Turn the visula... OFF

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MichaelAlan
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Turn the visula... OFF

Post by MichaelAlan » Mon Jul 14, 2014 2:21 am

Has anyone else turned the visual controls off on an EQ or comp and come out with totally different results... I feel like if I do this my mixes sound completely different.
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MoreSpaceEcho
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Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:55 am

i don't think this counts, but...my analog outboard rack is to my left....when mastering i frequently adjust the eqs and compressors without looking at them....i know what they're doing though....

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Post by jgimbel » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:15 am

I was thinking about this recently. In my DAW it shows the frequency chart for your channel EQ moves, and I've found I'm a lot more iffy with my decisions when using that, vs. a plugin where it's just knobs like an SSL channel plugin or the like. I always try to use my ears and not my eyes, and in the past I've generally thought of that as a measure to make sure I'm not going too far with things, but I find I'm more decisive and make bolder moves when it's not as visually apparent that I've pulled 10db of a given frequency out.
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Gebo
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Post by Gebo » Wed Aug 13, 2014 11:02 am

Slightly off track, but I frequently turn off my computer monitor when playing back a take I just edited or comped. So neither myself
or the band can see where the edits are. It's a good way to really tell if you have any edits that are noticeable - and it's like a fun party trick for bands that weren't aware of the editing capabilities of a DAW. It usually blows their minds.
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Post by drumsound » Wed Aug 13, 2014 11:28 am

When I worked on the RADAR (its for sale BTW) I would use the screen saver lock a lot, so there weren't wavforms to stare at. Now, in PT I just keep the mixer window up more than the edit window.

As to the OP, I rarely look at the numbers on any EQ, plugin, or hardware.

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JGriffin
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Post by JGriffin » Wed Aug 13, 2014 10:42 pm

Gebo wrote:Slightly off track, but I frequently turn off my computer monitor when playing back a take I just edited or comped. So neither myself
or the band can see where the edits are. It's a good way to really tell if you have any edits that are noticeable - and it's like a fun party trick for bands that weren't aware of the editing capabilities of a DAW. It usually blows their minds.

I have one client who has developed the habit of staring at her knees when I play back an edit, because I asked her once not to look at the screen lest she "hear" edits she could see.

Most of the time if a client asks me where I made a cut, I refuse to tell them until they've signed off on it. Again, I don't want them to "hear" the edit.
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Post by vvv » Thu Aug 14, 2014 4:04 am

When I did my ex-band's last album last month, what was our second, I hadda keep from larfing every time I did an edit if one of the guys was in the room, because inevitably they would be looking for it, often at the expense of listening to the music, and so I'd have to explain it, show it, and play it back.

And again, and often again.

But since I mix ITB, I, me, have just learned to zone on playback, look at other things.

I mean, whaddya's think them lava lamps is for? :twisted:
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SafeandSoundMastering
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Post by SafeandSoundMastering » Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:10 am

I always try and do this when mastering audio, most of the time I am using the Sontec custom eq or the Massive Passive so there is not so much visual candy other than the hardware itself, which is helpful.

I think the better your room is the less inclination to use analysis or graphs etc.

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JWL
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Post by JWL » Wed Aug 27, 2014 11:02 am

SafeandSoundMastering wrote: I think the better your room is the less inclination to use analysis or graphs etc.
This. Meters, graphs, and other visual cues are there to make sure you can trust what you are hearing. The better your room, the more you can trust what you are hearing, and the less you need visual cues.

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Post by theviirus » Fri Sep 19, 2014 1:27 pm

To force me to use my ears during mixdown, I often turn off my screens and use a tablet with touchosc to do the EQ'ing, levelling, etc. Helps immensely with the mix and sequencing.
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