We only recommend products that we use and believe in. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Creating space in a mix by ensuring each element has its own presence without overwhelming others
Space is the place
Far from wishing to state the obvious, but surely the most important tracks in any production deserve some room to breathe. It is really that simple, though the task of creating space in a mix is a complex one. Operating in real-time, Firesonic’s FireSpacer simplifies things by analysing the audio frequency content of one track via a side-chain and applying an intelligent filter to subtract those frequencies from another track to effectively ensure that each instrument or voice has its own space in the mix. Clearly, clutter is prevented while clarity is enhanced as a result, which is really what is meant by breathing when it comes to achieving professional-quality audio mixing results.
Make room to mix
Firesonic’s FireSpacer makes room for those most important tracks in next to no time. Begin by simply placing the plug-in on the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) track to be effected, then link the track to be prioritised to FireSpacer’s side-chain and adjust the AMOUNT control to the desired level. Let FireSpacer work its magic — thoroughly analysing the spectrum occupied by guitar, kick, and vocal, or whatever, to selectively suppress colliding frequencies with surgical precision, in other words.
Algorithmic assistance
With that being said, though, there is more to FireSpacer than can be achieved by adjusting AMOUNT alone. As such, it includes four processing algorithms that each result in a different sound. Spectral algorithms are much more accurate, but exhibit latency and require more CPU (Central Processing Unit) power, possibly, while low-latency algorithms use minimum phase filters, which have a much broader effect, so are less accurate and more likely, therefore, to remove more frequencies that do not need to be removed.
Set the controls for the heart of the mix
Furthermore, FireSpacer provides some advanced tweaking options all aimed at creating space in a mix: MIN FREQ controls the minimum frequency to be processed so all frequencies below that will be ignored — useful for limiting the spectrum range to be affected (so, for instance, if a vocal clashes with a guitar and full processing removes the guitar content to the extent that it no longer sounds like a guitar or is simply too quiet, then increasing this value ensures that the lower frequencies of the guitar tone remains unaffected while still providing more room for the vocal by removing the higher frequency content); MAX FREQ controls the maximum frequency to be processed so all frequencies above that will be ignored — also useful for limiting the spectrum range to be affected (so helpful for solving clashes between bass and kick drums, for example, where removing bass content may be difficult since the initial slap of the kick could contain a wide range of frequencies, thereby running the risk of removing the entire bass briefly, so lowering the maximum frequency value to 150Hz, say, should remove low bass frequencies but preserve higher harmonics, ensuring that listeners can still hear the pitch); RELEASE controls how quickly the attenuated frequencies increase the level when they stop colliding — higher the value, the less transparent yet more effective at collision removal FireSpacer becomes; RELEASE is only useful for spectral modes and controls how precise FireSpacer is at targeting clashing frequencies — maximum accuracy removes only frequencies that are almost identical, while, conversely, minimum accuracy removes even frequencies, which are further from each other.
And breathe…
On the face of it, then, FireSpacer is perfect for blending instruments, vocals, and other audio elements, providing control over the priority of each track in a mix to prevent clutter and preserve clarity. Clearly, creating space in a mix need not be such a complex task after all; anyone looking to achieve professional-quality audio mixing results can breathe a sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge that the most important tracks in their production will have room to breathe!
Key features:
∙ Simplifies the complex task of creating space in a mix
∙ Provides control over the priority of each track to prevent clutter and preserve clarity
∙ Perfect for blending instruments, vocals, and other audio elements
FireSonic’s FireSpacer is available to purchase for a time-limited introductory promo price of only €15.00 EUR until August 31, 2024 — rising thereafter to its regular price of €69.00 EUR — as an AAX-, AU-, VST-, and VST3-compatible plug-in (using internal 64-bit audio processing capable of handling any sample rate) directly from its dedicated webpage (https://unitedplugins.com/FireSpacer/), where a 15-day, fully-functional trial version for macOS 10.10 and newer and Windows 8/10/11 can also be downloaded for free.
Note that no iLok, dongle, or internet access is required for FireSpacer activation. (All United Plugins software uses license files for activation and owners can freely use purchased software — with free-for-life updates — on all their computers, as long as they are the user.)
See and hear FireSpacer in action while watching United Plugins’ illuminating introductory video here: https://youtu.be/KWoldgfBGKQ
About The Author
