The Perils of Working OTB
Posted on | February 23, 2010 | No Comments
I’m working on mastering a single for a video right now and am coming across a sticky situation. The vocal has a lot of sibilance in a low range…5k-ish. That’s low for sibilance. So, the problem is that when I de-ess, it cuts into things like the hi-hat and air from the snare drum. Even using M/S processing it’s difficult b/c both those sounds occupy the center channel to a large degree.
I asked the recording engineer if he could re-mix with a de-esser on the vocal and he can’t because a lot of the work was done outside the box (OTB) and there isn’t enough time to go back and re-create it. So, I need to find an acceptable work-around.
I’ve heard mastering called The Art of Compromise, and this is a perfect example. However, it also exemplifies the perils of working OTB.
My suggestion is that people find the right mic and preamp for a singer and you’re 90% there. And if you’re going to use effects, use high-quality digital effects sparingly that can be backed out or adjusted if needed.
For everything that outboard gear can add, it can also be a problem to remove it/re-mix it and that leaves you with less choices and in need of more time.
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From Ohm to Om reflects the opinions of mastering engineer Paul Abbott, owner of San Diego's ZenMastering.
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