How can songs sound so simple yet fill up so much of the frequency spectrum?

Cmc29 · 08-05-2010 10:26PM #1

This constantly baffles me. I just recorded a song and have been mixing it for awhile this evening. It is coming along and sounds decent but it doesn't yet sound full. I then turned on a playlist of mine and on came "Should I stay or should I go" by The Clash. It's such a simple song yet it sounds full. Same with simple set ups like AC/DC. I often find myself, having tracked instruments, thinking where is the fullness? This frustrates me and I assume it must be in my tracking rather than my mixing? What does everyone think? Anyone else find this problem or think they know what common things can cause a tracked song to sound empty? I mostly do rock music (drum tracks with at least two guitars, sometimes three, and bass). I just find that before even mixing my tracked recordings lack something. I use a SM57 to mic my amps and have tried all different positions. I have even used amp simulators directly into a fast track pro and find this problem. Anyone know what could be up? Am I completely missing something?

Neurojazz · 09-05-2010 10:43AM

Hard panning the double tracked guitars and effects?

eoin5 · 09-05-2010 11:02AM

Are you using any compression?

madtheory · 09-05-2010 11:20AM

What a great question!

The musical arrangement and the tightness of the playing are HUGE factors. For rock'n'roll compression is important. Tape did it automatically and gently, with digital there are ways to get a similar effect. Maybe you could post the current mix of your song? That is the only way to diagnose the issue...

deman · 09-05-2010 11:29AM

There's a lot to say about double tracking. Just listen to any ACDC song produced in the last 15 years (best example may be Thunderstruck). You'll hear at least 3 different lead guitars in most of them. Fills up the sound brilliantly.

hexagramer · 09-05-2010 02:22PM

hey! this was a question i was not able to ask when i was mixing my first few tunes for the very first time, cos i just couldnt put my tongue on it like you have, so well done, you asked my perfect question,

but over time man, iv managed to chip away at that very question, iv learned that its ALOT to do with the equipment you use aswell as plugins. i came from using on-board mobo cards to getting a small 2 input m-powered interface all the way to a projectmix I/O and now im finally on my digi 003 rack unit which i think is the best peice of equipment of everything iv had.

one day ill be able to afford protoold HD haha, with a nice decent sized console. iv noticed the headroom, and the spectrum is waiting your organisational skills. but at the same time of saying that, keep in mind that your raw tracking is the your best tool from the very beginning.

conclusion:

a combination of good/great equipment/software aswell as a good source of tracking skills! and of course the icing on the cake - mixing skills.

hope that helps, its whats been happening in my books mate :P

PMI · 09-05-2010 03:07PM

Also Guitar tones, not processed garbage sounds....

Big assed amps in good rooms, tone not distortion

Panning, choice of reverbs etc..

I dont think DC is the best choice I think all their stuff sounds thin apart from the new album.

But even in RnB Less is more, max 5 instruments and a big sounding vocal and whole spectrum taken care of

i57dwun4yb1pt8 · 09-05-2010 03:38PM

from my experience so far

0/ the room and monitering are the number one killer of home mixes - this needs to be good from the off.

1/ adding a commpressed drum mix under the drum mix builds bigger drums

can do same with bass or guitars

note that a big sounding full sounding recording is nealry always starting with the drums .
i suspect you are not getting the drum fullness and punch you expect.

2/ miking a guitar amp is not as easy as it seems .

you have to find the big sounding sweet spot , i turn the amp and mic pres up full with the guitar turned off , and sweep the speaker with the mic - with headphoneso until the hiss and roar sounds big and sweet

and sometimes the room can kill it anyway , so find a good spot in the room where the amp sounds big and full up close. ( where ear plugs for this - you will be able to feel the big ness up close on your face )

seems to be better with one very close mic, and one about 2 feet away

and use a vst delay on the close mic or move the wav files to be in phase.

3/ di the bass and consider using a room bass sim plugin to blend under it .

you really have to think - 'lets make it sound as it does but BETTER ,
recording sort of implies a bit of smoke and mirrors to make the sound bigger and hyper real in a way' .

the tricks are - one get the best sound at the mic first
then apply some compression - note compression is an art in itself.
and some times eq , at least cuts , to balance the spread ,

finally the mastering workdone is also a big factor in final sound.

i dont think its the freq spectrum thats your issue - its your recording methods and processing

we've all been there !

How can songs sound so simple yet fill up so much of the frequency spectrum?

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