Fat, thin, bright, dull, nasal, hollow, boxy - Understand what all these tonal balance terms mean

[@AudioMasterclass]

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[@JJONNYREPP]

Fat, thin, bright, dull, nasal, hollow, boxy - Understand what all these tonal balance terms mean 0953am 7.7.23 lazy intonation and lax desire to deliver one's thoughts coherently... (lazy peoples per se) is basically the basis of regional dialect. that said, the home counties plummy tongue does nothing for me, either. it is said, due to industrial revolution vs pastoral living - speech became more nasally in the cities and towns due to bellowing smog and smoke as opposed to the countryside wherein folk became more coherent.. this is not the case... we dont even take into consideration the alleged elite's desire to distance themselves from anything deemed of the lower orders - speech included. i curse my nasally vile odes but that's due to a desire to distance myself from nasally and allegedly industrial volk. not due to any aloofness.. that and the masses of crushed bone and matter situated atop the bridge of my nose after having run into a tree during the early 80's. i do wonder what my speech would have sounded like if 1: i was not brow beaten by northern-ease and 2: i had not run into that tree all those years ago. p.s that anecdote is worthy of a response in anybody's book.

[@MartinvonBargen]

1970s Open University content quality with a 2020 quality of delivery And I mean that in the nicest way possible. Great combination of audio and visual cues with the usual no nonsense approach to teaching. Thanks for another great video

[@AudioMasterclass]

Thank you for your comment. Looks like I'll have to choose between a polo neck or knitted tie for my next video. DM

[@musicsound2683]

3:38 Tonal balance: Fat 4:36 Tonal balance: Thin 5:20 Tonal balance: Bright 5:59 Tonal balance: Aggressive 6:49 Tonal balance: Smooth 7:44 Tonal balance: Dark 8:40 Tonal balance: Dull/muffled 9:30 Tonal balance: Air/airy 10:34 Tonal balance: Harsh 11:26 Tonal balance: Nasal/honky 12:21 Tonal balance: Muddy 13:07 Tonal balance: Presence/bite 13:59 Tonal balance: Scooped/smile curve 15:07 Tonal balance: Hollow 15:57 Tonal balance: Boxy 16:52 Summary

[@adornohorkheimer]

This is simply one of the greatest videos on youtube about music reproduction. Now I know why I like (and don't like) some sound profiles. Thank you so much!

[@erlonbailey8398]

Thank you, Paul McCartney.

[@test40323]

Although used by professionals in the recording industry, these fundamental terms for communication are also very useful for layman and enthusiasts. Thank you!

[@errorsofmodernism7331]

Very good explanation with no frantic arm waving or histrionics

[@devinschmid2043]

This reference song makes me want to play a mobile game

[@velixzeen]

Thank you for clarifying these commonly used terms and putting some numbers to them. Cheers!

[@andreashultgren1482]

Probably the best and most useful tutorial I have ever seen since I started music production three years ago. Thank you.

[@paulmertens5522]

Thank you! Straightforward but essential stuff with clear examples!

[@fancha831]

exceptional content, thanks

[@AudioMasterclass]

Glad you think so!

[@Dj-Jon-E-C]

Well explained interesting to lean of what the frequencies do. I know a little but this helped me more.

[@markkirollos4437]

While the information contained in this video is good, the YT audio compression has definitely made it difficult to actually hear the changes you are making to the EQ. If I make the same changes on my own EQ program, the differences are much more apparent, resulting in less confusion. Just a heads up to anyone else watching this in the future.

[@andymouse]

Wonderful....cheers !

[@polmorgan3533]

I thank you for your good advice my friend I have been thinking a lot about what you said on my last post, thanks.

[@wiebl5266]

I really appreciate this video you made, thank YOU x 10! I know a lot of things you say but when I hear it, the disclarity in my mind disappears. Thank you. I particularly appreciate the term AIR and NASAL, and the boosting of sound range differentiates the speakers that we buy. Thank you so much.

[@Nemura12]

Now I understand why I like my Sennheiser HD-600 so much.

[@klauskujawa7858]

“ TREMENDOUS CLARITY”: #1 my 58 year old hearing is great, I could hear every example the video demonstrates! #2. I prefer “Flat” in every example which makes sense given that it is the same when listening at home- my stereo amplifier settings 95% of the time are set to flat, or bypass tone control all together. Very helpful video sir, excellent content and I am continuing to learn from the videos on your channel….cheers!!!👍from USA

[@mouruk9633]

It is the best reference to mixing!! I was always confusing to my mixing strategy even with reference track, but I am absolutely clear now, thank you!

