Yamaha DIGITAL MIXING STUDIO 01X - Manual (Page 44)

44
Getting Started
01X Owner’s Manual
Before Using
Basics Section
Appendix
Getting Started
Reference
● Clean up sounds
Garbage in usually means garbage out. So make sure your
source sounds are as clean and noise-free as possible. Use
quality cabling, check microphone placement, turn off the
air conditioner or anything else causing hum, patch in a
noise gate, or change the pickups in your guitar if neces-
sary.
● Apply EQ (page 48)
If you can’t eliminate noise problems at the source, you
can use the EQ on the 01X at this stage to cut it or mini-
mize it. The EQ library (page 99) contains several preset
programs for reducing hum, hiss, and noise. If you’re after
a natural sound, go back to the last step—it’s always better
to try to correct the sound source itself rather than correct-
ing with EQ. You’ll probably need to readjust the EQ
when listening to all sounds in the mix, anyway.
● Apply compression (page 52)
If your vocalist is alternately too loud and too soft, or the
bass fluctuates too wildly in level, or the guitar doesn’t
have enough presence—compression may be the answer.
The Dynamics library contains a wide variety of preset
programs for correcting, smoothing or enhancing the
sound during recording, or after.
■ After Recording:
● Set up stereo pairs (page 54)
This links adjacent input channels (1 and 2, 3 and 4,
etc.)—making it easy to unify level settings for both chan-
nels, as well as EQ, Dynamics, and other settings (except
pan and phase).
● Pan the sounds (page 55)
Not only does panning allow you to create a more interest-
ing stereo sound field, it lets you create more sonic space
for each instrument in the mix. There are no hard and fast
guidelines here, but generally pan to center the bass (which
is non-directional anyway) and the lead vocal. Anything
you’ve tracked in stereo should obviously be panned hard
left and right (such as keyboards, overhead mics on drums,
etc.).
● Balance levels
Now you’re ready for the main task in mixdown—setting
levels for each channel and getting the optimum balance.
You may want to start with all faders at about 0 dB, and
work down from there. In other words, DECREASE the
level of backing instruments and backing vocals until they
blend well with the lead vocals and solo instruments. Start
loud and get softer—that’s better than engaging in an ever-
escalating battle of the faders.
● Apply EQ—again (page 48)
Now that all instruments can be heard together, you may
need to redo some of your earlier EQ adjustments. EQ is
an effective way to clean up a mix and keep certain instru-
ments from clashing and muddying the sound. For exam-
ple, you may want to cut the bass of a keyboard to leave
more room for the bass guitar. On the other hand, you can
trim the high-end from the bass so that it doesn’t get in the
way of the drums and percussion. Also make sure that the
overall sound is tonally balanced— the low, mid, and high
bands of the audio spectrum should contain an equal
amount of sound energy.