You don’t need to “carve out space” in your mixes

[@HomeStudioCorner]

▶︎▶︎ Free 5-Step Mix Guide here: www.5stepmix.com

[@jerialice]

Can we get private lessons ?

[@robmitchell2018]

"Listen to your earballs." Agree.

[@theAshesofDecember1]

The one thing internet mixing channels have taught me over the years is that there are tons of ways to fix problems in a mix but that don’t always clarify the PROBLEMS aspect of it. It easily becomes you should ALWAYS be carving out or you should ALWAYS be compressing things. Few channels seem to emphasize that if you’re tracking correctly and the song is well composed, mixing is sometimes a lot less engaging

[@HomeStudioCorner]

^^^ THIS. People HATE hearing this. They want to learn how to fix bad recordings.

[@JamesJones-th3ml]

I think the best thing to do is LEARN each instruments frequency. Bass, Guitar, Drums all have different ranges. Sometimes we run into too much of certain frequencies so to me the Metaphore of Carving out would fit there. Guitar for Metal is a great example man. 400 htz needs a cut on guitars. Doing that makes room for your vocal low end. I always looked at it like that. I got some really tight mixes that way even when I was first learning to mix. I ran sound for my own band while I wasn't jamming with them once. It really helped me. Everybody told me the sound was awesome!!! I was using that frequency thing.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Nope just use a reference track, don't try an recreate the wheel, people have done this before you was born I don't waste thinking or learning, I do ot and them refence it. You can get the reference track and use EQ filters on individual sections of frequency and make it far easier to hear whats where and how you can copy it.

[@JamesJones-th3ml]

@@HOLLASOUNDS UMMMM OK I think you missed the point LOL

[@JamesJones-th3ml]

@@HOLLASOUNDS When you drive a car you know exactly where each peddle is right? Same thing with Frequency... If you know the Bass from each Instrument it is really simple to know where the resonance fix is... Simple...

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

@@JamesJones-th3ml Simple for one particular project however every project is different unless I'm starting new project from the exact same input audio as a template. If you have been doing this long enough your own music becomes the refrence. I dont waste My time redoing or gess working something I will just find one of My past projects that turned out well and take the bass or other sounds straight out of that.

[@JamesJones-th3ml]

@@HOLLASOUNDS I started in 1998! Hey whatever works for ya. However, I still think we are talking about two different things LOL I always learn learn learn. I never know for sure of anything. There is never a perfect tone man. NEVER from what I have learned. I have actually tried things like that. A great Bass tone for one song will sound really BAD for others from my experience. Metal guitars was the toughest for me. Bass and Guitar has to blend well. The bass has to be the low end for my guitar in other words. My first lesson was with frequency when I started mixing. I learned back then that if you know where to start the rest comes easy!

[@carmvecchio]

...and THIS video is why I follow JG and HSC - and why I took his courses. Pure GOLD! Thanks JG and HSC.

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Thanks Carm.

[@josefchristentum4003]

Superb video, as always! My first mixes all sounded really bad, because some guy (actually, a professional sound engineer!) had planted this idea in my head that "every instrument needs its own frequency range where you boost it, so you can hear it well in the mix", which I guess is a variation of the "carving out space in the mix" thing. Thanks for correcting this myth!

[@fishercawkey]

Man -- may I just say that this video is superbly titled. It straight away made me say "wait what?!? Really?" -- and then straight away told me the answer. Thank you.

[@maxryantm]

Ok ..I get it! If there's eyeballs of course obviously there's also earballs..! 😂😂😂

[@GuitarAnime]

man, i really needed to hear that. I had a suspicious that my problem was my production habits, but now that you said it makes so much sense.

[@JoeStuffzAlt]

I've been picking up all sorts of tricks from the channel. I used several of your ideas. I've been finding good ideas on every video

[@deltavistastudio124]

GIRATS and using your ears. :^) Thanks again Joe!

