What Does "Muddy", "Boxy", & "Tinny" Sound Like? | WORDS TO DESCRIBE SOUND QUALITY

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What does "muddy" mean? What does "tinny" sound like? There are so many words we use to describe audio quality. In this video, I'll discuss the common words used and how they limit us as audio engineers and musicians.
0:00 - Introduction
0:41 - Limitations of Words Like "Muddy"
1:30 - Words to Describe Sound Quality
4:37 - Ear Training for Audio Engineers
5:26 - Subscribe to Audio University!
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[@Louis.P1314]

Love how you said "Once you start your develop ability to critically listen, there's no turning back".. this is so true.. hahaha

[@AudioUniversity]

It can be a curse, Louis! Gotta find balance so you don’t lose the passion for music!

[@Louis.P1314]

@@AudioUniversity I'm already in the addictive stage, but all this is joyful

[@llll-lk2mm]

I can't find a way to objectively describe sounds, how do I start understanding sounds by what they sound like and how do I change that instinctively? I know the answer is practice but there must be something to do it better and more properly.

[@AudioUniversity]

Have you seen my videos on ear training, @PALEBLUEDOTGUY?

[@llll-lk2mm]

@@AudioUniversity I think I should lol my bad

[@spdhegde]

Great video man! Thanks. Listing down the terms here for quick reference. 20Hz-60Hz Sub bass frequencies- Rumbly 60 Hz-200Hz Low frequencies- Boomy, Tubby, Punchy 200Hz-700 Hz Low-mid frequencies- Muddy, Boomy, Boxy 700Hz-3000Hz Mid frequencies- Nasal, Honky, Hollow 3000Hz-7000Hz High-mid frequencies- Tinny, Bity, Airy 7000Hz-20000Hz High frequencies- Articulate, Airy, Shimmery

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad you liked it. Thanks, Pranav!

[@curtchase3730]

So, in what group would "Bright" fall into. I've used (and heard) that term being used sometimes. Maybe 5K-9Khz?

[@AudioUniversity]

I would say bright can be used to describe emphasized high miss and highs. So maybe 1.5 kHz to 9 kHz and perhaps even beyond that. Just remember that it’s all subjective.

[@pliedtka]

Bright would be exaggerated 4-10kHz, which is how Beyer headphones sound like comparing to neutral HD600

[@alexbabcock1880]

Ahhh first time I’ve heard another use honky to describe these mids. My favorite tones come from here

[@fabiocaetanofigueiredo1353]

Loved the warning in the closing statement... 😂😂😂😂... like "be careful, you will no longer enjoy some crap you currently enjoy" 😂😂😂😂

[@AudioUniversity]

Exactly! It can be a curse to critically listen. 😂

[@fabiocaetanofigueiredo1353]

@@AudioUniversity 😂

[@id104335409]

I think its great whenever someone tries to clear confusion and bring order in this world.

[@Tmaxar]

I'm glad I managed to find this channel....everything I needed to know and learn in a simple, direct, and effective way. Kudos to you Kyle.

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, Tahir! I’m glad you found it too!

[@rickdagrexican7351]

I'm 90+% in agreement with your tone descriptions. Keep sharing.

[@sashaivanov995]

Thank you Kyle! This channel is awesome, I get exited from watching your videos and you truly inspire, in a way any university in my life failed to do. All the best

[@LloydMajor]

Thank you for the class!

[@allen_graphics]

This is quality content I have 0 knowledge when it comes to Mixing Audio. Now I have learned a lot through your Tutorials

[@TurboLoveTrain]

I love that I can use this video to tune amps. You are crazy good at breaking down audio nerdology. I still think the best way to tune your ear is to learn an instrument... except ukulele, JFC anything but that.

[@ericdargan]

This was really helpful! Thanks so much Kyle!

[@ChristopherConwell-ge3jc]

This is top-notch youtube education

[@TheAxe4Ever]

Speaking of descriptive words. This video was very “informative”. 👍🏻 I can only imagine how much you can learn from the classes!

[@jmalacon]

Bro thank you very much. I installed a lot of car audio equipment and couldn't explain what I heard was wrong, now I have the therm and the hz range that is lacking. Very helpful and easy to understand even though I'm not an engineer nor english native speaker. Thank you again!

