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At 5/23/14 12:12 AM, SRT-M1tch wrote:

At 5/18/14 12:37 PM, SantaOMG wrote: Hello all, I just joined a couple days ago to try and get with some people and make music for their games, so how are y'all doin?

I'm just wondering, when you guys are making your music for mobile games, games that will only be played on phones, what precautions do you people take as far as EQing and panning the music/SFX? Do you guys just produce the music how you would a normal song or do you guys take out everything below 200hz to have more headroom? Do you guys mainly work in mono in your DAW, to get a feel for how it will mostly sound on phones or do you really put care into the stereo field?

Just wanted to get some input. :D

There is something called the Pan Law which governs how much a signal a reduced in total dB when it is coming out of both speakers equally in the phantom center. The most common is -3dB in the center for music, but for full mono compatibility when mixing in stereo, use a -6dB Pan Law. This will allow you to compose and mix in stereo but be able to fold into mono without phase issues and exaggerated low end frequencies.

How exactly does center attenuation stop phasing issues? Also, this sounds more like a MS mixing technique because in stereo you dont have a seperate center level just a balance of left and right. Pan law is a simple reference to the physics behind combining two signals often applied to stereo recordings and pairs. It relates to output calibration, pan settings, and gain structure, but not so much to getting a mix to sound good in mono. For that, you need your ears and potentially a good number of tools tweaked depending on the scenario.

In general you should check all mixes in mono regardless of its intended medium. Many people go as far as getting a single unported studio monitor like the mixcube(or for a good read check into the fame that is the Auratone 5C for mono checks) to test their mixes since many venues and playback devices dont have proper stereo and just run in mono. Getting stuff to sound good in mono is a mixing technique to ensure you arent hiding things in stereo to achieve a better mix, which goes well beyond attenuation.

Also +1 for mixing normal for mobile. Docks, headphones, bluetooth speakers, etc..change the game quite a bit.

I think Ohm Studio tops the charts for server based DAWs. Too bad it hasnt caught on at all though. Probably cuz its pretty clunky. I love the concept, maybe when we all have google fiber equivalent internet and a company that actually has experience making DAWs jumps in the game it'll become a thing.

At 5/23/14 12:17 AM, SRT-M1tch wrote:

At 5/15/14 06:07 PM, benjadaninja wrote: Hey doods, I have a medium sized room that sounds like crap. I need to make it sound good. I am looking at the Arualex pro plus roominator kit. Any of you have experience with these products? They good? Thanks.

Auralex is the most commonly used absorption material on the market, but have you considered diffusion rather than absorption? Diffusion is randomizing reflections in the room and bring them back to your head to create true spatial awareness for yourself in your mixes. Look up some acoustician forums and articles about this topic, very interesting.

Not only would diffusion be more expensive to do properly, it would also have a much smaller marginal effect on quality of the space. Generally the order for most people is absorption, sound proofing, diffusion. Granted, small home made stuff that somewhat relates to diffusion can be employed to give the space a more unique character, but it wont outright improve room quality when done on the cheap like absorption can achieve.

Also @OP - Listen to those who say Auralex isnt the smartest choice (it is however the easiest cheap choice). Denser materials absorb lower frequencies with smaller footprints, and they do a better overall job of accomplishing the task of treating a room. Also placement is a large factor. I recommend reading my rather grim telling of common mistakes and tips in acoustic treatment here.

I mean we have our whole lives to learn synthesis. You dont have to go gun ho on that shit but eventually you should learn:

1 - principles of audio
2 - theory of all synthesis
3 - how to emulate any/all major synths
4 - how to create a sound from your thoughts
5 - audio effects

Take your time though, and enjoy the experimentation as well. Nothin wrong with that, but thats not to say you shouldnt at least try to learn everything you can if you want to do well with it

At 5/22/14 11:31 PM, midimachine wrote:

At 5/22/14 11:00 PM, Breed wrote: It already exist

http://www.sonnoxplugins.com/pub/plugins/products/codec/codectoolbox.html

that doesn't really do what a bitcrusher does though. this looks more like a "now my song will sound decent when streamed hooray" mastering tool rather than a "YEAH let's make everything sound like a 8kbps mp3!" sonic death machine.

if it CAN do super low quality and automate stuff, or enter specific values for VBR compression and all that then yeah that's rad and i'd probably buy it if it wasn't tied down to ilok.

