Sin City, Jay Bee – Audio Mixing – Introduction + Verse 1

Band Pass Filter and Boosting

There are three melodic instrument sounds – acoustic piano, overdrive guitar and fingered bass converted from MIDI to waves. For the first time, I separated each note of each sound into own wave file. Each wave file was edited with the Band Pass Filter to cut out the low and high end frequencies. Then I boosted the key frequencies through parametric equalizer.

To cut the low end frequencies, I calculated the 13th semitone below the note.

For an example, the 13th semitone below note A4 is Bb3. A4 is perceived to have the frequency of 440 Hz therefore the 13th semitone below A4 is perceived to be at 210 Hz.

To cut the high end frequencies, I calculated the 47th semitone above the note.

For an example, the 47th semitone above note A4 is Bb8 which is perceived to have the frequency of 6746 Hz.

The Band Pass Filter then is given values Low = 210 Hz, High = 6746 Hz with order 40.

At the same time, I boosted the frequencies of each note.

Adobe Audition 1.5 gives the spectrum of frequencies by 43.065 Hz. To boost the note A4 or the frequency 440 Hz, I first note which band the frequency is in which is between 430 Hz to 473 Hz. I use parametric equalizer to boost with 5 db with Q = 10. I may boost the frequency more than once.

Drums and Percussions are more complicated because they are not the melodic type of musical instruments. I have to take a very good look at the spectrums in order to determine their key frequencies.

Cutting the low and high end frequencies and boosting the key frequencies depends on how I think they should sound.


Volume

I assigned the snare to have the standardized volume level and the fader is given the value 1. The average peak volume for snare is calculated to be at -6.69 dB.

Say the average peak volume of fingered bass is -13.61 dB. The fader then is set to be at -13.61/-6.69 = 2.

However, the average peak volume for High Tom 1 is higher than that of the snare at -3.96 dB. The fader is set to be -6.69/-3.96 * -1 = -1.7.

Exceptional to the solo play (by overdrive guitar), the fader is set twice higher after the calculation.


Compression

Kick Drums – Compressed according to Kick Drums Compressions
Snares – Compressed according to Snares Compressions
Overdrive Guitar – Compressed according to Electric Guitar Compressions
Fingered Bass – Compressed according to Bass Compressions
Acoustic Piano – Compressed according to Synthesizer/Keyboards Compressions

The rest of the musical sounds are not compressed.


Panning

All musical instruments are panned accordingly.


Sound Effects

Some musical instruments are given some sound effects accordingly.


Overall Compressions

Once all musical instruments are mixed, overall mixed compression is given.


Multiband

Multiband Filter is applied to increase more volume to the overall mix. As the genre is Rock, Normal Master Hard Multiband was applied.


The Audio Mixing

The mixing is not yet completed as I have not yet done the rhythm guitars, more solo overdrive guitar and vocal recordings. So this is still preliminary.