[@JohnSavant]

This video is also a very useful source to not only expand one's vocabulary for writing, but to gain concrete meaning on words used to describe certain sounds. "Tinny" is used a lot in fiction writing, but it can be difficult to comprehend what certain sci-fi authors mean by it.

[@davidclark3603]

Thanks Kyle. That was brilliant that!

[@greenpea9412]

This is why I watch KZbin. Kyle you are very good at what your doing. I am glad I stumbled onto your channel. You speak in a way that makes understanding the scope of the video easy to follow. I have been practicing with the pink noise file and I can certainly see how that can help a person dial in their ear.

[@AudioUniversity]

I appreciate that! Thanks for watching and leaving this kind comment!

[@JayAgassi]

Awesome content and very professionally articulated 🤘

[@chawk_]

Youre a great presenter. Love these videos and the clear articulation.

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, nico!

[@t.j.fuller9531]

Awesome ! Will check out your other videos ! Very well done

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, T.J.!

[@VirtualAlec]

This is killer! great work

[@willthethrillguitar4826]

Great job-great vid!

[@noahkampamba2265]

Thank you so much I've bean mixing for tow years and your videos always have something new for me to learn

[@AudioUniversity]

Happy to help! Thanks for watching, Noah Kampamba!

[@muhammedabu-khdair8228]

bro this channel is just a gift to producers and sound engineers thanks for this great content

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, Muhammed! I'm happy to read this.

[@sonorangaming4450]

Glad to find this. I have recently gotten into headphones, but have a hard time distinguishing how they sound different. I can hear the difference, I know there is one, but I can't pick it out, or describe it if I could.

[@goksenincakr2466]

Great explanation! Thank you!

[@curtisjudd]

Great info here and in all of your videos - thanks Kyle!

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, Curtis! I really enjoy your channel, too!

[@ericharrelson2045]

Your a good teacher, I always learn something in your videos. I'm checking out your Ear Training video.

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, Eric. Glad to hear that!

[@mgmthegrand]

OK, Kyle. You got me. This is the second video of yours that I'm watching and I'm subscribing...

[@AudioUniversity]

Welcome! Let me know if you’d like to see me cover a particular topic in a future video.

[@sereni7]

Thanks for this!

[@pronavsandhu]

great info as usual bro, keep it up

[@AudioUniversity]

I appreciate your support, Sandhu Inc! Thanks!

[@jacksmith4460]

Brilliant Idea for a video. Thanks

[@vidtech2630]

Great video. When it comes to records or vinil , I believe a lot of Mastering went Ito vinl to make it sound good. And records sounded good "appart from the cracks & pops , not because of the media , but because of Mastering onto that media was done carefully, due to its limitations.

[@pedrocabral3859]

Great video. Personally, I like to divide the hearing spectrum in 7: Sub bass 20-55 bass 55-145 mid bass 145-385 mid 385-1035 high mids 1035-2780 highs 2780-7500 air 7500-20000 These frequencies are calculated so every division is equally spaced. The range of each division is 2,68 octave, wich results in 7 divisions from 20 to 20.000

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for sharing, Pedro.

[@ampstudios]

and you realize that everybody's hearing is not the same and what is supposedly cut or boosted may not necessarily be that way for every single song? every song is to be treated differently, otherwise if one is to follow these numbers, songs will be messed totally up. you use your ears and reference songs depending on the genre you are working on. nothing in music is set in stone, of course there are rules, and suggestions but rules go out the window at some point. if the song sounds right on radio, videos, commercials, it is right. it may not be how you address it but it sounds professional and clear and punchy, job accomplished.

[@pedrocabral3859]

@@ampstudios My guess is that our hearing is rather very similar. We just like to give different names for the same things according to our different cultural backgrounds.

[@aerongn]

This is the best channel I just came across about EQ and frequencies…

[@AudioUniversity]

Wow! Thanks, Aeron!

[@duetuna9576]

Great info. Thanks!

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@vacidized5434]

Very interesting channel!

[@gaurav.anirbandutta]

Brilliant video.

[@deoneilmejia5465]

Thank you so much for this video, I learned a lot.

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad to hear that, Deoneil! Thanks for watching!

[@jakehettinger1087]

very well explained thanks!

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Brett.Williams365]

Wow! Great video. Thank you very much.

