Joy of Synths #22 Mixing Plugins
Basics of 3 audio plugins in this non-musicians guide to creating sounds for podcasts, videos, and sampling for music using analog synthesizers.
SUMMER MIXING WORKSHOP
I just attended a Summer Sound Lab: Audio Mixing Workshop Series hosted by Trevor at the Melrose Center Audio Studio. It repeats twice in July at the Orlando Public Library. Register for free here. ( https://ocls.info/classes-events/?_event_search=Summer%20Sound%20lab )
This four-day experience inspired me to buy mixing plugins from Waves. (Affil link: https://www.waves.com/r/1305288 )
I bought the following: Clarity Vx (for noise reduction on voice recordings), CLA-2A optical “slow” compressor (for the Master Bus) and (free with purchase of 2 plugins) C4 – Multi-band compressor, as Trevor suggested its Multi Electro Preset on the Master Bus.
DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATIONS (DAWs)
The workshop used Pro Tools, however, the Waves plugins are VSTs so they are accessible through DaVinci Resolve’s Fairlight page in the VST folder. Fairlight is free though its advanced features require the $299 perpetual DaVinci Resolve Studio license. ( Perpetual means any future upgrades are free.)
DaVinci Resolve is best known as a professional color grading program and a nice video editor and Fairlight is a powerful tool to edit audio and mix video and audio projects.
Granted, Fairlight has its own compressors, and I used the Fairlight Soft Clipper (in the Effects - Dynamics folder) and the Fairlight Limiter. However, the plugin market exists because stock filters and effects may not be enough to arrive at an intended creative result.
CLARITY Vx
Clarity Vx was recommended by everyone in the Audio Studio as the best for background noise reduction for podcasts, dialogue tracks and vocals. It has a simple interface and works better than the Noise Reduction effects in Fairlight and Adobe Premiere Pro. Since it is a VST plugin, I can use it in Fairlight and Adobe Premiere Pro.
COMPRESSORS
Per the workshop, compressors squash the louder parts of an audio signal, reducing the dynamic range between loud and quiet. This allows you to gain up the quieter sounds so the audio signal is perceived as louder.
LOUDNESS
Loudness metering may be important if you’re distributing work online. Loudness is not measured in dB like audio volume. It’s measured in LUFS, or loudness units full scale. Here’s a great article on this topic that explains the measurements and how a wide dynamic range may force the louder parts to be quieter. An answer to that is compression and compressing the louder dBs and gaining up the quieter parts. https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/mastering-for-streaming-platforms.html
CLIPPERS
Clippers allow you to clip the peaks of an audio signal, softly, allowing one to gain up the audio signal a few more dB.
LIMITERS
True Peak Brickwall Limiters should keep the signal at a level you set. Two limiters were added- the first at -1.1dB and the second and last at -.1dB.
MIXING IS LISTENING
A parting tip was that before the recording is out to the world, listening should replace looking at channel strips and effects rack plugins. As another audio person said, “Mix with your ears not your eyes.” Alas, eyes are a way of understanding frequencies and decibels by looking at meters. Seeing what you are listening to helps plenty.
SYNTHESIZER DYNAMICS
While mixing is key for multi-track recordings, I feel a solitary mono synth audio signal is what it is. This doesn’t necessarily need to be processed beyond what you achieve live. The loud and quiet portions are intentional, so putting a limiter or two on the master bus may be enough. However, everyone is free to do whatever they want.
ARP T-SHIRTS
I ordered ARP T-shirts from Alan R. Pearlman Foundation on Monday evening and they arrived on Saturday. Wow! A few of this specific package are left so if you like ARP synthesizers and want a bonus pin and sticker buy here: https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/product/the-original-arp-tee-shirt-package/
END NOTE
This first year of publishing Joy of Synths (June 2023-June 2024) started and ended with buying suggestions. Next newsletter arrives on July 15th and starts our second year of publishing Joy of Synths with an overview of synths and the basics of semi-modular and modular synthesizers. Keep enjoying Summer 2024!
All Content Copyright 2024 Anthony Torres, All Rights Reserved.