raise solo level, lower background chords, or a mix

[Crane]

I'm just looking for a general guide or starting point to allow a solo to stand out.
Are any of these adjustments more commonly used ?
1. raised solo level
2. lower background chords but keep solo about the same level as the rest of the song
3. a mix of 1 and 2
4. a method not mentioned above

[VinceT]

Re: raise solo level, lower background chords, or a mix

5. Increase mid EQ of solo instrument, decrease mid EQ of accompanying instruments
6. Decrease reverb and delay on soloing instrument
7. Compress and limit soling instrument (add parallel compression for stealth loudness).
8. Pan instruments so that soloing instrument doesn’t occupy same “space”


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[eclecticsynergy]

Re: raise solo level, lower background chords, or a mix

+1 on careful EQ for the solo instrument. What sounds best on its own is usually not what sounds best in the mix.

The same is true for balancing and EQ'ing bass & backing instruments- listen to them together in context. And avoid using the Solo button except for inspecting a noticeable flaw or vetting a vocal take.

Be aware of where the lead vocal stands in the mix. In most cases your solo should relate to the bed tracks in much the same way. This is why voicelike lead tone is generally most pleasing to the ear, and easiest to mix.

[Mincer]

Re: raise solo level, lower background chords, or a mix

You can use something like a Pickup Booster or Vise Grip to do this very thing. I trnd to use a compressor to do this.

[Crane]

Re: raise solo level, lower background chords, or a mix

thnx for the tips, I will have to experiment with them

[SlyFoxx]

Re: raise solo level, lower background chords, or a mix

Lots of good advice so far but consider a common broadcast technique....(former radio announcer here)

I haven't mixed in about a decade but I imagine using a compression (possibly multi-band compression) plug-in on the whole mix and having the solo in question used to control "ducking" could work in many cases. In a ducking situation the control track (the solo) is used to compress the rest of the track by the amount set by the compressor. An common usage of "ducking" is when a voice announcer speaks over a prerecorded track like a radio commercial donut. (A donut is a commercial/jingle with the same beginning and end and a "hole" in the middle for changing copy. Using a donut can give you brand awareness by keeping the same theme, while changing the message.)(Think local car commercial) When the voice speaks it squashes the donut audio by the amount set by the compressor allowing the voice to stand out when speaking. The same technique is used in other broadcast audio situations so the announcer always come across nice and clear. The compressor in this case is controlled via "side chain" ...the solo/announcer in question. In case you are going old school with hardware if your compressor has a side chain function (input) you're good to go.

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: raise solo level, lower background chords, or a mix

IMO ducking a whole mix isn't a great idea; even used with restraint I worry that it could be fairly audible. IDK, maybe things have changed a lot since my days behind the glass and I could be mistaken in that.

But using a good quality compressor is totally viable, less obvious and has been the norm since the 1960s. Lightly compressing a mix has the effect of subtly emphasizing the most prominent element, like lead vocal or a guitar solo. More organic and musical than ducking, even nowadays. I think.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: raise solo level, lower background chords, or a mix

Some great pointers thus far aside from the ducking idea; sorry, but don't do that, it's a very bad idea to duck an entire mix in this contact. It works great for voice overs, but not for music production.

Assuming a) you are talking about mixing in the studio (live mixing is basically the same but the room has a much larger impact on what you hearing depending on where you are located in relation to the instruments) and b) that you have verified the issue on several monitors and not relying solely on one set of monitors as your room may be the actual issue, and not the mix at all --

Generally, all feature instruments, whether a guitar solo or vocal track, are treated the same way.

The first thing to do is make sure you are high pass filtering all of your tracks; masking ofter occurs when there is a buildup of low frequency 'mud' which also has harmonics that extend into the midrange frequencies.


The second thing you need to do is determine WHY the solo isn't cutting. Try raising the solo in the mix; if you find that solves the problem then you are done. If that doesn't solve the problem, then you need to listen VERY carefully to the guitar solo as you raise the fader; does it raise in level but still get lost (sounds both too loud AND too quiet at the same time)? Then you probably have a frequency clash somewhere. This is known as a 'stuck' fader.

If the guitar solo is panned center, and the rhythm guitars are panned left and right, they may be overlapping across the phantom center. Increasing the midrange of the solo and decreasing the same frequencies may not work in this case because you will lose definition on the rhythm guitars. One trick you can try is to apply an M/S EQ to the rhythm guitars and pan their upper mids to the sides; on the solo guitar use an M/S EQ and pan it's lower mids to the sides. This doesn't remove the critical mids from the guitars, it just clears up the center of the soundstage. (Waves' Center plugin works great for this technique). You can also use M/S EQ on the snare if it's the culprit.

The other culprits to look at are masking from the kick drum and bass guitar, often also panned dead center; these instruments can usually stand to have some cutting in the midrange to allow room for the lead guitar. You can automate those tracks so that they only apply the EQ during the solo if you otherwise like their balance within the mix.