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for watching, Brett!

[@emjay9733]

The abstract-to-actual-measurement Rosetta Stone vid I’ve been looking for. Thx!

[@AudioUniversity]

Well said, Em Jay! Thanks!

[@iamsushi1056]

Thanks so much!

[@Shallow_GraavZ]

Thanks again!

[@franciscoescobedo9699]

Thank you very much, you're a great teacher God bless you

[@raphaelmpiperno9170]

Thank you so much!

[@derickmcwilliams8089]

Let me chime in and say Thanks man!

[@leonkrimov6955]

Thank you Kyle!

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, Leon! Glad to help!

[@Lasantha.]

things nobody talks about. thank you for this!!!!

[@philipjameson-guitar5986]

Really good. Thank you!

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, Philip! Glad you liked it!

[@MLFranklin]

Helpful. Thanks!

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheViken1]

you make the best videos👊

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, viken! I'm glad you're enjoying them!

[@monivibes1]

Great video as usual! What range of frequency will you consider to be "crunchy"? ( somewhere in the highs for sure, but is there a specific range that can be described as that )

[@AudioUniversity]

I think it varies from person to person, as I said in the video. For me, I experience "crunchy" as an excess of energy in the 1.6kHz to 6 kHz range, so that includes a good portion of the 2kHz and 4kHz octave bands. How about you?

[@gazicj]

super super helpful-ty

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad it helped!

[@Boomsterblak]

Off to ear training thanks eh!

[@alesizzz1]

Great demonstration / comparison. A similar demostration with live vocals would be ace, if you're looking for a further interesting topic to devote time to. Thx Joe

[@MikkoRantalainen]

I fully agree that speaking in objective terms would be really nice for everybody. In my experience some people mean "everything above 3 kHz is too low volume" when they say that the sound is muddy. Also, in many cases sloppy bass is caused by time delay (or group delay) for the low frequency audio. As nearly all real world speakers cause some group delay and delayed low frequency audio, you have to decide how you mix the audio. It might sound better on lower quality gear if you move low frequency stuff ahead of true time to adjust for the group delay in poor quality equipment but then it will sound really weird for high end audio.

[@syafiqzailan]

Thanks!

[@avalanwa]

Starts at 2:00

[@MikkoRantalainen]

End warning at the end should have also included "Once you develop the skill to critically listen music, your audio gear is getting more expensive because you cannot accept poor quality stuff anymore." Speaking as a consumer that uses Genelec studio monitors with a sub with DSpeaker room correction to watch TV.

[@artg7909]

Best channel for intermiditate producers.

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, Art G! I appreciate that!

[@zainlabbai2499]

Never stop launch tutorial

[@TheFRiNgEguitars]

What an outstanding description of frequency. I guess it's ok to differ in the frequency ranges of bass, mids, etc., My opinion on mids changed when I was eq'ing electric guitar back in the good ol' 80's and was surprised the high open E is is at roughly 300Hz (329 Hz fundamental tone) much that I thought that was upper bass.... not really... it is the lower end of midrange. The high open E on guitar is not bass.

[@tjiyandjeuakaatuua1623]

I like the way you are explaining man, very informative, you're lighting me in audio field guys 💂salute you guy's "

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad to help! Thanks for watching.

[@highendcustomdesigncaraudi1777]

Thanks u very useful

[@supa407]

You said it Exactly how I heard it

[@heartless1645]

Thanks and respect from India..

[@hereonmars]

When people say stuff like "there's a lot of clarity in the upper mids" I kinda roll my eyes

[@dishankandeka5109]

Thnx Man.. love from India❤️

[@OysterWallace]

Today I had an actual Tonemeister graduate describe the mastering of a song as "tubby" to me. I can't tell you how much I hid my annoyance at this high level engineer using such vague language. Thank you for fighting the good fight in acoustics communication

[@OdaKa]

Like a bathtub?

[@Hneel65]

What about phase shifting of the various frequencies? Isn't this what makes a sound 'muddy' or 'wooly' instead of 'tight' or 'punchy', especially with bass and drums?

[@bobgracia3318]

I wish I discovered this channel before buying so many guitar amps fantastic info

[@AudioUniversity]

I’m glad you’ve discovered it now! Better late than never!

[@Niyoh16]

Ived learned a lot from you...

