r/audioengineering

I've noticed in this sub that quite a few people have been pretty dismissive of saturation, saying it's overrated, overused, not actually that important, snake oil, etc. The sentiment often come up in conversations about tape emulation plugins or when people are looking for a more analog sound (which means different things to different people).

I find this really puzzling:

For the vast majority of recorded music history, saturation has been a part of the process. It wasn't intentional, but it was inseparable from the process because the only way to process the sound was to to send it through hardware that would impart all kinds of harmonic distortion.

From the first recorded music in 1860 until the late 1990's, multiple types of hardware saturation were present in the signal chain of virtually every recorded audio (tubes, transformers, transistors, coils, tape, etc.). And again, more often than not, it was a combination of a few of them in sequence.

I believe that our collective ears are subconsciously used to the "warmth" of saturation because for the most part, it has been there the whole time.

In 1999, Ricky Martin released "Livin La Vida Loca", which if I'm correct, was the first #1 US hit to be recorded and mixed entirely "in the box".

A year before that, SPL release The Machine Head, a piece of hardware that was supposed to add tape saturation to the signal in a studio where tape was most likely no longer being used. Even back then, right at the turn of the tide, they realized something was missing and corrected it. Right at the exact moment that things "went digital", intentional saturation became more popular.

Now we have people going back to tape, and for those still "in the box", there are countless saturation plugins and emulations to choose from.

My point is, there really has never been a time where saturation wasn't a part of the process. It's just that at the beginning is was byproduct of a purely analog signal chain, and now it is intentional.

TL;DR:

Saturation has always been a part of the process. Now, we just have more control over it. Why leave it out?

Looking for a technical perspective from people with real experience on large club and festival sound systems.

I produce melodic techno and I use stereo space quite aggressively: moving synths, L/R automations, wide layering to create density and unique effects.
At the same time, I’m very focused on mono compatibility (correlation under control, centered low-end, etc.), so it’s not random stereo usage.

My questions are:

• In real scenarios like big clubs or festivals (multi-stack / distributed PA systems), how much of the stereo field is actually perceived?
• Is the signal effectively summed to mono in practice, or does it depend on the system and listener position?

From a physical/acoustic standpoint:

• Do large systems behave differently across frequency ranges?
• For example, are there frequency bands that are inherently harder to reproduce evenly in the space (due to dispersion, phase interactions, distance, etc.)?
• Are there best practices to maintain impact and clarity on large-scale systems?

Goal is to understand how far I can push stereo design without compromising real-world playback.

If someone experienced in live sound / PA systems would also be open to a quick exchange or chat, that would be highly appreciated.

I’m mixing a metal track in Logic Pro and I’m struggling to get the drums loud enough without clipping the mix bus.

Right now the drums sound fine balance wise, but when I try to push them louder they start hitting the red on the master. If I lower everything else the mix starts to feel quieter overall.

What are some techniques i can use to make drums feel louder without actually pushing the peaks too high?

I’m working with acoustic drums recorded with 4 mics, also I’m a beginner if you didnt notice.

Hello!

I am presently treating my room with acoustic absorbers on walls and ceiling, but the room has vinyl flooring, which I fear may reflect.

I'm getting conflicting results though, with some saying that floor reflections are actually desirable with ceiling treatment due to the human ear's natural orientation towards floor reflections. Others say that rugs are absolutely needed on the floor.

Which is correct? Thank you!

In this day and age there are so many variations of the same plugins. Ozone limited, L2 Limiter, Fabfilter EQ, Ozone EQ, UAD compressors, Waves compressors all based on the same hardware etc etc

I know every song is different in terms of what is actually required, I'm not asking whether the same processing is used on every track as I know it isn't, I'm curious about whether there's any reason or potential benefit to switching between brands or different versions of the same effect depending on the song?

If a mastering engineer is able to make a hit record with Ozone will they always reach for Ozone plugins every time? or would they still reach for a different limiter, EQ etc depending on the track?

I’m a mix engineer. I’m relatively new, but I’m professionally trained and pretty good. I know I need to continue to get better, however in the pursuit of this betterment, I realize I’ve been very busy without getting paid. I just want to know how much to charge for mixes and recording. I know rates for mixing changes based off of the client, and the amount of work, but I heard everyone has a price that they wouldn’t work for. What’s y’all’s bottom rate?

The production on Underscores‘ latest album is crazy, and it really demonstrates a certain sound I’ve been trying to identify for a long time.

it’s a “sound“ or “feel” that is also present in Dijon’s music and is charactized by sounds having a lot of dimension, character, and each sound cutting through the mix without competition somehow

It’s hard to verbalize, but her music does a few things:

1. Depth: the sounds don’t just feel wide, they also feel long(?) like, the snare in “Innuendo (I do)” feels both wide and also like it extends both forward and backwards around me
2. Fullness: It feels like the entire spectrum of frequencies is filling the space but it never feels muddy. Nothing feels thin, from vocals to bass, it feels round and 3D
3. Bass: The bass feels deeper and wider than most bass, but also still bright somehow? It almost feels like she used stereo widening, but isn’t that like “forbidden” on bass (at least sub 200hz)? Is it layered sub with another sound? I can’t tell

Is it parellel compression and stereo width on every sound?

is it a skill of mastering reverb and panning until the dimension “clicks” into place?

is it a mastering thing?

is it a plugin or practice that I dont even know about?

please let me know, lol

for an independent band that releases one album a year and several singles

I'm curious on whether or not Ozone 12 is actually a high end plugin that the pros use or if the target audience is for someone that doesn't actually know too much about mastering and the appeal is getting good results without a steep learning curve?

If I was interested in getting professional mastering results would Ozone 12 be enough? Or does the suit have its limits and it's more of a gimmick vs something industry standard?

I've been building out a home studio this year and have the opportunity to buy a pretty decent mid tier console.

I have only ever used consoles in live settings, never for recording. I've been going through all of the mastering.com lessons and have learned so much and have gotten better at mixing but my work flow has been completely in the box.

Are there any similar, detailed, college class style lessons about using a console/hybrid mixing?

Hey, I'm wondering if anyone knows if ultimate vocal remover 'pings' whatever servers it operates out of once it's downloaded to your computer.

I know for websites that provide generative 'insights,' like search engines, servers and energy use is in effect. But I'm not sure if, once UVR on your computer, it's still 'talking' to servers any time you create audio or vocal only stems. I just see that models are 'contained' in 'packages' on its github page.

I learned about the hardware unit recently and wanted to see if there was a VST version available. My searches for a VST version seem to return only LA2A style limiters without the expansion function.

I'm looking for one that does both limiting and expansion like the hardware unit.

I previously played professionally, owned a music instruction company, and owned/ran several recording studios (although nothing big). I’m currently a psychotherapist and thinking about getting back into studio work but want to take a minimalist approach with only 24 tracks, all outboard gear, and very minimal editing. Has anyone else taken this approach and, if so, how has it worked? I’m not trying to make a living and this would be more for fun and as some additional income.

Does anybody know if there are study guides available to go along with the "Master Handbook of Acoustics: 7th Edition"? I wanna read the book, but also actually retain the information. I could just take notes, but a study guide would help me remember the information more.

Hey guys! I'm trying to get the Kickstart my Heart tone in amplitube 5, but because this is my first time using this software and I have no experience in real amps and pedals etc. It's really hard for me.

I read that I should use the Brit 8000 and the SLD 100 +overdrive pedal but the tone sounds too modern... my pickup is a Seymour Duncan JB, I have the Amplitube 5 V2 MAX
can somebody give me some tips on how to get closer to the tone?