Spectrum analysis is basically a visual reference of sound. It’s a great assistant in monitoring your tracks and or instrument placements in the mix. When during a mix-down, it’s good practice to identify and separate similar frequencies as much as possible yet maintain the best signal-to-noise ratio. In other words, you want to stay clear of muddy bottoms, yet create warmth, and not too crispy highs. You want to reduce the frequency clutter because several instruments in the same frequency range can cause dis-tasteful results.
Many are afraid or often intimidated by the audio spectrum analyzer because they don’t quite understand what’s exactly going on. The following video gives you a brief demonstration of how to view the spectrum analyzer in PT8.
The 1st step to understanding how to read a spectrum analyzer is to first know what frequencies are and how your mix is spread out across the spectrum. Here is a great interactive frequency chart to help you better understand the various types of audible frequencies and their ranges. (Simple mouse over the designated area to find more details.) Here’s another great chart you can purchase.
Remember, these are just guides in giving you an idea of where certain frequencies lie. Personally, I don’t depend on the spectral analyzer, however, it’s a great visual if I’m particular about a certain placement. Your ears should be the determining factor in what works for your application. So in other words, there are no set rules as to how you cut or boost your frequencies and or use your equalizer.
Here Are a Few FREE Spectral/Frequency Analyzers
Blue Cat’s FreqAnalyst
iSpectrum (For Mac users)
Voxengo
MultiInspectorFree
When I began recording music, I learned quickly that my ears were the greatest asset in the studio. Therefore, I had to prepare for the journey of developing them for the studio environment.
Just as you should train your voice to sing correctly, you must train your ears to hear correctly. A developed ear takes time and practice, and hands-on is the most effective training. You have to know what to hear in order to know how to hear it. One of the hardest developments for me at first was hearing the differences in compression and limiting/gating. Different parameters produce different results, and as an engineer recording my product, it was essential I understand these settings and how they produce sound. This same ear applies to microphone placement.
A developed ear will hear a dry room versus a wet room and know what type of room works best for the project. A developed ear will hear whether a certain type of microphone is the best match for a particular vocal. As many of us don’t have the luxury of having 10 mics on hand to choose from, it’s important to understand in many cases, a single mic can cover many vocal opportunities by knowing how to tweak it to get the best result from it.
A developed ear understands the dynamics of mixing. As a mix goes through several critical stages such as tracking, editing, volume changes, mixing/blending, equalization, effects and processing; not hearing how to blend these elements can cause dreadful results. Ever listened to a mix and can tell right off what makes it a good or bad mix? Not by speculation, but by knowing? And keep in mind, I’m not talking about mastering. These are two separate entities whereas mastering involves a different type of ear.
Artists, it doesn’t hurt for you to begin this developmental process as well. The more you know, the more diverse you become in this industry. Know what makes your music sound good and hear what doesn’t.
How to care for your ears:
Don’t mix when you are ill or congested with cold/sinus issues.
Listening to loud music continuously can permanently damage the ears. (Did you know you don’t have to mix at loud levels to get good results?)
Protect your ears in extreme temperatures.
is common and you should rest when your ears tell you.
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