Help! My violin tracks are killing my ears.

annerose · Post by **annerose** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 12:44 pm

I just got these violin tracks from a remote recordist. They obviously weren't recorded in the most ideal way, and I'm trying to figure out whether they will be useable or if they will need to be re-tracked.

The problem with them is that they're harsh as hell and make my ears hurt within two minutes of listening. That doesn't give me a lot of time to play around with them and try to figure out how to treat them so that I can listen further and keep working with them.

Can someone take a listen and tell me what you think? Are there some obvious things I can do to get these tracks to work, or should I just start over? I tried a notch with a wide 'q' around 3k, but it didn't help enough to keep from bothering my ears, so I had to quit.

Can EQ alone make these work or will it take something more like re-amping?

Here's the clip:

https://clyp.it/5zpkoaia

Thanks!

The Scum · Post by **The Scum** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 1:10 pm

Is it the bow noise that's getting you?

Try a lowpass filter or de-esser.

Is it the lonely isolation of the track?

Maybe some flattering reverb or chorus.

Maybe all of the above.

annerose · Post by **annerose** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 2:42 pm

Im in the editing phase of things trying to clean up an Octet.

I do all my editing with headphones to hear details clearly. I've worked everyday this year going back and forth between headphones and monitors on a multitude of different tracked instruments, including strings, without any problems.

But for some reason, these particular violin tracks bother my ears insanely within just a few minutes. The other tracks in the session don't bother me (cellos, guitar, vox). Violas from this recordist also bother me, likely they were recorded with the same set-up/mic.

I understand that the track is dry and will sound better with reverb/room. But I'm trying to edit these tracks, which means I need them dry so I can hear subtle problems that reverb will typically mask.

I can upload a longer version if it would help anyone. Context is not so important, as I'm not trying to blend them in my mix yet. I'm just trying to listen to them without my ears fatiguing/hurting instantly. I can't just high-shelf the top end away, as that will dampen clicks and pops that I need to hear. I need a balanced track that I can work with.

There has to be some un-natural peak in the recordings, but the analyzer I used only showed peaks between 1-5k (roughly). And that's also the signature range of violin. And even so, when I notched the whole range out, my ears still bothered me.

I know by nature that violins are harsh, but these seem unnaturally so. It may not be apparent on first listen to my clip, but if you were to loop that and listen for 2-5 minutes, I'm sure you'd see what I'm talking about.

kslight · Post by **kslight** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 2:52 pm

I find careful multiband compression can be very helpful.

Magnetic Services · Post by **Magnetic Services** » Sun Dec 20, 2015 5:33 pm

EQ it until it's comfortable to listen to while you edit, then take off your headphones to mix and start from scratch processing the track. I think it sounds quite nice! Maybe a little harsh, but it nothing that would require re-recording, in my opinion. Especially asking someone else to re-record...

apropos of nothing · Post by **apropos of nothing** » Mon Dec 21, 2015 7:32 am

Here's a weird one. Try a blues-guitar saturation-style distortion. Nothing takes care of hideous frequencies quite like gain-based saturation. Fundamental comes alive, overtones mutate.

joninc · Post by **joninc** » Mon Dec 21, 2015 4:13 pm

do you have a d-esser that you can select the frequency?

(waves? r-desser, spitfish ...)

i use this for de-harshing vocals all the time when they get too resonant at 1 - 2 - 3 k. that zone really hurts the ears. i'd try that/

DrummerMan · Post by **DrummerMan** » Tue Dec 22, 2015 7:14 am

The violin didn't seem to bother my ears on a quick headphones listen, though maybe it could come down more in the upper mids area (like 2-3k?) than in the highs.

You aren't, by chance, listening on Sony 7506 headphones, are you? Those always bring out the most icepick-to-the-brain frequencies, IMO.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Tue Dec 22, 2015 12:51 pm

You might try duping the track, heavily pass-filtering (or notch-filtering) then inverting the dupe, and bringing it back in parallel with the original track.

You should be able to leave enough controlled highs to hear artifacts, without getting that cat-scratched-eardrum result (I hear it as kinda screechy at 3K-ish).

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Tue Dec 22, 2015 12:56 pm

DrummerMan wrote: You aren't, by chance, listening on Sony 7506 headphones, are you? Those always bring out the most icepick-to-the-brain frequencies, IMO.

Note to self: never listen to Rush in 7506's.

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 5:49 pm

vvv wrote:
DrummerMan wrote: You aren't, by chance, listening on Sony 7506 headphones, are you? Those always bring out the most icepick-to-the-brain frequencies, IMO.
Note to self: never listen to Rush in 7506's.

13" hats and harsh speakers or headphones is DEADLY.

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Help! My violin tracks are killing my ears.

Help! My violin tracks are killing my ears.

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