I dont understand what you want. If you want to do super low quality this goes down pretty far with sample rate, then you can use a bitcrusher if you want super low bit depth. You mentioned wanting something that simulates lossy file formats in real time and thats what this does(both in encoding and dithering algorithms), you can use it however you wish from there. Its purpose is to monitor/doublecheck a master mix, but thats not how you have to use it.

Also its not hard iLok only, you can use their soft licensor so thats free just an extra step in installation.

At 5/22/14 10:41 AM, uint wrote: Frequency splitter

Bounce tracks through any of Izotopes Ozones multiband effects with one band solod at a time.

Multiband panner

Izotope Ozone has this as well.

At 5/22/14 09:02 PM, midimachine wrote: i want something like a bitcrusher that emulates mp3/m4a/wma compression in real time

It already exists

http://www.sonnoxplugins.com/pub/plugins/products/codec/codectoolbox.html

No need to get any of the platinum/diamond stuff. Just stick with gold. The extra mic positions do not make a dramatic difference and take up tons of space as well as tons of your $$$

At 5/21/14 04:53 PM, Step wrote:

At 5/21/14 03:06 PM, Breed wrote: Yeah I used to have two 19" monitors, they both died at the same time just after warranty so now I have this one 27" instead.

Don't know how you managed to transition back to single monitors after having dual monitors! I know 27" is enormous but still, ever since I got my new PC with dual monitors, I really can't imagine going back to a single monitor again haha.

Yeah its annoying, but functionally I can get the job done so other things come first on the priority buy list. Plus I cant fit another 27" above that one in this space, the cloud gets in the way. Thinking of doing a screen way over by the keyboard with an alternative mouse so I can have like an easier MIDI integration set up

At 5/21/14 02:41 PM, Mattashi wrote:

At 5/21/14 02:18 AM, Breed wrote: My current minimal set up. Nice and open.

I think I got the same monitors :) Yamaha hs50m?

HS80M pair through an SBX10 sub.

At 5/21/14 09:19 AM, Step wrote:

At 5/21/14 02:18 AM, Breed wrote: My current minimal set up. Nice and open.

The padding on the walls coupled with the orange paint reminds me of Newgrounds colours.

Also didn't you used to have another monitor on top of that one?

Yeah I used to have two 19" monitors, they both died at the same time just after warranty so now I have this one 27" instead.

I've also have a gear storage room for stuff I'm not currently using; mics, keyboards, dj gear, lighting, cables, stands, cases, etc.

This is just my minimal set up, it helps me concentrate to not have tons of gear and clutter out.

My current minimal set up. Nice and open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOWRrhT1PiQ

So good. "Always use phantom power"---gets me everytime

I'm gonna chime in on having hollywood libraries without an SSD and say don't do it unless you're satisfied just using a couple patches from it.

I spoke a lot with DavidOrr on this subject. With an SSD he's able to load up a full 50-70 patches without having a super intense CPU, but for me, even with an i7 2600k, and 16gb ram, I am stuck at about 10-15 patches. Considering one instrument/section needs anywhere between 3-6 patches its pretty damn frustrating. I have the diamond editions too and its just a complete pain in the ass having technological limits on your creativity.

Ive made the plunge into camera world with the Canon t3i. This should be fun.

Maybe I'll start doing some shfancy audio tutorial videos or something. Or maybe I'll end up just taking some stupid pictures of some birds or something then get bored and hate myself for spending that much money and cry blood and start a gang then take over the universe and rape everyone with the back side of axe handles.

At 5/8/14 03:50 PM, liljim wrote:

At 5/8/14 10:53 AM, Breed wrote: Now why do you only have one monitor?

I don't, the other is to the left, out of shot. Although it doesn't look it from the photo, you're more or less central to them when you're sat at the thing.

Well just incase you dont know, speaker placement is pretty key to getting proper stereo imaging. Ideally you should have the speakers in an equilateral triangle with your head being the 3rd point. Speakers facing directly toward you and not front face on the desk. Its hard to tell if thats whats going on here or not but just thought I'd throw that out there.

Also get yourself some Mopads or somethin mate.

I will, thanks! :)

NP and yeah you'd be surprised how much better those cans will sound without them resonating on the desk.

