthy. he's such a smart guy, but i feel like he's so concerned and confused about what he really wants out of life that he focuses all his energy on things that he has complete control over....like his money and possessions. i think if he could see how valueless those things are then he would be set free from his conflicted thoughts and unhappiness. i think he could really do incredible things. but, his pessimistic view (on pretty much everything) in life is such an easy way for him to feel like he can contribute an opinion--even if it's negative it's still a contribution...and to him that's better than nothing.

i believe if he were able to take risks with things he has no control over--like putting more effort into a creative outlet--he would truly be happy. creativity (at least as i see it) is releasing your logic and forethought to make something unique and beautiful. right now, the only outlet he has no control over is drinking himself insane-- and that's such a cheap way to feel happy and comfortable.

i'd like to think that he will have some sort of life epiphany, but i have a feeling that as long as "adult life" is as easy on him as it has been...he won't change for the better.

i am a product of failing our public school system

i really am. i've rarely succeed in an academic setting. tests? lectures? open discussions? they just aren't for me. i've recently realized that i am currently successful in my life, in fact, more so than many of my peers. i've even noticed that at work i am much "smarter" than many of my co-workers. it's a strange mind set to have. especially since i know i'm not very smart...at all. i know that i'm not! it takes me forever to comprehend even simple things. i can't read too deeply into conversations, or even follow a discussion or argument for more than a few minutes before my mind wanders and looses all the tangential relationships (is that even a correct phrase?). So, I'm really wondering how the fuck people are so stupid! Are they really dumber than I am? Does it really take them that much longer to understand things than me? Even this blog post....it's horribly written and hardly structured in any way.

here is the key.

after i'm done writing what pathetic non-sense i think i can i'll go back and refine everything i say. i'll make edits. look for the incredible errors, and fix them....usually correctly. it might not make up for the poor ideas and conclusions, but it certainly makes things seem smarter. and that's my catch. i create the deception of smartness around everything i say and do. even when i'm actually making a very poor conclusion in a average conversation...i'll make it a joke and it's usually perceived as being clever, and sometimes even funny!

anyway, this post wasn't nearly as good as i had envisioned in my mind before writing it, but that's okay. i'm really just trying to type my thoughts as quickly as i can before i make all the edits it's going to need. so, i'm going to conclude this post making it clear that i'm not very smart. i'm actually pretty dumb, but by realizing the weak spots in the fabric of our society...and exploiting them...i'm a genius!

so exhausted all the time...

recently i've noticed that i'm getting more and more tired after I get home from work. i'm starting to wonder if it has something to do with the longer commute, but it's more likely the fact that i go to bed at 3am---give or take. i really need to get into a better habit of things for my sleep pattern. it's such a hard cycle to break! hopefully, working out more will help with that...among other things.

there isn't much better than a solid work out. it's like a toxic clean out for the entire body...and to top it off you look and feel better!

anyway, i think i've finally come up with some new concepts for paintings. should be interesting. definitely will let gravity do it's thing in a new way....or so i hope! i'll certainly post some shots if it works out well.

well, this is short and i am out...PEACE

so proud.

the person i am most proud of in my entire life is my mother. she has overcome so much in her life, and (thankfully for me) a lot of it has been in the past 6 years. I have been able to see her face her challenges head on after reaching rock bottom. I have seen her become happy, but not by the use of prescription drugs (unlike mot people these days), rather by dedicating herself to her passions and goals. there isn't much else i can say about my mother except that i am so blessed to be able to be proud of my family. from my observations it almost never seems to work out from this side. i mean, it always seems to be the mother/father is proud of the kids and the kids get that reassurance and blah blah. but for me, i'm able to realize (most of) what my mother has faced and see her crush it down with a vengeance. i guess i consider my mom the ultimate independent woman, and i love that about her. she joined the military at a time when women were certainly not welcome to. she raised two kids (and i was no easy kid to raise. in fact, probably one of the worst) on her own, and though she made mistakes (who the fuck doesn't?) kate and i have come out just fine. fantastic, in fact. i hope that someday i can explain to my mother just how appreciative i am of everything she does for kate and i. just by her living i have leanred some of the greatest lessons in my life. so, thanks mom :)