[@SouthYarraMan]

As ever, the words of David Mellor are very informative and accurately focused. Excellent graphics.

[@polmorgan3533]

I'm fifty seven and i find i have to cup my hands behind my ears to hear the real sound of my mixes. Thank you for all your good advice it has helped me a lot even though some i don't agree with... haha maybe i'm just a prick. thanks Mate.

[@DavidRice-l2n]

They should play before the stereo is going to work it's got to be driven off frequency because you can't run multiple signals into one half and expect everything to stay straight it's not going to happen Celestial driven off frequency before it's going to work

[@brianvassallomusic]

Very useful and simply explained . To keep handy. Thanks

[@steveb9564]

First time visit and this is new to me. Fantastic stuff, understood it all. Jam packed and very well presented. Subbed!

[@Papa33J]

Dude, thank you for this great explanation. I was missing something and I believe I may have it now because of this cool vid.

[@dhpbear2]

I've heard 'air' used to describe heavily boosted bass. I guess because it 'moves more air'?

[@TeaDrinker3000]

This is the best video I've ever seen on the subject matter. Thank you so much for your work!

[@AudioMasterclass]

Thank you. DM

[@Links71]

Nice

[@cloud9savagehenry]

Very helpful.

[@DavidRice-l2n]

It's got to miss and hit like electric guitar sound the raspberry you can make the sound the better it sounds kind of the same way with stereo you start with the base and the more you can improve on yourself to higher and frequency you can get the same effect and this is how to get all volume level so if it's low or full power it's got to have to change distortion I can rock and roll your house😊

[@peekpen]

Got a specific 'boxy' tone I want for a guitar effect on my synth + vox genre-type tune. Didn't know you existed or even spoke my language. I'm still teachable. Hurray!

[@anantwashere]

Thank you so much.

[@AudioMasterclass]

You're welcome. DM

[@soundssimple1]

Discovered channel mid 2023, going thru many past vids. Found this excellent example. Thanks.

[@MusicChannel-rf5zz]

Thanks.Can I use it on a vocal track?

[@92trdman]

To learn this, prepared a good headphones or loudspeaker with as less coloring or less characteristics as possible...

[@DavidRice-l2n]

Is not leaning between the different notes was not working

[@georgemartin1324]

I would have liked to hear tonal balancing individual tracks- if a mix is bad- just adjusting overall mix eq won’t fix it

[@AudioMasterclass]

Yes it would be useful for me to cover EQ on instruments and vocals, however I needed something with the full frequency spectrum to make this demonstration. Regarding a bad mix, yes there's only so much you can do with EQ. I would say that in mixing, the aim should be to get a good overall frequency balance with EQ in the channels. However, it's a rare (good) mix that can't be improved still further with EQ in the master. In fact that's one of the functions of the mastering engineer - to improve the frequency balance and make it compatible with existing commercial releases. DM

[@davelordy]

I'm one of the few people who can produce a mix that is fat, thin, bright, dull, nasal, hollow, boxy and (my speciality) muddy.

[@digitaltrash_]

Hollow 1K is hardest to hear, but lacking of it can dramatically make mix lifeless and not real.

[@RemyRAD]

Now look wait a minute. There's only one thing to remember here. And it's a mantra. I've lived by. Since 1979. And that is: An Ounce of Punch. Is Worth a Pound of Sound. And that came from Media Sound Studios, NYC. The home of Bob Clearmountain. To name a few hit engineers from there. And I'm sort of one of them. I maintained and tweaked everything. I modified equipment. I improved equipment. And then I would substitute for other engineers who didn't show up to do recordings. Because most of the assistant recording engineers were unreliable flakes. And us maintenance guys. We had to be thorough, complete, knowledgeable, on the ball, on-time and always at the ready. And so if you live by that, motto. That mantra. And you engineer in that manner. You don't need to think about anything else. And you can tell.. That's why Bob Clearmountain''s recordings and mixes sound the way they do. So do mine, mostly. It's a thing you learn. A simple thing. And other simple things. Even though Bob Clearmountain also recorded Simple Mines when others were Tears for Fears. As Bob was also, Born, in the USA. And recorded the Springsteen man and Max Weinberg. Whom I've also recorded. What a lovely guy. Un-neurotic, humble, complementary, speaks quietly. I recorded him at the Stone Pony in, Asbury Park, New Jersey. Same place where Linda Ronstadt got put on the map. And I knew I was on hallowed ground. At that legendary place. That was so cool! When we were still all young and beautiful. The good old days. The days we thought would never end. Why can't I go back in time if I want to? I would like to relive my early professional childhood. RemyRAD