THIS

+

THIS

+

THIS

+

THAT

Interplanetary cyborgs with super powers; That's what were all going to be. Who's stoked? I am man. I am.

Even though you bought something instead of making it, that was more or less exactly what I was saying to get. +1 good choice. Looks good too.

Now why do you only have one monitor? Also get yourself some Mopads or somethin mate.

Oh i forgot to mention professional recorders after handheld ones. If you want better A/D conversion Sound Devices more or less has the market on high end field recorders. Check the 702T out if you want a really good one.

Handheld Recorders I recommend:

Zoom H2N
Zoom H4N
Zoom H6
Tascam DR07
Tascam DR40

Field Mixers you can use in conjuction that I recommend that would provide +48v and way better pre amps:

Sound Devices 302
Fostex FM3

Microphones for outdoor recording I recommend:

Sennheiser MK416
Rode NTG3
Rode NTG2

Microphones for indoor recording I recommend:

Rode NT5
Sennheiser E914
Rode NT1A
Shure SM81
Neuman KM184

Random shit thats good to have for lots of recordings in sfx/foley:

Giant piece of really thin sheet metal to suspend and wobble or bang
Dry Ice to let resonate on random surfaces
A garage door to pound/kick
Kitchen utensils to scrape/clank
Vegetables to break

And yes, layering is key in sound design. As Mr Striefel once taught me, learn to break down sound to each of their individual aspects and cores and create them, and layer them until they make sense.

Or Germany. Damn you Germany. Thats what I meant. Or maybe its our North American vendors not getting ontop of that. Well damn somebody. Zaor is awesome.

Assuming your desk there just has 4 legs and nothing too fancy in the middle below the main table, you could seriously just build a "table" to slide undernearth with 3 pieces of wood and 4 little wheels to screw onto the bottom, 6 nails i believe it all it would take haha.

Kinda like this studio desk design from a company I wish I could buy shit from. Damn you UK. Only without the casters lining the bottom of the desk, just free ballin instead. DIY, simple shit.

http://www.zaorstudiofurniture.com/miza/miza-88/

I find it particularly funny that he doesn't even change the name of some of them.

The Beginning of Time,

hmmmmmmmmm I wonder who wrote that haha.

Bad criminals are bad.

Hamstercake was a better thief.

Maybe it just doesn't even need to be said but I think Dre Beats are easily the most overrated junky headphones on the market. I have to explain to customers at my store like 5 times a day that they are no good for production.

So I didnt realize how many stupid fucking cables I had collected over the years until I went to organize them all last night. Just over 80 cables. Why I dont know. Count adaptors and I easily have over 100.

Long story short I threw out like 40-50 of them (basically anything that wasnt Mogami, Monster, or Rapco) and now I have a nice neat wall of cables. So yeah.

And I bought a Ukulele. I dont know why I did that either.

Superior Drummer is the most popular and has the most variety but also the highest price tag. I actually got to have a nice sit down with the president of toontrack, hes a really cool dude.

But anyways besides that I like these:

BFD
Zeus
Studio Drummer
DrumMic'a

Also guys we do not discuss piracy here... like at all. Just ignore if someone does and a forum mod will delete it eventually.

wewwwww new guitar. martin 000rsgt

Join me in wishing this sly canadian dog a happy cake day!

Hey guys thanks for the responses, I went with this badboy here. Couldnt get aria guitars because we only get them via special order and I cant get them at vendor cost let alone try it before buying it.

Ive played at least 20 hours of guitar this week. Nothing like getting a new instrument to bring about inspiration.

Help Breed Pick a New Guitar

Alright guys, so I'm getting a new acoustic for le studio. My budget is 1300. I'm looking at Taylors and Martins mainly. Martin seems to be more my shin dig. My preferences are a warmer sounding guitar, preferably solid wood, made in the USA. I also prefer the tighter bodies like the 000 stuff, so lets avoid suggesting dreads.

So far it seems everything I can find within my budget thats readily available has at least 1 downside. The 000RSGT seems really nice, but its made in mexico. The D1GT is also an option, but its a dreadnought.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Sounds a lot like old roland strings to me. Consider getting like an XV5080, or an Integra module instead of a plugin. Or if you wanna go ham the new FA-06 or FA-08 would be kickass, it has plenty of string sounds like that (and actually a lot of em are from the integra, which takes a lot from the 5080, so yeah).