Topic: mixing matrix? *now with ear candy*

[mfisch]

... so I've got this small pile of 4-track recordings ... some of which are stereo ambient mic / stereo soundboard ....

All was recorded via my Edirol FA-101 as multiple tracks with complete seperation (no nasty sync issues =) ... Mixing the two of these on the same "bus" (cubase digital bus) results in an okay mix (I can also adjust gain individually for each track) .... great .. the strings and vocals now have clarity without sacrificing the ambience of room mics.

... going forward I'm realizing I should be asking for more tracks, and maybe invest in a second set of mics with a tighter card shape.

How do I get rid of this nasty audience noise? Give up since I'm not on stage (maybe I should be)? I tried EQ'ing a little to no avail since I dont really know where to start.
Although I can do it between songs .... I cant turn down the mics during a song or I lose ambience ...

any tips?

[adubphoto]

can you fly your mics higher over the crowd? How about blocking people from standing under them? Mic placement is another variable that could help.

[mfisch]

I always try ... Im talking about post-prod tips.

[mfisch]

I always try ... Im talking about post-prod tips.

http://wookie.tourfiend.com/swap/ffp.txt

Soundboard > Edirol FA-101 24/44.1 > Mac Mini
Cubase > Normalize > Soft Limiting Compressor > UV22 > 16/44.1 AIFF > FLAC
http://wookie.tourfiend.com/swap/sby2005-09-10d1t1_SBD.flac (29M)

Studio Project C4's > Edirol FA-101 24/44.1 > Mac Mini
Cubase > Normalize > Soft Limiting Compressor > UV22 > 16/44.1 AIFF > FLAC
http://wookie.tourfiend.com/swap/sby2005-09-10d1t1_SPC4.flac (31M)

24/44.1 50/50 MIX
Cubase > Normalize > Soft Limiting Compressor > UV22 > 16/44.1 AIFF > FLAC
http://wookie.tourfiend.com/swap/sby2005-09-10d1t1_MIX.flac (33M)

So here's my first matrix. Comments/Suggestions? I've included my sources for comparison. I used manual/visual adjustment of approximately 80ms to get this to match up.

one oddity I notice is the apparent spacial warping thats going on mid-song. It sounds like the stage is flying around me in 3D (or I'm on some serious psychedelics). Is this a result of the mix? I dont hear it in the sources ... maybe the combined volume makes it more apparent? ... I sorta wonder if the board guy was doing something funny ...

[mfisch]

I always try ... Im talking about post-prod tips.

http://wookie.tourfiend.com/swap/ffp.txt

Soundboard > Edirol FA-101 24/44.1 > Mac Mini
Cubase > Normalize > Soft Limiting Compressor > UV22 > 16/44.1 AIFF > FLAC
http://wookie.tourfiend.com/swap/sby2005-09-10d1t1_SBD.flac (29M)

Studio Project C4's > Edirol FA-101 24/44.1 > Mac Mini
Cubase > Normalize > Soft Limiting Compressor > UV22 > 16/44.1 AIFF > FLAC
http://wookie.tourfiend.com/swap/sby2005-09-10d1t1_SPC4.flac (31M)

24/44.1 50/50 MIX
Cubase > Normalize > Soft Limiting Compressor > UV22 > 16/44.1 AIFF > FLAC
http://wookie.tourfiend.com/swap/sby2005-09-10d1t1_MIX.flac (33M)

So here's my first matrix. Comments/Suggestions? I've included my sources for comparison. I used manual/visual adjustment of approximately 80ms to get this to match up.

one oddity I notice is the apparent spacial warping thats going on mid-song. It sounds like the stage is flying around me in 3D (or I'm on some serious psychedelics). Is this a result of the mix? I dont hear it in the sources ... maybe the combined volume makes it more apparent? ... I sorta wonder if the board guy was doing something funny ...

ps, also sounds heavier on the right ear than the left (unlike the sources) ...... and ... when I visually match the wave ... can I assume I just zoom in on a sharp-lone note and match the first peak height to the same frame? It looks like I could have an error margin of 1-5ms ... and maybe it doesnt matter. Just wondered what best practice is.