[@stereocandymusic]

Love The Tutorials! 🤍🤍

[@LloydMajor]

Thank you for the class! Finally, someone with proper logic.

[@Jonnyktmusic]

great video dude! any chance you can talk about the VSX mixing / headphones??

[@Deanthemachine1983]

Been following you since the early days. Still some of the best music production advice out there. Thank you.

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Thank you, Mr. Machine.

[@somalpuri1282]

Love you man, you're the best teacher ever

[@hakkis1524]

THIS. SO THIS. Thank you for making this video. Been following for you for quite some time. Coming back to see your videos, and this one hits.

[@GloveBunniesVideos]

Thanks so much, Joe! You've really made a difference for me.

[@jeremyalm9006]

Oh, man, thanks for this. I had been doing the carving out space thing for a while, and it led to a lot of shitty mixes. This really helped me finally see the mistake. In fact, I'm just starting to learn to use sidechain compression, and that brings clarity to vocals as much as EQ, i think. Ducking the guitars really works!

[@MassyTheCreatorStudio]

Big ups from Jamaica! Videos are pure gold.

[@jahstafari4606]

i agree ...you're so right ...some try to make ilusion of sound and song and some try to capture it as authentic as it is performed ....good performers get audience with energy and style weaker with big audio production that issweet or perfectly produced ...i like goodsound but performance and quality of ideas played musicaly is the reason i loved some bands and performers ...we used to listen to cassetes back in days and it jade alot of noise but perfect sound was not important but energyand feeling it produces in you ...i started loving music on some realy bad cheap audio devices that not even produce sub frequencys 😅 that's how i grew up ...heard hi-fi first time with 15 ...............i've seen this one string player videos having milions of views ......its not bcs of music production 😅

[@shamblomusic]

Am a music producer all because of Joe Gilder and Dom Sigalas🙏

[@GeorgeAmodei21]

Sounds Right!

[@timinglismusic6707]

Hey, I was like number 42... I am the answer to life's ultimate question! 😜

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Lots to talk about however lets just stick to your first example, with a Kick, I will basically have two separate kicks one that has all the high and mids cut out, and thats purely there for the sub frequencys, then I will EQ out all the low end of the second kick and boost the mids for its texture. I will often so the exact same for bass. I will often EQ a peak at slightly different location for the sub kick and sub bass I don't want them sitting in the exact frequency space.

[@terrymiller111]

Happy 15th anniversary, Uncle Joe.

[@yoily_weinberger]

What type of microphone are you using? I love the sound of it. ❤

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Earthworks Ethos, but I'll tell you I've gotten this comment over the last 15 years no matter what mic I use. It's not really the gear that makes the difference.

[@yoily_weinberger]

@HomeStudioCorner gear, meaning what? Software?

[@HomeStudioCorner]

The mic

[@thehappybaptist5468]

That’s so weird Joe, all the leaves here are red and yellow 🎃 another great video as always

[@leecudworth7110]

Hey joe, love basically anything you put out, I'm always on the look out for your content I'd be interested to hear how you would handle writing, producing and mixing a trio of piano, bass, and drums, vocals by one of the instrumentalists, think elton John's first album You just don't hear much from them ao your take would be interesting Cheers

[@HomeStudioCorner]

What specific questions would you have?

[@audiomixexpert3175]

Hey Joe! I realize this isn't really about the video, but I have a quick question. Do you mix and master for clients outside of KZbin and get paid for it? I'm thinking about creating a website to offer mixing and mastering services for others. Right now, I'm honing my skills with the multi-tracks from your mix together series. I use Studio One and love all the content you provide for us Presonus users. Thanks :-)

[@white-keys]

Always had an issue with "eye-balls or ear-balls" with these modern daws!

[@AnnexSound]

Hey Joe! Can you give us new features of studio one 7 it seems to be more complicated

[@maseratifittipaldi]

Sometimes balance is not as important as contrast. Timing can also be used for separation.

