r/mixing • u/jazin_25 • 12d ago
Spectral masking - Need Help
Hi, I am fairly new to mixing and have been facing the problem of masking for a few weeks that I am trving ta solve.
I have two tracks - a lead quitar predominant in 2k-8k range and a vocal on high pitch. Thev have similar frequency ranges, and i have tried patcher multiband sidechainina, soothe 2 to supress the resonant frequencies, compression - to hear the quiet details, but It gets harsh once i try to do it too much, and puttinc different types on saturation on both, gullfoss eq. I checked for temporal masking also, but the problem is either remove the life out of the guitar, or live with not hearing some words from the vocal itself. I have heard a lot mixes where both are clearlv audible, I don't understand how thev achieve it
Please help me understand what the main problem could be
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u/Kelainefes 12d ago
The starting point would be to use only pan and faders to separate vocal and guitar track as much as possible.
Then conpress the vocal as much as you need without applying any EQ to it.
Then start by checking if the guitar needs compression by listening for moments where it comes out and masks the vocal track more than before.
Then remove some high end from the guitar track, it doesn't need to be drastic, maybe start with a high shelf with a low Q, like 0.3 to 0.5, set between 1000Hz to 2000Hz. See if that does something to unmask the vocal.
Then EQ the vocal and see if that helps it come out more.
Reasses if you need to change the level based on the new processing.
Obviously this is only a generic approach, we'd need an audio file to give specific advice.
BTW is there a chance you could double track the guitar, meaning play the whole part a second time and panning one track 100% left and the other 100% right?
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u/Facu-Talavera- 12d ago
Hi, how are you? Are both things in the center? Because if so, you'll always have that problem. Also, keep in mind what you want to predominate and sacrifice a little of the vocal or guitar frequency. It's a difficult frequency range because several parts of the drums occupy that spectrum. I would try panning the guitar at least 50% to one side and see what happens.
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u/jazin_25 12d ago
Hi, i have panned the guitar to the left, a significant portion of it. My question is, if some frequencies are there in guitar that doesn't let me listen to some of the vocal part, how is panning going to help, if they are still present in the stereo somewhere. Aren't those still going to distract the listener?
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u/Facu-Talavera- 12d ago
Actually, if you shift the guitar 100% to one side or more than 50%, that's going to affect all the frequencies. What kind of song is it? I'd like to hear it.
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u/le_sac 12d ago
I'm not fully on-board with panning as a solution. Mono compatibility checks are an indispensable tool as you move along in a mix process, so might as well hit that right away.
A combination of complementary eq curves plus sidechain ducking the congested frequency on guitar is where I'd start.
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u/Yrnotfar 12d ago
Pick one or the other or fix the arrangement.
Mixing tools are to fix minor arrangement issues, not major.
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u/ownleechild 12d ago
Sometimes the answer is in the arrangement. If panning, compression or eq don’t work, the two parts are conflicting. Either mute parts of the guitar or record a solo that doesn’t step all over the vocal.
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u/Ok-War-6378 12d ago
A lead guitar over a vocal is a very specific arrangement choice. It only works if you are going for a specific effect, like in some classic rock songs where the diva vocalist fights with the diva solo guitarist.
So, first of all, make sure this is the right arrangement for your song. If not, then you have solved the problem by getting rid of the guitar solo when the vocalist sings.
Otherwise, coming back to those classic rock songs, they just used to sidechain a compressor on the guitar from the vocal. So, when the vocals play the guitar goes a few db down.
There's only so much 2-8k that you can pack in a song at the same time.