Amplified Instrument Processor 03 - Using the amazing Insufferable Midrange Filter to eliminate harshness
Ok. PSP set, filters set.... let's keep getting rid of stuff we don't like.
The Insufferable Midrange Filter (IMF) is the secret weapon of the AIP, and it's what we will play with next.
Use the IMF
The IMF is an adjustable surgical cut in the upper midrange. It gets rid of things that you didn't even know you didn't want in your mix.
The IMF was developed by Dan to remove the upper range "whistle" caused by the build up presence frequencies when multiple guitar parts are doubled and stacked. It works great for this, but it also works great to pull down sibilance on vocals, remove harshness from keyboard parts, nip out the painful bits of percussion and cymbals, etc.
There is no right or wrong setting for this thing, so it does require a bit of playing with it.
So, click on it, click on LISTEN, and turn the FREQUENCY knob. This will pop out the offending frequencies and you'll notice that it makes things sound really, really awful. Insufferable.
Turn the knob some more, until you find the worst sound bit, or the bit that you hate the most. Whenever I use this in LISTEN it makes me want to roll off everything about 1kHz.
Once you find the most offense frequency area, turn off LISTEN and turn REDUCTION counterclockwise to notch the offending frequencies out. Experiment with the OCTAVE RANGE. Setting 1 cuts just the offending tone. 2 cuts the tone and its harmonic an octave up. 3 cuts the tone and an octave up and down. I find I often use the 2 setting and 3 on occasion, and almost never the 1.
Now, depending on how much REDUCTION you apply, you might notice an overall loss of brightness. The HF COMPENSATION is a high shelf filter that gives a boost to the highs as you turn it clockwise. I usually don't adjust this control right away. After removing things with the IMF my ears are focused on that frequency range, and I'm hearing that area unrealistically, because I'm concentrating on it. So, I might work on another area of the mix for a while. Then, after a bit, I'll listen to the mix with all tracks in and then think, "that part is a little dull," and then reach for the HF COMPENSATION knob.
Not right away. After a bit.
Depending on how much stuff is running around the presence region of a mix, I might have the IMF switched in on everything other than really low things.
The IMF is sort of a substitute for a de-esser but not really. If someone has a nasal, whine of a voice, turn on the IMF. If cymbals are cutting your head off, click on the IMF.
So, you're mixing and something sounds a bit dull. Click on the IMF and turn up the HF COMPENSATION a bit for a fast, instant high shelf boost.