These Will Transform Your Mix... (Thank Me Later!)
Summary
TLDRThe video script delves into the art of side-chaining in music production, a technique that enhances clarity and separation of vocals and instruments within a mix. The host introduces viewers to five key side-chaining pairs, starting with vocals against effects to ensure vocals stand out without being drowned by reverb and delay. The classic kick and bass pairing is next, where the bass level is reduced when the kick drum hits, adding punch and groove. The third pair focuses on lead vocals against the backing track, using advanced settings in the Track Spacer plugin to isolate the main vocal. The fourth pair involves the main vocal against backing vocals, using high and low cut filters to create a distinct space for the lead. Lastly, the script covers synth against pad, where the pad volume is reduced to highlight the synth. The host emphasizes the importance of side-chaining for creating space and focal points in a mix, and encourages viewers to experiment with these techniques for improved mixing quality.
Takeaways
- 🎙️ Side chaining is a technique used by mix engineers to create separation and highlight instruments and vocals in a mix.
- 📉 It works by pulling down the level of one instrument when another takes focus, similar to asking people in a crowded room to lower their voices for one person to be heard.
- 🔌 The Track Spacer plugin is a simple tool for implementing side chaining, where you place it on the channel you want to 'duck' and select the main focus channel from the side chain dropdown.
- 🎶 Side chain pair #1: Vocal against effects (like reverb and delay) to ensure the vocal is clear and not washed out by the effects.
- 🥁 Side chain pair #2: Kick and bass to create a punchier kick and add groove to the low end by lowering the bass volume when the kick hits.
- 🎤 Side chain pair #3: Lead vocal against the backing track using advanced settings in Track Spacer to process mids and sides separately, focusing on the main vocal.
- 🎼 Side chain pair #4: Main vocal against backing vocals, using high and low cut filters to create a 'pocket' for the main vocal, making it less noticeable and more integrated.
- 🎹 Side chain pair #5: Synth against pad to allow the synth to take the focus point and reduce the pad volume without it being too noticeable.
- 🔊 Using high cut and low cut filters can help focus on specific frequency ranges, making side chaining less obvious to the listener.
- 🔉 Side chaining is not just about making space in a mix, but also about establishing focal points, which is crucial for a well-balanced mix.
- 🚀 Incorporating side chaining techniques into your mixing process can significantly enhance the quality and professionalism of your mixes.
- 📚 For more advanced side chaining with effects on vocals, additional resources and tutorials are available to further improve mixing skills.
Q & A
What is side chaining in music mixing?
-Side chaining in music mixing is a technique where the level of one instrument is automatically reduced when another instrument is playing. This is done to create separation and highlight specific instruments or vocals, making them the focus in the mix.
How does side chaining help with creating space in a mix?
-Side chaining helps create space by momentarily reducing the volume of one track when another is playing, such as when the kick drum hits. This prevents frequency clashes and allows each element to be heard clearly without competing for the same space in the mix.
What is the purpose of using side chaining with vocal and effects?
-The purpose of side chaining with vocal and effects is to duck the effects, like reverb and delay, when the vocal comes in. This ensures the vocal is clear and not washed out by the effects, making it more intelligible and prominent in the mix.
How does side chaining affect the relationship between the kick drum and bass in a mix?
-Side chaining the bass to the kick drum makes the bass volume lower when the kick hits. This creates a punchier kick sound and adds groove to the low end, ensuring the kick drum is heard clearly without being masked by the bass.
What is the role of the 'Track Spacer' plugin in side chaining?
-The 'Track Spacer' plugin is used to apply side chaining effects. It allows the user to select the channel that should be ducked and the channel that should be the main focus point, thus controlling which elements are prioritized in the mix.
How can side chaining improve the clarity of a lead vocal?
-By side chaining other elements of the mix, such as backing vocals or instruments, to the lead vocal, the competing frequencies can be reduced when the lead vocal is present. This helps the lead vocal to cut through the mix more clearly without being overshadowed.
What are the steps to use the 'Track Spacer' plugin for side chaining?
-To use 'Track Spacer' for side chaining, first place the plugin on the channel that you want to duck. Then, in the side chain dropdown, select the instrument or channel that should be the main focus point in the mix.
How does side chaining with backing vocals and the lead vocal work?
-By using side chaining, you can reduce the volume of the backing vocals when the lead vocal is present. This is achieved by setting the 'Track Spacer' to only affect the central frequencies, allowing the lead vocal to sit more prominently in the mix.
What is the significance of using high cut and low cut filters in side chaining?