[@jeremythornton433]

Ha! Earballs. Love it! When people talk about carving out frequencies, I've noticed that tehy never think about the register that the instrument is playing in. if a song is in D, the D on a 4 string bass is just below 200HZ. Nowhere near the chest thump of a kick drum. I almost never cut and boost the same frequencies like that.

[@MHlovesz]

The fundamental D of a 4-strings bass is actually 73.4Hz. Practically, the E string usually produces the fundamentals in the 42Hz-85Hz range. Don't mess with this range unless you hear some notes are poking out amongst the others! But it usually won't happen in recordings rather in real venues.

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

73.42Hz is what the open D string on a bass is tuned to in standard tuning, D2. D3 is 146.82, and D4 is 293.66. So if your D just under 200Hz, you got tuning problems! 😁

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

How would that work on a polytonal song? You're playing in multiple keys at the same time.

[@RobRuffMusic]

The only thing I sidechaine to carve out space are vocals. It just seems to bring the vocals more upfront in the mix and they pop out better. Everything else I want to sound like one cohesive instrument, so carving out instrument space is not something that seems practical. I could understand also sidechaining kick and bass though, but instruments I dont get.

[@Zemu8]

The only time I might curve out space is with a two track where the beat or the backing track has already been mastered for the vocals to set in the mix better

[@nocrumpetspodcast8197]

subtractive eq is the foundation of frequency masking and treating that as an issue........

[@TheKorgborg]

A band is all the frequenties together, And music is melting those tone's. I think its somthing that comes from electronical music and samples based music. (you know those people that don't have anything in tune in the entire track. forget about they are using notes that work together)

[@T-BOUNCING]

FOR ME EVERY SOUND IS GOOD WHEN I MIX..IF ITS NOISY THAT'S AUDIO NOISE TO ME AND BENEFICIAL.

[@minddesigns01]

Exactly. In my world, we call it called “orchestration”

[@stevemorgan9626]

Bingo! Excellent video, one of the best on mixing. What’s really about production and arranging is often referred to as mixing issues.

[@marcotrosi]

I understood the carving different. I can carve out in a perfectly balanced mix. Let's assume I want my vocals to cut thru a bit more, I take away e.g. in the piano 1.5 dB, and I add to the vocals 1.5dB e.g at the frequency that represents the vocal character best. The total amount of that bucket has not changed, but my vocals are more audible. Right? I changed the mix, but not the overall buckets, the overall mix is still balanced as before.

[@LucianoSilvamusic]

If sounds good for you. It os ok. But use your ears not math.

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Yeah I understand that concept, but I've never felt that to be useful. I cut the piano if the piano needs cutting. I boost the vocal if the vocal needs boosting. If I cut one, I don't feel like I HAVE to boost the other.

[@marcotrosi]

@@HomeStudioCorner I agree if the mix is not fully mixed yet, and you are still in the process of mixing the song. But cutting or boosting only 1 changes the overall mixing buckets. If the mix is ready and you only feel "I would like to hear this more", and if you then would change only 1 thing, then you would change the overall buckets, but if you cut one and boost another, I assume the over mix buckets stay the same. I mean I'm asking, that's what I would assume would happen. Is that right?

[@HomeStudioCorner]

It's not as mathematical as you're making it. There isn't ONE way for a mix to be balanced. The mix can be balanced, and then I turn up the vocal. The mix can still be balanced.

[@marcotrosi]

@@HomeStudioCorner ah okay, I see. That's why I love you and your content, you are just the best guy. Thank you so much. All the best to you and your loved ones.

