Common Mixing Mistakes – Not Enough Punch – 6 of 12
- Common Mixing Mistakes – Boomy or Thin-Sounding Mix – 1 of 12
- Common Mixing Mistakes – Edgy, Fatiguing Sound – 2 of 12
- Common Mixing Mistakes – No Sparkle and Bottom – 3 of 12
- Common Mixing Mistakes – Large Swings in Spectral Balance – 4 of 12
- Common Mixing Mistakes – Insufficient Detail – 5 of 12
- Common Mixing Mistakes – Not Enough Punch – 6 of 12
- Common Mixing Mistakes – Too Much Compression – 7 of 12
- Common Mixing Mistakes – The Chorus Doesn’t Climax – 8 of 12
- Common Mixing Mistakes – Washy Sound with No Depth – 9 of 12
- Common Mixing Mistakes – Collapsed Stereo Image – 10 of 12
Not Enough Punch
A mix lacking detail will also often lack punch, or transient elements married to tightly focused bass-frequency content. When a mix’s spectral balance is already great, it can be a mistake to boost both bass and high frequencies to achieve more punch. The added highs might just make the mix sound glassy, whereas the extra bass boost could make it boomy.
FIG. 4: The Waves TransX Wide plug-in, part of the company’s Transform bundle, is set up here to deliver extra punch to a kick drum track.
Instead, use a dynamics processor to emphasize the attack portion of the low-frequency elements from which you want more punch (for example, trap drums and electric bass guitar). A solid-state, VCA-based compressor set to relatively slow attack and fast release times (start with 60 ms for each) will often do the trick.
The SPL Transient Designer, available in both 2- and 4-channel models, is an outstanding solution for increasing punch on individual tracks (see Fig. 3). This amazing analog processor uses an envelope follower to change the amplitude of the attack and release portions of an audio signal. With the twist of a single knob, the Transient Designer can greatly enhance the beater slap of a kick drum or the crack of a snare drum, and it can make a bass guitar track pop like balloons.
For reshaping transients inside the box, I often turn to the Waves TransX Wide plug-in, which is part of the Transform bundle (see Fig. 4). It offers much greater control over the attack portion of sounds than the Transient Designer but gives you no control over the release phase. TransX Wide is a surefire ticket to slammin’ drum tracks.