9
AMBIENCE
Your mixes can be further refined by adding ambience
effects such as reverb or delay. The internal effects can be
used to add reverb or delay to individual channels in the
same way as external effects processors.
Reverb and Delay Time
The optimum reverb time for a piece of music will depend on
the music’s tempo and density, but as a general rule longer
reverb times are good for ballads, while shorter reverb times
are more suited to uptempo tunes. Delay times can be djusted
to create a wide variety of “grooves”. When adding delay to
a vocal, for example, try setting the delay time to dotted
eighth notes corresponding to the tune’s tempo.
Reverb Tone
Different reverb programs will have different “reverb tone” due
to differences in the reverb time of the high or low
frequencies. Too much reverb, particularly in the high
frequencies, can result in unnatural sound and interfere with
the high frequencies in other parts of the mix. It’s always a
good idea to choose a reverb program that gives you the
depth you want without detracting from the clarity of the mix.
Reverb Level
It’s amazing how quickly your ears can lose perspective and
fool you into believing that a totally washed out mix sounds
perfectly fine. To avoid falling into this trap start with reverb
level all the way down, then gradually bring the reverb into
the mix until you can just hear the difference. Any more than
this normally becomes a “special effect.”
THE MODULATION EFFECTS
Phasing, Chorus, and Flanging
All of these effects work on basically the same principle: a
portion of the audio signal is “time-shifted” and then mixed
back with the direct signal. The amount of time shift is
controlled, or “modulated”, by an LFO (Low-frequency
Oscillator).
For phasing effects the shift is very small. The phase
difference between the modulated and direct signals causes
cancellation at some frequencies and reinforces the signal at
others and this causes the shimmering sound we hear.
For chorus and flanging the signal is delayed by several
milliseconds, with the delay time modulated by an LFO, and
recombined with the direct signal. In addition to the phasing
effect described above, the delay modulation causes a
perceived pitch shift which, when mixed with the direct signal,
results in a harmonically rich swirling or swishing sound.
The difference between chorus and flanging effects is
primarily in the amount of delay time and feedback
used—flanging uses longer delay times than chorus, whereas
chorus generally uses a more complex delay structure. Chorus
is most often used to thicken the sound of an instrument, while
flanging is usually used as an outright “special effect” to
produce otherworldly sonic swoops.
COMPRESSION
One form of compression known as “limiting” can, when
properly used, produce a smooth, unified sound with no
excessive peaks or distortion. A common example of the use
of compression is to “tame” a vocal that has a wide dynamic
range in order to tighten up the mix. With the right amount of
compression you’ll be able to clearly hear whispered
passages while passionate shouts are still well balanced in
the mix. Compression can also be valuable on bass guitar.
Too much compression can be a cause of feedback,
however, so use it sparingly.
Most compressors require
several critical parameters
to be set properly to achieve
the desired sound. The MG
compressor makes achieving
great sound much easier: all
you need to do is set a single
“compression” control and all
of the pertinent parameters are automatically adjusted for you.
(Min)
(Max)
INPUT
OUTPUT
BOOST WITH CAUTION
If you’re trying to create special or unusual effects, go ahead
and boost away as much as you like. But if you’re just trying
to achieve a good sounding mix, boost only in very small
increments. A tiny boost in the midrange can give vocals
more presence, or a touch of high boost can give certain
instruments more “air.” Listen, and if things don’t sound clear
and clean try using cut to remove frequencies that are
cluttering up the mix rather than trying to boost the mix into
clarity. One of the biggest problems with too much boost is
that it adds gain to the signal, increasing noise and
potentially overloading the subsequent circuitry.
FREQUENCY (Hz)
LOW BOOST
LOW FLAT
MID BOOST
MID FLAT
HIGH BOOST
HIGH FLAT
HIGH CUT
MID CUT
LOW CUT
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