[@ImaWreckU]

I've had an issue for, well basically forever, where I cannot get the vocal (processed, with reverbs and delay) to seem like it fits into the song. I listen to isolated tracks from bands I like (Seether, Breaking Benjamin, 2000s rock bands mostly) and I hear all sorts of reverb and delay on the tracks (while isolated) that I didn't even realize were applied to it when hearing the full studio mix. The doubles/layers, the bit of autotune (especially with Breaking Benjamin songs), it immediately becomes incredibly apparent in isolation but then in the full mix these singers sound completely natural and unprocessed. I don't understand how to take my processed vocals and get this same outcome; They just come out sounding still like they've got all kinds of reverb, delay and whatever else I put on them even when I try to EQ it plus use Izotope Nectar 4's "Unmask" thing to further 'make room'. I feel like there's just some secret thing that producers are doing that nobody wants to give up. I'm happy with how my stuff sounds to be fair, but I do wish I could hop that last hurdle from what I make and what the bands I listen to are doing.

[@eternalfidelity]

this carving theory is assuming everything is balanced in the first place ~ I have a question ~ when looking at an equalizer (for instance stock eq8 in Ableton) is there a rule to where the signal should hit in the dB range up and down the frequency spectrum? I’ve only thought about how it sounds and looks on the channel fader but maybe I’m using a signal that is clipping in certain areas across the frequency ~ do I typically want to eq as a form of gainstaging so things aren’t going over 0dB like in the low mids?

[@HomeStudioCorner]

No there's no rule.

[@Jeronimo365]

Great news. The term ‘frequency shaving’ has always filled me with dread. 😂 I really like the way you demystify a process that can become a psychological hell hole if you let it. 🤡👍

[@HomeStudioCorner]

YES. It's not that it can't be helpful, but it can be a massive black hole of time-wasting.

[@terrymiller111]

"I can't believe he had the EARballs to say that foolishness!" Possible usage.

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Exactly.

[@nickdenardo6479]

dude. seriously almost lost it at earballs.

[@komobabo]

In the end all you need to focus on is training those ear-balls. Not knocking anything BTW if it works it’s works. People just need to not romanticize these concepts. Talk with any producer or mixer worth his salt and you’ll find they’re very “just do” mentality.

[@flaflu82]

If you gain stage correctly you don't need to worry about it.

[@wyshwood]

Took me while to realise my arrangements were more important than the mix. Good arrangement of instruments equals easier mixing and mastering.

[@HomeStudioCorner]

100%

[@DSWL_]

😂 ear balls

[@SmokeyMirr0r]

B-b-b-but Joe. Every Instagram mixing engineer who pops up on my feed keeps telling me I need to carve out space in my mix. Apparently I have to throw a compressor on my bass guitar, sidechain that sucker to my kick drum so the frequencies don't compete. Apparently there's a whole lot of frequency masking going on! It's concerning. That's cool though, because I can just buy more plugins which may help me.

[@HomeStudioCorner]

😊

[@SmokeyMirr0r]

@@HomeStudioCorner I was obviously just being sarcastic. Great and insightful video as always. Thanks!

[@JohnnyAllan-vj7sj]

Like I always say, it's impossible to make something sound different from the way you recorded it. Once you record something, you're stuck with that exact same sound forever (The arrangement is bad. Not recording)

[@brettmarlar4154]

When layering sounds, it's best to use sounds that don't emphasize the same frequency range. In a guitar instance, using different guitars if possible, will shift some of the focus of certain frequencies. If you don't have multiple guitars of varying scale-length or pickup configurations, then record them with different amp/pedal settings, or different mic/cabinet combinations to get a bigger pallet from which to work. Otherwise, all you're doing is making it louder, especially in those "problem areas". It would be like trying to make a soup with only water and black pepper.

[@nncntblzzrd2427]

Problem is, everyone want his track to have the Sound they know from listening to music generelly instead of doing something New. That comes from yt tutorials 😅 but thats just the Time we Living in i guess

[@HomeStudioCorner]

You're assuming that you can't make something new while also being inspired by what has come before. All great artists pull inspiration from other greats and then make something unique.

