Becoming a great audio producer takes time. You need to work at it consistently and develop your own sound. Being passionate about your art is essential to achieving mastery. Having the right tools for the job will also have a marked influence on your final product.
We looked at tips from experts with decades of experience in the industry and are thus able to provide you with useful hacks that will enable you to continue working from home, by choice.
Achieving Acoustic Balance in Your Recording Room
Sound waves bounce off the walls and other objects. This results in echoes or music that sounds tinny. You can get acoustic wedge studio foam sound absorption wall panels that come in squares and look professional in black. Aim for this, even if it is currently not in the budget. The cheap option is to utilise mattresses, pillows, and blankets for reflecting areas. The idea is not to kill off the ambience or muffle the sound but to provide a space that is balanced. The most effective way is to get someone to walk around the room slowly with a mirror. You should be seated in your usual mixing position. If a speaker is reflected in the mirror, use acoustic material on that spot.
Cover windows, and either floors (carpet) or ceilings. Avoid acute angles by curving your material to fit the room corners. Bass traps will slow down sound vibrations. Remove any reflective items from the room, such as mirrors, flat surfaces, and metal items. Sound absorption panels in a walk-in closet improves vocals.
Tools of the Job
Quality software and plugins give you more options and an enhanced professional sound. This is where expert advice is essential. For example, you can get a cheaper microphone if you have the tools for a microphone modifications effect. The new Antarestech website demonstrates what you can do with the right tools.
Moving Between the Mixing and Mastering Sessions
The mixing sessions are more flexible than mastering. Avoid the temptation to leave problems for the mastering process. You will find yourself moving backward and forwards across the mixing and mastering processes, which is good. For example, you should not lower a too-high bass with the equaliser but reduce it in the mixing session. Then return to master it. If the master bus in the mixing session has a maximiser plug-in, you won’t have to jump from one to the other.
Background Noise
Mixing from home may come with background noises you cannot prevent, such as planes flying overhead and traffic on the street. You will need to eliminate these background noises from your work to provide a professional product.
Unplug fridges, air-cons, and other sources of background noise in the recording environment. As already pointed out, there may be some background noises that penetrated your home recording studio which are beyond your control. For problems like this, you can obtain software plugins to eliminate certain sounds.
Following the advice of professionals will have you mixing with confidence in no time.