[@erikmolnar6585]

It's balanced. Aside from that, what do you think of the Giles Martin White Album 2018 mix? Are mids on Beatles represses dull and the mix muddy overall? Do they need to bake the master tapes and let a real engineer remix them??? I know I'm off topic, but with all these Beatles, Giles Martin boxes, are they grails or total fu*king Bollocks? I got the White Album box, and it sounds fine if there is nothing else to compare it to. I most definitely love buying a record nobody has ever owned or played so I enjoy playing it, but f**k me, it sounds muddy af

[@scottlowell493]

Lack of tonal balance is also what fools some people into thinking something is more detailed or clear than it is. Focal clear headphones lack low bass, so the mids and treble sound clearer. Quad and Klipsch la scala have no low bass at all, and they are described as "fast." They sound thin to me. The original la scala are aggressive, shouty and harsh. The quad don't move much air, and owners will proclaim they make other speakers sound "Bloated and slow". I consider quads thin and etherial. Quads and la scala need a sub and eq to balance. Elac Debut reference 6 sound dull and muffled to me. While the midrange and bass are nice, the treble is so weak that it doesn't balance them out. Final audio Sonorus IV and VI, Some Beyer dynamic, Sennhieser 700 and 800 (not s) have a sharp 7-9khz and I call them "death by treble" headphones. Muddy? Beats and bose products.

[@DavidRice-l2n]

They should play before the stereo is going to work it's got to be driven off frequency because you can't run multiple signals into one half and expect everything to stay straight it's not going to happen Celestial driven off frequency before it's going to work

[@correametal]

Excellent as always David! I loved the sound of the example file when it was showing the presence/bite term. Thanks for all that you do!!! By the way, to the one who gave thumbs down to this video , You should be ashamed of yourself, giving thumbs down to such great information...oh let me guess...your mixes are so perfect that you don't need this kind of help? Then go somewhere else but don't try to diminish the great work of such instructor and his amazing content!!! Sorry for the rant haha...

[@AudioMasterclass]

Thank you for your comment. You are right that this music does seem to like a bit of presence. Of course other music might respond differently. Regarding the dislike (maybe there will be more to come), I don't mind at all - It keeps me on my toes. DM

[@bassaroo]

Actually, I've seen people hit that dislike button by accident and not realize it, so a dislike is not always relevant. By the way, thanks for the great info, David!

[@bentzcang1447]

Sound totally no difference from my mobile phone speaker. I guess >80% of listener in this world use mobile phone to listen to Music now a day. 😅

[@DavidRice-l2n]

Yeah that's cuz everybody cranks up the bass on the stereo and I think that's how it's supposed to sound and during the meantime I'm screwing up your ears

[@barrymckockiner8737]

The song picked has literally nothing playing on the highs and lows. I couldn't pick a worse example

[@DavidRice-l2n]

The best stereos are the ones that are stuck in cars the low frequency signal will dominate the vocals causing the vocals to fade out with the low signal problem being it only works out full volume mess around with that and be extreme with it if you take another amp with a tone and volume control you can control the loudest little better but the trick is to be subtle with that vocal fade out and just end it instead of hitting it really hard and it gives the music will lean towards one side or the other it go back and forth and become random to the point where it becomes find random cuz every time it changes Direction you can see it coming becomes predictable

[@DavidRice-l2n]

Can somebody please do something wrong instead of the way they were told or taught to do these things do something against the way you're talking do something wrong the trick was doing things wrong you got to be subtle with the wrong things and it becomes life is lean back and forth like rock and roll that's where the term Rock and Roll come from is it rocks and it rolls was music if you can't hear the rock and roll in the music is not working

[@Kris_M]

I'm surprised how well that piece of music and some headphones demonstrate the different tonal balances. Is there a name for when there is a clear trough between low and mid, and between mid and high? I've got that issue in my car and it sounds terrible.

[@miketheperformer5972]

Finally someone explains these terms in a way I can understand them!

[@adriancambier7464]

Thank you for this amzing content sir. Really one of the best youtube videos explaining all these commonly used adjective among producers. Now, I can watch my prefered youtube and understand exactly what he means when he uses all of these terms. Another question if you permit sir: where do sit the terms "boomy" , "hooded" and "tiny" compared to the terms you evoqued in your videos. I would say "boomy"= fat and "hooded"= smooth and tiny= combination of thin and harsh. Would you agree?