-High cut and low cut filters are used in side chaining to focus on specific frequency ranges. This allows the side chained track to only duck in those frequencies, ensuring that the main focus point (e.g., the lead vocal) is not overly affected in other frequency ranges.
How can side chaining help with the balance between synth and pad sounds?
-Side chaining the pad to the synth allows the pad to be ducked when the synth plays. This technique ensures that the synth, being the lead instrument, is not masked by the pad and remains the focal point in the mix.
What is the final piece of advice given in the script for improving one's mixing skills?
-The script advises using side chaining techniques to create space and focal points within a mix. It also recommends experimenting with different side chaining methods and trying out various plugins like 'Track Spacer' to elevate the quality of one's mixes.
Why is it important to make sure side chaining is not too obvious to the listener?
-Side chaining should be subtle so that it enhances the mix without drawing attention to the technique itself. Overly obvious side chaining can be distracting and detract from the overall listening experience.
Outlines
🎙️ Side Chaining Techniques for Mixing Clarity
This paragraph introduces the concept of side chaining in music mixing, emphasizing its importance in achieving separation and clarity among instruments and vocals. The speaker shares their top five side chaining pairs, using a simple plugin called 'Track Spacer' for demonstration. The process involves placing the plugin on the channel to be affected and selecting the main focus channel from a dropdown. The paragraph also invites viewers to subscribe for more advanced tips and to comment for specific topics they're interested in.
🔊 Creating Space with Side Chaining Pairs
The paragraph delves into the application of side chaining by discussing five specific pairs. First, it addresses the use of side chaining to manage the levels of effects like reverbs and delays when vocals are present. The technique aims to ensure vocals are clear and not overwhelmed by effects. Second, it covers the classic side chain technique of ducking the bass when the kick drum hits to produce a punchier sound. The third application involves using side chaining between lead vocals and the backing track, with a focus on processing mid frequencies for a more integrated sound. The fourth example is similar, focusing on the main vocal against backing vocals, using high and low cut filters to maintain a loose and open sound around the backing vocals. Lastly, the paragraph discusses side chaining a synth against a pad instrument, where the pad is ducked to allow the synth to take focus without the pad being too prominent. The overall message is that side chaining is a powerful tool for creating space and focal points in a mix.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Side chaining
💡Track Spacer
💡Mix
💡Vocal against effects
💡Kick and Bass
💡Lead vocal and backing track
💡Main vocal against backing vocals
💡Synth against pad
💡Focus point
💡Dynamic processing
Highlights
Side chaining is a game-changing technique used by top mix engineers to create separation and space in a mix.
Side chaining can be compared to asking everyone in a crowded room to lower their voices so one person can be heard.
The Track Spacer plugin is used for its simplicity in demonstrating side chaining techniques.
Step-by-step instructions are provided for using Track Spacer to achieve side chaining effects.
Side chaining pairs include vocal against effects, kick and bass, lead vocal and backing track, main vocal against backing vocals, and synth against pad.
Ducking effects when vocals come in helps to maintain clarity and avoid a washed-out sound.
Side chaining the bass with the kick drum produces a punchier kick and adds groove to the low end.
Advanced settings on Track Spacer allow for more nuanced side chaining, such as processing mids and sides separately.
Using high cut and low cut filters focuses on specific frequency ranges to enhance the vocal presence in a mix.
Creating a 'pocket' for the lead vocal with side chaining makes it less noticeable and integrates it better with the track.
Side chaining the main vocal against backing vocals allows the lead to sit more prominently in the mix.
When the synth is the lead instrument, side chaining against a pad allows it to take the focus point in the mix.
Side chaining techniques can significantly improve the quality of everyday mixing by creating space and focal points.
Track Spacer and other similar plugins can be tested on different tracks to elevate the overall mix quality.
A detailed side chaining demonstration with effects on a vocal is provided at the end of the video.
Subscribing to the channel and liking the video ensures viewers get more advanced mixing and mastering tips.
Comments with specific questions or topics will be addressed in future video content.
Side chaining is essential for making space and establishing focal points within a mix.
