Historique: 7d - bong, boff, et sizzle

Je suis vraiment désolé je n’ai pas trouvé de meilleur titre pour cette section, ce qui est bien dommage car elle est d’une importance capitale, alors je ferais mieux de m’expliquer assez rapidement.
Je dois souligner que la section précédente concernant «l'amélioration du son» par EQ traite le sujet du point de vue individuel de l'instrument.
Mais les sons de chaque instrument prit individuellement ne fait pas un excellent mélange.
C'est l'impact de ce tout qui compte.

Bang
Le "bang" est le martèlement du rythme dans un mixage. Notez que cela ne signifie pas un mélange de bass-heavy (basses lourdes). Cela signifie simplement que l'impact du rythme implacable doit être clairement ressenti dans votre corps physique lorsque vous écoutez le mixage. Ce ne sont pas uniquement les tambours et les basses qui forment le «bang», bien qu’ils en soient généralement les principaux contributeurs. C'est aussi le martèlement du rythme des autres parties importantes telles que le piano et les guitares. Il n’est pas possible de décrire avec des mots une «formule» spéciale pour y arriver, car elle est différente dans tous les cas. Vous devez simplement savoir qu’il existe et savoir comment le contrôler (généralement par expérimentation).

Boff
Le «boff» dans le mixage est, généralement, le décalage. Il est créé en substance par le son de caisse claire, bien que, là encore, d’autres instruments puissent contribuer de manière significative à l’effet - recherchez les rythmes syncopés qui méritent d’être accentués. L'alternative «bong/boff» d'une chanson est l'essence même du rythme des chansons, et si vous pouvez l'exprimer clairement, les gens se mettront sur la piste de danse ou au moins commenceront à taper du pied lorsque le morceau sera joué.

Le «bang» d'une chanson doit véritablement donner l'impression (à un volume sonore élevé) qu'il vous frappe physiquement au centre ou en dessous, tandis que le «boff» doit vous frapper physiquement à la poitrine ou plus haut.

Sizzle
Cymbales? Percussion? Oui, ces éléments contribuent de manière significative au "Sizzle" d'un mélange, mais pas entièrement. Il existe de nombreux autres contributeurs à la fin du mixage, y compris la voix principale et la reverbération vocale. ?? Un bon top crie vraiment «Production de qualité!» A good top end really shouts “Quality production!”?? . Les mixages de ballades de George Michael (comme «Praying for time») illustrent ce genre de chose sur la réverbération vocale (bien que je sois le premier à admettre que les mixages de George Michael sont probablement trop utilisés à cet égard, ce qui fatigue un peu les oreilles). Les guitares, en particulier l'acoustique de l'acier, peuvent également créer un «éclat» merveilleux si le son du haut est géré avec soin, ce qui se fait entendre par-dessus un mix, même lorsqu'il est joué sur une radio à transistor de qualité médiocre.









I’m so sorry – I couldn’t find a better title for this section – which is a great shame because it is actually critically important, so I’d better explain myself pretty quickly.

I should point out that the previous section regarding “sound enhancement” by EQ, is really discussing the subject from the point of view of an individual instrument.

But the sound of the individual instruments alone doesn’t make a great mix.

It is the impact of the whole thing that matters.

Bong

The “bong” in a mix is the pounding of the rhythm. Note that this does not mean a bass-heavy mix. It just means that the impact of the relentless rhythm must be clearly felt in your physical body as you listen to the mix. It is not just the drums and bass that form the “bong”, although they usually are the primary contributors to it. It is also the pounding of the rhythm of the other important parts such as piano and guitars. It isn’t possible to describe in words any special “formula” to make this happen, because it is different in every case. You just need to be aware that it is there and figure out how to control it (usually by experimentation).

Boff

The “boff” in the mix is usually the offbeat. It is created substantially by the snare although, again, other instruments can contribute significantly to the effect – look for syncopated beats that deserve accentuating. The alternate “bong/boff” of a song is the defining essence of the songs rhythm, and if you can get this across clearly, then people will get up onto the dance floor, or at least start tapping their feet when the record is played.

The “bong” in a song should genuinely feel (at loud volume) like it physically hits you in the midriff or below, whilst the “boff” should physically hit you in the chest or higher.

Sizzle

Cymbals? Percussion? Yes, these things do contribute significantly to the “sizzle” of a mix, but not entirely. There are many other contributors to the very top end of a mix including the lead vocal – and the vocal reverb. A good top end really shouts “Quality production!”. George Michael ballad mixes (such as “Praying for time”) illustrate this kind of thing on vocal reverb (although I’d be the first to admit that George Michael mixes are probably overdone in this respect, which tires the ears somewhat). Guitars – especially steel acoustics – can also create a wonderful “sheen” if the top end is carefully managed, which can be heard over the top of a mix – even when played on a low-quality transistor radio.

The careful management of the very top end of a mix is an art in itself, and is something that deserves special consideration in the mix. But be careful. It is a dangerous area. Why? Because if you overdo the top end of a mix, your ears will grow tired very quickly. Not only can this give you a real, physical, and extremely painful headache when mixing (it can be nasty and extreme, so take a break immediately if this happens), but what’s worse, it makes your ears grow deaf to the top end, and so you end up actually piling yet more and more top end on in order to compensate. You can do this without even realising. This is a well-recognised problem when mixing, and is often the result of mixing too loud for too long. It is not at all uncommon to listen to what sounded like a great, powerful and loud mix the night before, and listen to it the day afterwards and discover that it sounds like a little transistor radio! A quick glance at the controls on the desk will reveal that all of the top-end equaliser controls are cranked up way too high. Normally, a less-than-perfect quick solution is needed to fix it under these circumstances:
Either putting the entire mix through a graphic equaliser, or by going along the desk channels one at a time and reducing the amount of HF lift that you inadvertently gave everything previously.

As an aside, it is worth mentioning that if you do get a severe headache quickly and unexpectedly when mixing, and you are not otherwise ill, then there is a strong chance that you have got something very wrong with the top end of your mix, and it will give other people a headache when they listen to it as well. I’ve heard this discussed by people many times in the past. People aren’t sure whether it is just the presence of too much top or whether it is your ears trying to struggle at understanding the unnatural phase distortion that occurs when overdoing top-end EQ – but people frequently acknowledge that this is a genuine problem that some mixes have.

Also

As a final thought – it’s also worth mentioning that it is possible to overdo the aspect of Bong, Boff and Sizzle in a mix. Make sure that the impact of your mixing technique doesn’t overwhelm the basic message and emotional content of the song. Everything has to be in balance for it to work properly.