[@DavidRice-l2n]

Your differences in the sound of really irrelevant cuz you're not exaggerated enough to really hear

[@soberhippie]

1:24 How is it that "woody/tinny" aren't among those? I'll see myself out

[@audiomez]

Ah! Aren’t you edging into timbre??

[@DavidRice-l2n]

You're those signals not making a farting sound below the base is going to have a 14 sound it's got to be rough and in the background and the highest can't have no overtones and then you can hear it lean from side to side

[@DavidRice-l2n]

This may not be the right way to say this but only way I can think of right now is you got to make the amplifier Hertz come out of its normal operation now man

[@yettamon956]

thanks for knowledge, now I understand more about listening music and how to describe it

[@RUfromthe40s]

this sounds like after masterizing the recording it doesn´t allow to change the sound that much with a weak equalizer

[@Михайло-д2п]

Now I know everything. Kneel before the almighty.

[@DavidRice-l2n]

Try the 200 kilohertz again but turn down to highs

[@JamEZmusic86]

Hi, you say (smoother or Darker) can be a good thing, high frequencies are rolled off perhaps for background music with voiceover. But is it common to roll off the frequencies on everything other than a vocal? Especially if the song has no drums, but instead is just an acoustic guitar only arrangement? I never can tell if the tradeoff is a good thing. You lose the airy acoustic guitar/pick attack at 10k but the vocal takes a huge leap forward and becomes very intelligible and intimate along with a nice warm overal sound. I actually really liked the low shelf boost at the start of the video (thick or Fat) demonstration. I would guess you lose a ton of headroom but my ear loves warmer mixes, and that boost didn't seem to blow up the low end while listening on my low end heavy speaker.

[@AudioMasterclass]

It's usual for finished product to have a full-range frequency balance. So if the high frequencies are only in the vocal, that can be OK. But rather than roll off the high frequencies in the instruments, you might try a dip at around 3.5 kHz, lowish Q, just a couple of dB. That will keep the high frequencies in the instruments and at the same time allow the vocal to come through. DM

[@JamEZmusic86]

@@AudioMasterclass I really appreciate your response. That is some great advice and it helps me more than you know. Thank you

[@DavidRice-l2n]

Your Lowe's and Highs are being turned up too high

[@passenger62]

To me, 'air' or 'airy' refers to the arrangement - whether cluttered or sparse.

[@RUfromthe40s]

this makes no sense what are you trying to prove with this, don´t really understand

[@DavidRice-l2n]

Got to be driven out of normal operation before it's going to work

[@DavidRice-l2n]

No on the dark tone it's just going to cover the sounds you want to hear

[@DavidRice-l2n]

Low signal needs to dominate before it starts to work

[@_b7090]

You're really good at explaining the various topics, bur exposition style sounds too formal and verbose, with that said I love this video, it has helped me realized some important facts about sound that I think will always help me out.

[@AudioMasterclass]

I agree, I'm not so good on camera, but I practise. You will find my more recent videos better I think, and I might come back to this one sometime and remake it. DM

[@vietnammg]

3:40 This old man is still living in the 1950.. You can't use the word "fat" It's offensive. It should be something like "plus size".. like "wow that's plus size synth tone", not "fat"

[@AudioMasterclass]

You can't say 'plus size' anymore, it's 'tailored for comfort'. DM

[@DavidRice-l2n]

No because it will cover the heirs the mistakes

[@charlesbonkley]

14:12 - I see what you did there.

[@dangerzone007]

Why use EQ anyway. (EQ fixes nothing according to the honest Audiophile) so why use it?

[@simonhickie7589]

Excellent demonstration of the effect of changes to different parts of the audio spectrum. I have home-brewed speakers which comprise open baffle bass drivers plus distributed mode mid/treble loudspeaker panels. I use a miniDSP HD as an active crossover and REW to tailor driver responses and overall room EQ. With EQ, the system will play flat down to about 35hz. it still tends to sound a little thin at the bottom end, perhaps because OB bass and DML panels load the room differently from traditional 'point and squirt' speakers. Perhaps, therefore, the overall response needs a bit more of a boost in the 'fat' region and over a smaller frequency range than I'm currently giving it.

[@audiomez]

You left out strident. Lol

[@paulmcdonough9595]

What a great explanation, thank you.

