Better Mixing Tips: Controlling Depth with Waves Smack Attack

Shape Transients to Control Depth in Your Mix

In this mixing tip, we use Waves Smack Attack to control transients, focusing on how to change depth and perceived distance in a mix.

Level, the amount of high-frequency content, transient characteristics, and the amount of reverberation all affect perceived depth and distance. Of these, transient control can be particularly tricky. A compressor is a common tool for the job, but changing only the transients while preserving the original nuances of the sound is not always easy.

That is where transient shapers come in. Smack Attack is a plug-in in this category.
Its standout features are the ability to see the affected portion of the waveform and the amount of processing, and the option to choose the transient shape.

Let's look at the technique alongside Smack Attack's controls.

Better Mixing Tips: Waves Smack Attack — Video

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Perceived Distance in a Drum Mix

First, listen to our sample track, paying particular attention to how close or distant the kick and snare sound.

What did you notice? The kick sounds relatively close, while the snare seems a little farther back. You may have felt that their positions in the mix did not quite match.
The kick and snare have been set to roughly the same level on the meters. Their transient characteristics seem to hold the key to the difference in perceived distance.

These drums come from a software instrument and have not been rendered to audio, so there is no waveform to inspect on an audio track.
Even in this situation, Smack Attack lets us view a waveform and examine the transients.

Let's open Smack Attack and take a look.

The waveform appears as shown here. This display is called the Audio Graph. As expected, the kick has a very sharp, prominent attack. The snare's attack is comparatively less pronounced.
Let's use Smack Attack to adjust these transients.

Bring a Distant Sound Forward

Start with the snare. To bring its perceived distance closer to that of the kick, we need to emphasize its attack.
Turn up the large Attack knob.

The attack is now clearly audible, and the snare seems to move forward in the mix. However, this also emphasizes quieter details such as ghost notes, making the result somewhat unnatural.
To address this, adjust Sensitivity. It is currently too high, so turn it counterclockwise to reduce it.

Watch the Audio Graph above. Like a threshold display, it shows the relationship to the waveform, making it easy to see which parts will receive attack enhancement.
For this example, adjust it so that only the larger waveforms—the accented snare hits—are affected.
Also watch the orange line. It shows the enhancement or attenuation applied by Smack Attack.

Next, choose the shape used to emphasize the attack.

As the icons suggest, Needle on the left is the sharpest, Blunt on the right is rounder, and Nail sits between the two.
On this snare in particular, the shape affects the weight of the drum's body. We chose Nail for its balance of attack and punch.

Next is Duration, which sets how long the attack enhancement lasts.

Be careful not to make it too long: you may end up raising the overall level rather than highlighting the transient, making the sound feel flat.
Use the Audio Graph as a guide and aim for an orange-line slope that is slightly steeper than the waveform.

The Guard section on the right provides output protection, similar to a limiter. Our level is not exceeding the ceiling, so we can leave it off, but it can also be used creatively to shape the sound.
The upper option, Limit, is a limiter. The next option, Clip, clips peaks above the ceiling, adding saturation.
Try selecting Clip and deliberately increasing the output level.

Compare it with Limit and you should hear a difference in tone. Having this clipping option adds another interesting way to shape the sound.

Now return the output to its previous setting and compare the processed signal with bypass.
This change is easier to judge in the full mix than with the drums soloed.

Can you hear how the clearer attack brings the snare forward compared with bypass?
Its perceived position is now much closer to the kick's.

Push an Overly Prominent Sound Back

Let's adjust the kick as well. Its attack is too sharp, so turn down Attack to move it farther back in the mix.

Set Sensitivity to target the waveform peaks, choose Needle to suit their shape, and use a relatively short Duration.
Raise the output slightly to make the comparison easier, then compare with bypass.

Even at this stage, the kick sounds noticeably softer and seems farther away. Its position is now a better match for the snare.

Let's also adjust the kick's Sustain. Bringing out the tail can make it sound fuller and warmer.
Start by turning up Sustain.

Even this amount produces a noticeable effect.

At the current Sensitivity setting, nearly the whole sound is affected, so lower it a little. Use the Audio Graph as a guide while listening for the right amount of sustain.

Next, choose a shape. From left to right, the three options are Linear for a straight decay, Nonlinear for a more abrupt decay, and Soft Linear for a gentler decay.
This affects the fullness of the kick, so compare the options carefully by ear.

For this example, Soft Linear gave us the sound we wanted.

Next, adjust Duration to set how long the sustain enhancement lasts.
Be aware that an excessively long setting can focus the processing on the quieter part of the tail, making the intended effect less apparent.

Here, try a setting slightly longer than the central value of 200.

Compare with bypass again.

The energy that was concentrated in the attack is now more evenly balanced, helping the kick sit better in the overall mix.

Help an Acoustic Guitar Sit in the Mix

So far, we have focused on depth and distance in the drums, but Smack Attack is useful on more than just drums. Take the acoustic guitar in this track, for example.
We often boost the high frequencies with EQ to bring out an acoustic guitar's sparkle. A side effect can be that its dynamic accents become too prominent, making it harder to blend into the mix.
A compressor is a common solution, but Smack Attack can make the adjustment a little quicker.

Use Sensitivity to target the waveform peaks, and reduce Attack fairly substantially.
Nail seems to give us the right degree of shaping here.
Duration also affects how the attack is reduced. Set it a little longer for a more sustained reduction.
Raise the output slightly to make the comparison easier.

Now compare with bypass...

In this example, the result feels more natural than compression: the guitar sits slightly farther back and blends into the mix. The adjustment is also quick and simple.

In this mixing tip, we explored ways to control depth and perceived distance using the Smack Attack transient shaper.
Try incorporating these techniques into your own mixes.

Product link: https://store.minet.jp/item/5144.html

Better Mixing Tips #2: Control depth and perceived distance in a mix with the Waves Smack Attack transient shaper.
Adjust the transients while preserving the nuances of the sound.
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📝 Tutorial article: https://t.co/ck4DJwH0QD #DTM pic.twitter.com/tTjfC7dSgW

— SLEEP FREAKS (@SLEEPFREAKS_DTM) August 31, 2019

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How does a transient shaper differ from a compressor?

A compressor reduces gain according to its level detection and settings. A transient shaper lets you adjust the attack more directly and independently, making it possible to change transient characteristics while retaining much of the sound's original character.

Q2. What is Smack Attack's Audio Graph?

It is the waveform display, where you can see the input signal alongside the portions affected by attack and sustain processing. The orange line shows the processing in real time, helping you make precise adjustments.

Q3. Which controls help create depth in a mix?

Use Attack to adjust transient intensity and Sensitivity to determine which transients are affected. Shape and Duration then let you refine the result to achieve the sense of distance you want.

Q4. How do I push a kick farther back in the mix?

Lower Attack to soften the transient and move the sound back. Adjusting Sustain to bring out the tail can help create a more natural sense of distance.