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad to help, Niyoh!

[@danlightened]

It's baffling how I haven't seen anyone else explain it so well in such a short time. The audio example makes it all clear. People can use this to tweak their EQ settings.

[@AudioUniversity]

I’m glad to hear it was helpful! What else do you think would help people with EQ?

[@danlightened]

@@AudioUniversity I mean, I'm a mere listener (enthusiast audiophile) and not a musician/audio engineer. I was talking about systems (speakers and earphones) which might have like a V sound signature. Or just bass heavy. I think we can tweak the EQ accordingly to get rid of the boomy, boxy, muddy, tinny sounds. Cheap speakers usually sound boxy; Cheap earphones tinny, as do some twitters too. And bass heavy earphones muddy. I find muddy the hardest to eliminate as I'm not sure which low frequency it is exactly. And lowering it messes with the tightness, punchiness of the bass. I checked your EQ video with vowels and I'll continue to check more. But I couldn't hear the vowels in the complex mixes. Gotta get used to it.

[@xnervemusic]

@@danlightened you as an audiophile know more than me as a musician 😂

[@danlightened]

@@xnervemusic haha thanks for the high praise but nothing can be farther from the truth.

[@nandakumarkulandaivelu8967]

Congrads and Thanks..ITs rather easy to explain with Technical Jargon..but.its a failure to put in to the mind of a Nontech ,Listener..Admirably.such a nice presentation,,DrNanda,,India

[@AudioUniversity]

Thank you, Nandakumar Kulandaivelu! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@audiolego]

Thanks 👨

[@kdauniverse]

Spot on

[@AthelstanEngland]

We had a guest female vocalist sing with us in a pub gig recently. Small self PA. Several people said her voice out front sounded "synthesised" and not as pure as they'd heard her sing before, and thoughts as too what that may have meant? Same mic and settings as for our backing male vocalist who sounded fine.

[@denveradams4909]

I am a hobby sound and lighting engineer. I own a small sound/lighting company to provide systems for live concerts. I also provide DJ and Karaoke services in night clubs and private parties. When playing back pre-recorded music, I need to be able to satisfy a wide range of musical tastes; often playing music from various genres and recorded over decades, with a wide range of sound quality and dynamic range. I am finding myself having to concentrate on modifying the EQ and compression for each individual song, in order to make it sound the best it can, through my system. Question: Is there any processor out there, which utilizes A.I. to make these adjustments, so I don't have to? FYI, I have tried the BBE Sonic Maximizer, which does help with some of the older recordings, but it has no way to automatically analyze the music to make adjustments for individual songs.

[@kopimashin52]

You are awesome

[@SandauxBeats]

Hello! Great video! By the way, do you have sound description for guitars? Electric guitars, particularly?

[@AudioUniversity]

I think it’s all subjective, @Sandaux Beats. Which words do you use to describe electric guitars?

[@SandauxBeats]

@@AudioUniversity I meant, do you have sound samples for, let's say, a "muddy" guitar tone? Or a guitar tone with too much 2k?

[@AudioUniversity]

I haven’t created any videos like that yet, but I plan to make more content around this topic in the future.

[@SandauxBeats]

@@AudioUniversity Alright. Will check that out when it's up. Will subscribe now. Thanks!

[@asneedhi3409]

Thank you Sri ❤️❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for watching!

[@josephdzingomvera1232]

I wonder if there's video university channel like this

[@baselshishani5575]

Your title promised to show how the terms 'sound like', but you didn't provide any samples. A couple seconds sample for each category would've made the video ten folds more useful.

[@AudioUniversity]

Great point.

[@bootsarmstrong8421]

Through years of EQing with pink noise, I've learn which frequencies affect the sound and in what way. I've done some nice EQing to songs before adding them to my phone. Bing Crosby's voice always sounds too boomy, especially on his older recordings. My adjustments have made his songs much more enjoyable and no one can tell the difference.

[@muteralon]

I checked the vocal recording in the DAW software, in the amplitude part of the waveform, why is the positive wave longer than the negative, aka uneven or the same. What is the cause and is this normal?

[@thlgnd]

These descriptions are the reason people mix or master with their eyes. There are plenty of people who won't boost 300 Hz because they are afraid things will sound 'muddy'. It's better to ignore these meaningless terms and focus on the big picture like an average listener would.

