stereo-problem, please help me out...

[percher]

hi all, i'm new here, starting with a question......
i finished a track last week, all samples are eq-ed/compressed, kicks/snare/sub = mono, sounds that can be done in stereo i've done in stereo, and on some of those stereo-sounds i've used a subtile delay/reverb to get a wider stereo-image on those sounds in the overall mix, worked out fine, some of those sounds i also slightly panned a bit, but not much and not all of them...
anyway, i've mastered it in t-racks, used some extra stereo-widening too there over the whole track, it sounded ok, it was ready, so burned it on cd

and than i heard that the mixdown was fucked up on the cd but it sounded ok on my pc, those 'stereo-sounds' where i used delay/reverb were fucked up on the cd, for example one of those sounds is way too low in volume, another one is way too hard in volume, so the overall mix is fucked up, now i've been told that the problem is that those 'stereo-sounds' are 'out of phase' ?? is that correct? and what can i do to fix that, but at the same time also keep the delay/reverb on those sounds for the stereo-image?

i'm using soundforge/cooledit pro/cakewalk for the sound-editing and fruityloops to put all samples in there and build the track.. i exported the file in stereo, as i usually do, but on my search for the problem i exported it - as a test for the problem - in mono, and than i DO have the same problem on my pc, as i had on the cd...

please can anyone help me out on this?? really don't know how to fix it... really big thanx in advance!!...ez

 

[kama]

I haven't got a slightest clue... only thing that pops to my mind is the quality of your monitors, what are you using?

 

[kama]

did you export the tracks individually? If so, just push up the needed track volume in Cubase... or did i miss your point by a mile?

 

[percher]

thx for your reaction
well, i havent got the money (yet...) for profi-monitors, so i'm still using some hi-fi-speakers, but i don't think that's the problem, i 'know' the sound of it so i can make a track on it (or well, i've got that idea, maybe i'm totally wrong and do i just need monitors..)

well, i did export all tracks at once, but the volumes in the program were good, so the mixdown sounded ok, and all sounds are eq-ed/compressed/etc.etc.

i was also thinking about pumping the volume of the sounds that get too quiet/too hard on cd, but than my mixdown in the program (fl) and in t-racks wouldn't be right, then there will be some some sounds too hard/soft in the mixdown. I mean, than they will be ok on the cd, but i don't think that is the right solution for this problem, that your mixdown on the pc is not correct, but on the cd it is? Or is that the trick to solve the problem?

ez

 

[freeagent]

Trust me, get monitors.

Out of phase mixing, bro - some of your sounds are too wide on the stereo spectrum, either because of fx or panning. Ease of the reverb and chorus, and move teh stuff back within 90 degrees of center, and for god's sake never ever use a stereo expander.

 

[percher]

ok free agent, thx, i'm going to look more serious for some monitors than, wanted to do it anyway some time...

i'll stop using the stereo-widening and pan all things centered..
if that's not enough i'll see what i can do with the fx...reducing it...etc.
k thx


does anyone else have his opinion on this...? would just like to hear a few others...ez

 

[kama]

don't go extreme center, some little panning (as he said, within 90 degrees) is okay but keep the drums and the bass and any prominent leads etc. in the center... Panning can be used creatively in additional sounds (don't do much chorus and flanger as he said, or try to keep the stereo delay as little as possible...) and in fills too. Though if you plan on going vinyl, you should keep all low-end clean of panning.... but i think this is general knowledge.

Also, about the monitors, you don't have to own special hi-fi stuff since most of the audience is at the dancefloor (? is it ?), just get in touch with someone who has a massive soundsystem (buy them a pint or two hehe) so you can check out your tunes on a big system. Nothing is better for final mastering than having a bass that can give you a heart attack

 

[percher]

Originally posted by Omtrak
don't go extreme center, some little panning (as he said, within 90 degrees) is okay but keep the drums and the bass and any prominent leads etc. in the center... Panning can be used creatively in additional sounds (don't do much chorus and flanger as he said, or try to keep the stereo delay as little as possible...) and in fills too. Though if you plan on going vinyl, you should keep all low-end clean of panning.... but i think this is general knowledge.

yeah i know that (except from the thing that a little bit panning is ok, thought he meant centered..)

Also, about the monitors, you don't have to own special hi-fi stuff since most of the audience is at the dancefloor (? is it ?), just get in touch with someone who has a massive soundsystem (buy them a pint or two hehe) so you can check out your tunes on a big system. Nothing is better for final mastering than having a bass that can give you a heart attack

ah ok....well if that's also ok than i think i'll just wait another period before getting monitors.. i'll see..

thx!!

 

[juanita juarez]

hello.

the track on cd was obviously burnt in mono and then some of the sounds cancelled each other out due to being out of phase. you don't necessarily need monitor for that, with a bit of experience you can tell something is wrong with the sound and check it for phase inversion, but you can always check if everything is ok by using a spectrum analyzer (penguin, waves PAZ analyzer), or - that's even better - judge by your ears if the individual track is mono sounds too different from the original stereo version. using stereo expander slightly cannot harm, if you've got your bass and kick (and sounds that should be kept mono, ie. roughly everything below 240hz), it won't 'widen' them (unless you're using some 'artificial' stereo widener, like the PSP PseudoStereo, which widens everything, even sounds without any ambience).


cheers!