[@nncntblzzrd2427]

@@HomeStudioCorner im Not, lets talk about rap music for example. People mostly take freebeats from KZbin and want their vocals to Sound like the others to fit in a playlist or because they just used to this Sound. The Sound of the beat doesnt care if its good for the vocals, except the Bass, so you just cut some frequences from the beat where you would boost the vocals Point is, only Producers Listen to music in a way where this matters.. im one of them btw, dont get me wrong

[@HomeStudioCorner]

I disagree that there's such a beat that's "a good fit for the vocals." You can fit vocals on top of a well-mixed beat.

[@nncntblzzrd2427]

@@HomeStudioCorner totally agree, but noone cares except of us..

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Well I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I can assure you that I wouldn't have this channel with 240k subscribers if that was true.

[@iamtheimagedoctor]

There is definitely a scientific concept of "frequency masking" as pasted here: "Frequency masking is a psychoacoustic phenomenon that occurs when two sounds play at the same time or in the same location, and one sound masks the other. This can make it difficult to hear both sounds clearly." So, use your ears. If you're not hearing both instruments clearly find the mess. Joe has stated in past videos about rolling off the lows on guitars, etc to not interfere with other low instruments. One approach is to start by carving out the frequencies and then slowly return that notch until (and if) the sounds begin to mask.

[@Planet-Anime]

Well yeah, you're only supposed to carve put space if you need to.

[@M2Texas]

I realize I'm probably alone in this attitude but I thought I'd share it anyway in case there are others like me who are silent. I'm sick to death of ads for products in every video I watch. I do watch most of your videos. If I planned to investigate or buy your course on "insert the thing here", I already would have. I'm not going to. Why? Because every video tries to get me to do it. I know, I know. I'm the outlier here. But... I just find myself having a harder and harder time accepting your content BECAUSE you keep trying to sell me something else. You've become a shill for your own product, which makes it even worse than if you were shilling for various products unrelated to your personal stuff. Maybe I'm just a lunatic or something but I just can't take you seriouisly any longer because I feel you aren't actually trying to offer good information, you're just creating content to sell your thing. I'm unsubbing now. Maybe its a mistake. I'll never know for sure but I'll go to other sources who may or may not have stuff for sale but they won't keep trying to sell me something every time I engage with them.

[@AldeanLeger]

K bye

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Thanks for giving it a shot.

[@OhItsNoctu]

A little naive to think content creators just do this for fun and some ad revenue on the side.

[@dannygreenz]

how dare a tried and true professional engineer want to charge for some of his (I’m just guessing) 30+ years of knowledge

[@NewHopeAudio]

He has offered gems and great advice for free for years. Mentioning a paid course to support him is not being a shill. It’s weird to complain about something that costs you nothing.

[@johnsondigitalmedia]

WRONG!!!! What you don't want to do is boost a bunch of frequencies. Here's my free course. You have a limited amount of room in the frequency space. Start with white noise, work backwards. Cut the stuff that sounds bad. Arrangement is king. AND nothing you do in the mix will get people to listen to your songs. Don't waste your time. Set up one mic about 16 inches from your mouth, sing and play acoustic guitar, record your song. If it stands as a song using this technique, it will most likely stand up to ruining it in production. AND none of it matters if no one comes to see your shows.

[@steamer2k319]

Uh.... Wut? 🙃

[@berdeauxlaveau6515]

😂 neurotic

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

@@JCTriple7 I do it all by ear, and don't pay much attention to what meters say by number or how it looks on a visualiser.

[@JCTriple7]

@@HOLLASOUNDS my original comment was intended as a reply to your critic johnsonsdigitalmedia.

[@korkenknopfus]

@@berdeauxlaveau6515I would say psychotropic.

[@guitarizt68]

Just once, I'd like to watch one of your videos where I comprehend everything from start to finish, but typically, you delve into aspects with which I have no familiarity, and then it becomes difficult to focus. Additionally, there's math; Low-mid, mid-low, high-low, 80 htz, 400 htz, Hertz car rental...please make it make sense!

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Keep at it. It makes sense the more you: a. study and b. practice