[@audiomez]

The jazz population would go insane with those descriptors

[@mahmoudali1716]

Great Video Very Very Good ❤❤❤❤❤

[@billcaruso7050]

Thank you for illustrating the tonal descriptions that people use to describe spectral shapes of sound. In a recording studio, these descriptions might be useful, but in an auditorium, I don't see the value of these descriptions since multipath fading causes a plethora of frequency nulls and crests throughout the auditorium and since the locations of people affect the frequency response of a room. Years ago, I built a scalar audio network analyzer using a sinewave generator, a wideband flat amplifier, an oscilloscope, and a wideband microphone. It was controlled by a laptop driving a GPIB bus. The program sweeping frequencies included a calibration sequence to ensure the tones heard by the microphone were adjusted from 10Hz to 20kHz to be flat. Result: there were dozens of nulls in a typical house room and hundreds in an auditorium! What's more, the entire spectral response changed drastically as people were added to the room and moved around! Also, these spectral responses changed as the microphone was moved, as expected. Point is, you can never adjust equalization to the satisfaction of 90% of people in a room, and those 10% who are content with the spectral response will change as people move around in the auditorium. There is therefore no point in trying to be precise with your language describing these sounds. The spectral responses of a large room are too numerous and varied to allow simple descriptions like this. The descriptions only have meaning in small highly dampened rooms of a recording studio and in the subsequent mixing of recording tracks. I still thank you for giving us some idea what these crazy descriptions look like spectrally and how they might sound. This has been driving me crazy for decades!

[@RobertMurphy-wm3ge]

Absolutely excellent video. This is the most comprehensive video on this subject I've seen.

[@AudioMasterclass]

Thank you for your comment, which I appreciate. I should say that I didn't invent any of this - these are just terms that are commonly used. But if my explanation works, then that is very pleasing. DM

[@k.nyerereture6726]

This is useful, but I think it might be great to also explain the different tonal balances by add and cut of dbs. I like though to know where across the hertz each tonal balance can be affected. I imagine it is best to play by ear to know the add and cut of dbs. Could you mate, also suggest the tonal balance by instrument piece?

[@BloodSavedMe]

The best video about EQ on KZbin

[@prospektraks]

The articulation of these videos is spectacular. I've been making, mixing and mastering music for a quarter of a century now, and I still quite enjoy watching these videos.

[@rickyblair8802]

Fat just sounded muffled to me

[@davidedeluca9692]

Why he seems create by an I.A. 🤔

[@youvebeenserged7784]

Very informative!

[@aesoundforge]

Very helpful video. Thanks for posting!

[@AudioMasterclass]

You're welcome. DM

[@felixpalmersteinhauser6856]

i find hollow the most difficult to identify

[@NaresvaraDas-rv8hp]

Very useful. Any chance of a similar class with voice only?

[@AudioMasterclass]

I don't see why not, but I tend to make videos on whatever interests me in the moment. If the thought sticks in my mind for a while, then I probably will. DM

[@slaammz9132]

I need to do some more ear training to hear the subtler differences, especially Hollow tones. Thankyou !!

[@tylergates4075]

What is the song being used, its so good. Sounds like Paul Hardcastle

[@AudioMasterclass]

It's just one of my musical doodles. DM

[@the_newvoice]

I don't hear "hollow"

[@Schmiddelwutz2000]

Me neither - or only very little. Too much metal music in my youth? The issue might be that it is activated right on the beat and the melody change. Maybe we think its part of the sound?

[@jonjonssen]

I struggle with the "hollow" example too.

[@spectrelayer]

Great subject! This issue is one that I paid close attention to while developing the process I market to postmaster audio. The AI has seemed to adopt a different curve than most engineers end up with. I suspect that this may be because many mastering headphones have a bump at the extreme ends and mastering is being biased away from the ends unintentionally. Hear the difference for yourself here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o33Lk4KvnLCeha8

[@vincentvandeperre1670]

it seems like i cant hear the diffrence on the hollow part :/ are my ears fucked ?

[@BukanIbuMu]

Yep

[@xisotopex]

do our ears start to compensate, or fool us, if we have been listening to the same source material for a while?

[@AudioMasterclass]

Yes, human hearing does seem to accommodate to less-than-perfect frequency balances. When mixing or mastering, it's always good to take a break and come back with fresh ears.

[@gorespentwell4489]

Paul mcartney dat you ?

[@dezolatestation]

this videos will be my live changing stuff in 2022,

[@nebstaism]

its amazing how dull the mix sounds after boosting the highs like that

[@AndiAlbu]

Thank you David. Great video!

[@AudioMasterclass]

You're welcome. DM