Yamaha 01X After Recording:

Getting Started

01X Owner’s Manual

Before Using Basics Section AppendixGetting Started Reference

●Clean up sounds

Garbage in usually means garbage out. So make sure your

source sounds are as clean and noise-free as possible. Use

quality cabling, check microphone placement, turn off the

air conditioner or anything else causing hum, patch in a

noise gate, or change the pickups in your guitar if neces-

sary.

●Apply EQ (page 48)

If you can’t eliminate noise problems at the source, you

can use the EQ on the 01X at this stage to cut it or mini-

mize it. The EQ library (page 99) contains several preset

programs for reducing hum, hiss, and noise. If you’re after

a natural sound, go back to the last step—it’s always better

to try to correct the sound source itself rather than correct-

ing with EQ. You’ll probably need to readjust the EQ

when listening to all sounds in the mix, anyway.

●Apply compression (page 52)

If your vocalist is alternately too loud and too soft, or the

bass ﬂuctuates too wildly in level, or the guitar doesn’t

have enough presence—compression may be the answer.

The Dynamics library contains a wide variety of preset

programs for correcting, smoothing or enhancing the

sound during recording, or after.

■ After Recording:

●Set up stereo pairs (page 54)

This links adjacent input channels (1 and 2, 3 and 4,

etc.)—making it easy to unify level settings for both chan-

nels, as well as EQ, Dynamics, and other settings (except

pan and phase).

●Pan the sounds (page 55)

Not only does panning allow you to create a more interest-

ing stereo sound ﬁeld, it lets you create more sonic space

for each instrument in the mix. There are no hard and fast

guidelines here, but generally pan to center the bass (which

is non-directional anyway) and the lead vocal. Anything

you’ve tracked in stereo should obviously be panned hard

left and right (such as keyboards, overhead mics on drums,

etc.).

●Balance levels

Now you’re ready for the main task in mixdown—setting

levels for each channel and getting the optimum balance.

You may want to start with all faders at about 0 dB, and

work down from there. In other words, DECREASE the

level of backing instruments and backing vocals until they

blend well with the lead vocals and solo instruments. Start

loud and get softer—that’s better than engaging in an ever-

escalating battle of the faders.

●Apply EQ—again (page 48)

Now that all instruments can be heard together, you may

need to redo some of your earlier EQ adjustments. EQ is

an effective way to clean up a mix and keep certain instru-

ments from clashing and muddying the sound. For exam-

ple, you may want to cut the bass of a keyboard to leave

more room for the bass guitar. On the other hand, you can

trim the high-end from the bass so that it doesn’t get in the

way of the drums and percussion. Also make sure that the

overall sound is tonally balanced— the low, mid, and high

bands of the audio spectrum should contain an equal

amount of sound energy.