How to put certain sounds in foreground and background of mix

G

Gouryella91

New member
sounds general and vague but it's a problem i'm running into. I'll have like 3 different melodies/instruments going off doing there own thing, and I'll want one in the background (like a lead sound but I want it operating like a pad sound would), one sound I want to be central (the hook/main melody people hear) and the third sound being that subliminal boost (and not interfering with the main melody.

Question put simply.

1)What techniques can I use to make some instruments STAND FRONT AND CENTER in my mix. (besides adjusting volume/filter controls)

2.) How do I get certain sounds sitting in the back of my mix (besides adjusting volume/filter controls)

3.) and how do I get 2 or more melody type sounds not to interfere with one another so that A main melody can be heard clearly while another melody is used for back up and not interfereing with the "groove" of the main melody?


If anyone knows anything on any of these questions PLEASE holla back. love ya. pyc.
 
Its all EQing! im not a Guru but, do some reading and watch some videos itll take you along way. I found a Mastering e-Book a while back all PDF's and audio files but its the Truth.

Play with Highs and Lows, i guarantee go through each instrument and make adjustments just on EQ and you will find your answer. Trial and Error.
 
To bring sounds to the foreground : Boost high-end, less reverb, bring volume up,
To push sounds to the background : Reduce high-end, increase reverb, bring volume down, use other creative fx (phaser, chorus etc)
 
jrace nailed it. Also keep in mind, the more something is panned away from center, the more obvious it is to the ears.
 
ok thx. I'll for sure focus on eq'ing more and see what I get.

I know reverb can help push sounds back, I also think chorus can also push sounds back as well (not sure what it is or how it's done :/ )

Compression supposedly can create it's own peaks/boosts (right words?) to help give it more clean/poppy/presence and that can help with foreground stuff. (still don't know how this is done)

but that's basically all my knowledge on the subject, and I still have an amazingly difficult time dealing with it
 
Gouryella91 said:
ok thx. I'll for sure focus on eq'ing more and see what I get.

I know reverb can help push sounds back, I also think chorus can also push sounds back as well (not sure what it is or how it's done :/ )

Compression supposedly can create it's own peaks/boosts (right words?) to help give it more clean/poppy/presence and that can help with foreground stuff. (still don't know how this is done)

but that's basically all my knowledge on the subject, and I still have an amazingly difficult time dealing with it
Click to expand...


After reading this thread last night I searched Youtube and there's a tutorial for every question you have. And that's only covering Logic. Just be specific with DAW when you search. Mr June and Jrace help can take you miles alone!
 
Here is my set-up:

EQ for distance - Back of the mix - quieter less top end, roll off some low end below 150 to 200hz

Reverb for distant sounds - Roll off some high end, you can always add more reverb to sounds placed in the back of the mix

Echo with Reverb - Creates distance, tape echo or delay with high end rolled off above 4khz and low end theory below 200hz

Chorus - Pushes sound back for Pads so they sit nicely behind everything else.
 
If your using two melodies at same time the most favorable choice would be to pan each of them on different sides. Now create sends of reverb on opposite side. This will not only allow your melodies to have sense of space, but reverb will also add depth to your mix.
Actually I used this same technique on e guitars it worked pretty damn well!
 
Soo this was intersting! I actually just EQ and Compress then use Izotope Imager to sort out the stereo for each part.
 
I agree with all of the above advice!
Reverb and even a little delay/panning to push a sound back. To bring a sound up close I usually keep it dry (no efx) and centered. Side chaining or frequency ducking conflicting sounds can help a ton in bringing a sound up front. (not to mention clearing up the mix as a whole)
 
I see the aforementioned answers are rather generic and in correct theory.
In order to direct you to a more direct solution: you want to vest your time
in the following VSTfx plugins for your DAW:

LeapWing DynoOne
LeapWing CenterOne (this might address your current problem head-on)
LeapWing StageOne (for manipulating your vocal coordinates in the mix)

Hit up LeapWing Audio in order to download the demos and see if it were to
address your problem at-hand.
 
Last edited:
How come no one mentioned using an expander? And filters can give a lot of space with roll-offs, too.

There is a plugin called Selig Leveler that lets you choose which amplitudes to increase while leaving the rest alone. I use the rack extension version for Reason. This is kind of a shortcut through all these suggestions.
 
SawCeeJack said:
How come no one mentioned using an expander? And filters can give a lot of space with roll-offs, too.

There is a plugin called Selig Leveler that lets you choose which amplitudes to increase while leaving the rest alone. I use the rack extension version for Reason. This is kind of a shortcut through all these suggestions.
Click to expand...

....because expanders literally do the opposite of compression. You want your stuff to stay compressed not brought to the forefront like many expanders do when their ratio and threshold is not properly set. You want to keep your material/mix
controllably "smushed" but airy so it has clarity yet no spikes in volume at any time in the mix.
 
You can add “perceived space” using long reverbs, but the only way to make something sound like its behind you is to position the speakers behind you. This + imagination plays a huge role from where the sound is comming. Yes, either turn 180 degrees from the speakers or place the speakers behind you Roblox Guides get-mobdrovip.com
 
Last edited:
Or mix in quad, 5.1, or 7.1.

But based on your initial question, you have pre-blocked the main answer: lower the volume of that track. You can also use panning to pinpoint positions of specific sounds, or create space with reverb or delay. But moving a sound to the “background” is mostly done with fader adjustment.

GJ
 
Background sound (or ambient sound) tends to be quieter, easier to ignore, more continuous, less variable, broader in spectrum; foreground sound tends to be louder, more intrusive, composed of recognisable events, changeable, located in particular frequencies. forpc.onl minecraft pocket edition pc
 
Last edited:
I'm a pretty big advocate of keeping things simple.

Easiest way to get front-to-back imaging is to start with level! Loud stuff sounds close, quiet stuff sounds far.
Next step is reverb. More reverb = further away. Less reverb = closer.
 
It's all comparison, so lowpass certain things and push them back to make other things stand out. Also boosting 10k+ seems to push stuff forward imo. Also check limiter compressor settings on your master to make sure that isn't pushing your sounds back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top