Transcripts
this is the secret weapon used by top
mix Engineers to achieve separation
highlight instruments and vocals and
create space in the mix side chaining is
the game changer that can make or break
your mix so get ready for my top five
side chaining Pairs and learn why and
when to use them grab a notepad and
buckle up because we're diving into the
world of side chaining let's go if
you're new to side chaining think of it
like this imagine being in a crowded
room room and asking everybody to lower
the level of their voices so that one
person can be heard in music mixing it's
the same you're using a side chain to
pull the level down of one instrument
against the other that you want to take
the focus and I'm going to show you my
top five side chaining pairs for all
these side chaining pairs that I'm going
to show you I'm going to use the
simplest plug-in that's out there which
is called track spacer to use track
spacer follow these Steps step one place
the plug-in on on the channel that you
want to duck step two in the side chain
drop down select the instrument or
channel that you want as being the main
focus point so this is the channel
that's going to be taking priority in
the mix if you want more advanced mixing
and mastering tips like this then please
make sure you subscribe to the channel
and like this video if you've got
anything you want to particularly know
about make sure you put it in the
comments and then I'll do a video on it
later right let's get stuck in side
chain number number one is vocal against
effects these effects are things like
reverbs and delays the point of this is
we want to duck the effects down when
the vocal comes in otherwise the vocal
is always washed in those effects and it
doesn't sound very clear let me show you
the before so you can hear what I'm
talking about looking for
aine some way to get to Cloud N I don't
care I don't care I don't care if it's
overrated I got to make
[Music]
it so now let's listen to it with track
spacer in and that's just going to pull
down the effects but leave the tail
looking for
aine some way to get a
cloud I don't care I don't care I don't
care if it's
over got to
make if you want to see the more
detailed way of doing this then I've
added a video to the end of this video
that will show you exactly how that's
done number two is kick and Bas this is
the classic side chain technique by side
chaining the base when the kick appears
it will lower the volume of the base and
let the kick come through this produces
a much punchier kick and adds a ton of
GrooVe to the low end so I've added the
track spacer to the base so that when
the kick comes in it will then duck the
base out the way here's the before and
[Music]
after number three lead vocal and
backing track now we're going to have to
get a little bit more advanced with this
one because we are working with the
whole of the backing track so we're
going to dive into the advanced settings
on track spacer and just move a few
things around so that we're only dealing
with the main portion of the vocal so if
you go into track spacer and you click
this blue circle you can see that you
can select just the MS so what we're
going to be dealing with is we're going
to be processing the mids and the sides
separately with this you need to have
the pan on around sort of 50 60% for
this so that it's still doing a little
bit of the sides and doesn't just sort
of duck the middle completely and it's
you know we're just trying to make this
so it sits in there nicely without being
being too obvious to The Listener and as
another thing we're going to do is we're
going to use the high cut and low cut
just so that we can focus on the vocal
bit here so that's going to be around
800 going up to around 3K because if we
duck the whole track if we don't use
these this is how it sound I
want so you can hear it just sucks it
completely down the whole track top
bottom middle the lot and lets the vocal
through but it just sounds Dreadful so
by adding these filters in at around 800
and going back to around 3K let me show
you now how that sounds before and after
I want you to be mine all alone for all
time I want you to be mine all alone for
time I want you you to be mine all alone
for all
time I want you to be mine all
[Music]
alone so by having it in this small
pocket area it's less noticeable and it
just holds the vocal into the track a
little bit more so they don't sound like
two separate pieces number four is main
vocal against backing vocals with this
we're going to do it similar to the last
one where we're going to use the high
cut and the low cut so that we are only
doing the center section so that means
any backing vocals are just going to be
a little bit more loose and open around
those
frequencies so I've put the track spacer
onto the backing track so then allowing
that little pocket to pull out again and
allow the vocal to sit in there and it
just joins it all together really nicely
check out the before and after I think I
need a break don't care how long it Tak
you know I hate the way you lie to me
you make me feel so dark you really BL
my
heart number five is synth against pad
this is set up in a similar way to the
others we're not using as much high cut
here so I've put this track spacer onto
the pad cuz that's what I want to duck
out the way because the synth is the
lead instrument in this case so here's
the before and after
[Music]
this works really well because you don't
really hear the pad dropping too much
because the synth takes its place which
gives your focus Point onto the synth
and away from the pads which is exactly
why you want to be doing side chaining
in the first place let me just show you
that technique where it plays the pad
first and you'll hear as the Bas comes
in you won't notice the transition
because the Bas overtakes the focal
point and it works really really
[Music]
well
generally mixing is about making space
and more importantly about having focal
points within the mix and that's where
side chaining works perfectly as I've
shown you here's five examples of how
you can use it in your everyday mixing
grab track spacer there's a few others
out there that you can then test out go
on different tracks within yours but I
guarantee you this will take your mixing
up to another level if you're not
already using these kind of side
chaining techniques as I missed earlier
in the video the next one up is me doing
some detailed side chaining with effects
on a vocal
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