Re: [microsound] usefulness of compressors/mastering in experimentalmusic

[Kassen <kassen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

precursor;

> ive got a tip...buy the best monitoring gear you can...if you like to
color
> your sound, thats fine...but your monitoring gear has to be
flat...ofcourse
> there are exceptions but this tends to work best.

Certainly, but practically speaking you are going to end up with a coloured
situation. I´m not sure how many people on this list can afford to have a
room restructured for optimal acoustics but I can guess...

What I think is very important is being used to your monitoring situation
and how it sounds with various types of material. Some people get very good
results from mixing on systems that are far from linear and in my experience
they are invariable the people that listen to most of their music on that
system. Whenever I´m working in some studio I don´t know I like to bring a
cd of purely acoustic music with a very neutral mix that I know well.
Playing this gives some indication of the strong and weak points of the
system in a short time. Some people don´t ever use their monitoring setup
for anything else then making their own music, removing the frame of
reference they could have if they´d occasionally spend a afternoon listening
to some Chopin, some metal and for all I care some jazz on their monitors.

I´m certainly not claiming this practice would be a substitute for getting a
neutral, linear system but it´s at least complimentary and within reach of
everybody regardless of your finantial situation and the architecture you
might be stuck with.

Also; if your music is supposed to be playable on pa´s try to hyjack a pa
before some club opens and listen to it, noting any trouble you might hear.
You can make this a part of your own soundcheck for some gig or go along
with somebody else´s. In my experience nobody will mind as long as this
soundcheck doesn´t take much longer then the average one and it´s well worth
it.

While I´m at it; it´s a very interesting experience to be present at the
cutting of the master of your vinyl release. Cutting vinyl is a whole craft
by itself and if all is well you should be able to poke the local engineer´s
brain for tips, hopefully ones especially relevant to your own material.

Happy mixing!

Kas.



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