Tips about EQ and related things

[Canslli]

Hello,

I'm working with a friend of mine on a video game, and he asked me to do the music for it. It's nothing professional or anything, but we are putting some work into it.

Anyway, i've never been fully satisfied with the audio quality of my music. The instruments always seen to get on top of each other, and i know nothing about EQ and stuff.

So i put one little song on Soundcloud (http://soundcloud.com/ricardo-ranzani/test-projeto-vidotto) to serve as an example and i would like some tips on how to make it sound better. Please, i'm not looking for feedback telling me if the music is good or not (feel free to do that, but that's not the reason i made this topic )

I'm sorry if this topic is in the wrong place, and i know that there are tons of topics all over the forum explaining EQ, Mastering and all, but i would like to try these tips on something that i made.

[Mak Eightman]

Actually I don't think EQ is the problem here. As you said "instruments goes on top of each other". It's more writing itself, rather then EQ'ing. Instruments choice, note's harmony etc.

Also reverberation causes some bad effects to overall mix pretty often. And, almost the most important thing is BALANCING! Right, left, center, right-center, left-center, louder or quiet..

Here:

I used multiband compressor for your stuff. Is that better, or just louder?

EDIT: If tinDeck doesn't work HERE::http://www.datafilehost.com/download-fbc344fe.html

[Canslli]

Actually I don't think EQ is the problem here. As you said "instruments goes on top of each other". It's more writing itself, rather then EQ'ing. Instruments choice, note's harmony etc.

Also reverberation causes some bad effects to overall mix pretty often. And, almost the most important thing is BALANCING! Right, left, center, right-center, left-center, louder or quiet..

Here:

I used multiband compressor for your stuff. Is that better, or just louder?

EDIT: If tinDeck doesn't work HERE::http://www.datafilehost.com/download-fbc344fe.html

Hmm....maybe you're right. It could be the writing itself.

I tried to balance it the best way i could, but i'm using

EWQLSO Gold Edition and i'm having a real hard time panning instruments in it. It never sounds the way i like.

About your version of my music, it really sounds louder, but i think it improved the quality. Wich leads to another question: how to use a multiband compressor?

[Mak Eightman]

how to use a multiband compressor?

Ha-ha!! I have no idea!!

I used for your mix -5dB trashold and 0dB Out celling.

Then I drop down freqs in 128Hz-1KHz range, because this range was the most loud at your mix. The i busted lows(16-64Hz), because it was the most quiet range.

You changing Trashold and Out celling depends of sound(bad, overcomressed, quiet, loud) and always keep in mind the most quiet part of your mix. It will help you to work with it.

But actually, I using only my ears:mrgreen:

[Mordi]

I would say it's about mixing. It's just a question of definitions, though.

You need to compare the instruments' frequency ranges. In addition to your ears, you can use a paragraphic equalizer to spot problematic frequencies.

For example; if your pad has some activity in the lower frequencies, and you have a bass which operates around the same frequency, you'll want to use an equalizer on the pads to remove some of the volume where the bass should be. You make a "hole" in the pads for the bass to fit.

If you are using FL Studio, you should already have a paragraphic equalizer installed.