[@thegroove2000]

Subbed.

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, @Self-Law!

[@errorsofmodernism7331]

Can you do a video for podcasters on how to tune their sound? I hear so many that have boomy sound with echo and their interviewees often sound distant, muddy and boxy. I think this needs to be explained to them that just because you bought a $29.95 Blue Yak microphone with blinking LED's No, all your problems have NOT been solved.

[@3VAudioVideo]

Great video! But what does Warm and Hot mean? and Cold?

[@AudioUniversity]

I used to think of “warm” as having mostly to do with low mid frequencies, I’ve learned that it can often be used to mean “smooth through the high frequencies”. “Hot” is usually used to describe signal level in my experience, but I’ve also heard it used to describe musicality and tone, but can’t really narrow it down to a definition.

[@3VAudioVideo]

@@AudioUniversity Thanks for the reply!

[@TSayfullin]

this guy is cool

[@ringforthrev]

Were we supposed to be able to hear the last group, 7-20k? Wondering if my tinnitus prevented me from hearing it possibly...anyone else?

[@iam-caleb]

great info! but, where you ubicate this famous word. warm!

[@AudioUniversity]

Good point! I think "warm" describes a lot of different things - dynamics, frequency balance, and saturation. Thanks for bringing that up, Joel Perez!

[@tomwebb7091]

Yes....BE WARNED.... if you learn to hear critically and cant go back, you will end up no longer emotionally responding to music and will struggle to simply enjoy it for how it makes you feel! Thx for the tip!

[@AudioUniversity]

It’s true for many people, unfortunately. Sometimes it’s difficult to find balance.

[@archmichaels]

The way I felt this. 😢

[@djcm1018]

Somebody had to say it 🎉🎉

[@leonbrenner236]

I prefer that the musicians decide what they should sound like. I recorded my band with an open reel tape deck, 2 microphones placed 10 feet from the amps and drums. The play back is indistinguishable from the live playing. No compression, EQinq, quantization.... it's the playback equipment that is the only factor in playback quality if the recorder and microphones are flat. Flat means natural. The exact sound the band is producing. I have proven this. It's fact, not opinion.

[@AudioUniversity]

Many genres are well-suited by this method of recording that you’re describing. At the same time, there are other genres and styles of recording that require close micing instruments and mixing.

[@leonbrenner236]

@@AudioUniversity because many rock stars can't sing or play in tune or stay on a beat. Engineers controlling the sound instead of the musicians, is the tail wagging the dog.

[@JohnPaulBuce]

this is very helpful to me because i produce bad mixes 😂

[@FilthyFish]

Say, for someone who loves music and is just learning about this stuff for fun. Am I at risk of ruining how I enjoy some music if I'm able to hear bad mixing and poorly done frequencies?

[@AudioUniversity]

That’s definitely a risk! I think it’s easier to find moderation when you just do it for fun though, as opposed to it being a job.

[@shubhshinde4438]

My TLM102 sounds really harsh on singing recording in RME babyface profs so what should I do to make it sound soothing?

[@AudioUniversity]

I’m interested to hear what others suggest! Do you have another microphone or preamp? Have you experimented with distance from the mic?

[@shubhshinde4438]

@@AudioUniversity yes and I think it may be deu to the room acoustics🤔

[@AudioUniversity]

That’s a good thought! Maybe adjust the positioning of the mic and see if that makes a difference.

[@shubhshinde4438]

@@AudioUniversity 👍! Do you think sound on any daw may change

[@AudioUniversity]

You can certainly reduce the harshness with EQ or compression, but I’d recommend doing what you can during the tracking stage so you don’t have to fix as much in post production.

[@imothy]

on the subject of audio, what's going on with your voice? It sounds like its being filtered in a strange way, almost like a noise cancellation plugin was run on it... Its very subtle but hard to unhear and then becomes distracting.

[@AudioUniversity]

It’s probably the reverb suppression that I was using before I installed acoustic panels. The room could still use some more. I hope it’s not too distracting in my newer videos.

[@mrtunapie6653]

When I describe the sound character of audio equipment to another audiophile (boomy, boxy, airy, muddy, etc.) they know exactly what I am talking about, everyone else just looks at me like I'm nuts.