Man the production quality of your videos has went up since you took this on full time and I love it. Sets you apart for sure. Great content as always, thanks Rick!
I don’t do a lot of recording and am not even slightly interested in “phase” - or at least I didn’t think I was until I saw this video. I watch all Rick’s videos and never fail to learn something to improve my musical knowledge. Well done.
I appreciate the time and effort you put into each of your videos. Your enthusiasm for all things music is contagious. Thank you for another informative post, Rick.
After years of recording and mixing I finally found 1 source who explained this a couple of years ago. Rick of course does it much better and in depth and the title is exactly to the point. Thanks so much!
A fun phase trick - mic a guitar cab with two mics of the same kind. Start with them in phase and as you track, pull one away from the cab. Great video Rick! Good explanation and examples.
Physics lesson nice. I remember when we came to this lesson in school i got to wip out my guitar and talk about some kewl stuff that goes on thats related to the over all lesson and chapter. The teacher who was this awesome materials scientist who developed stuff for NASA taught me about how some materials and some stuff we learned in later chapters really affect sound.
GREAT lesson and demonstration on phase. It's the most concise and complete video I've seen and it helped me understand it more clearly. Thanks so much for the time and effort you put into these. Welcome Maxton, can't wait to see more from you.
I asked for this in a previous video's comment section and you've really delivered the knowledge Rick. Thank you for the excellent examples. This is now my reference anytime I'm not sure if I am in or out of phase, or I'm experiencing phase shift. Superb.
Got to admit I know enough about phase where I normally wouldn’t be interested in a video on it, however the thumbnail for the vid was so good i had to open it and give you a 👍. Very clever
Jeeze this is a reeeeallly good video. Everyone needs to buy the Rick Beato book. This is so helpful man...thank you soooo much dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱
The phase associated with that phase button is 180 degrees at all frequencies. The phase difference between two microphones placed at different distances will be a linear phase, so a different phase shift for each frequency, which is how a time delay is described via phase. Two different situations and that is why the tonality changes when you push the button.
What about phase issues when recording acoustic guitar and vocal at the same time? (The singer at the guitarist are the same person). Thanks for the video!!!
Really appreciate this information, Rick. As a schooled musician/teacher, most of my knowledge gaps are in the technical-scientific side of sound. Thanks for explaining such an important topic in a logical, demonstrative manner. Cheers!
Very insightful video as usual. One thing I heard about those phase-tricks for stereo widening effects etc. is that they don't work so well on vinyl because it makes the needle jump out of the groove. Haven't looked further into that myself.
All the examples show a phase difference of 180o. When out of phase 180o the sound waves subtract each other completely, leaving only the difference between them. This difference is more in the case of acoustic guitar example. However, when the phasing difference is less than 180o, the interference between the audio waves will generate a third sound, that can give an interesting sound in some cases. Great video
Some good information here. Phase issues make me nervous about recording with more than one microphone, so most everything I do is either direct or with a room mic. I know there are certain live applications for phase cancellation (like if you have a horn player that's playing to loudly for a small room, you can flip the phase in the house and try to get rid of some of the volume)
I would like to see a video dealing with latency when overdubbing; how it's handled with tape, pro tools, and in general. It was just not I just discovered this issue while recording at home. I had to manually move one track over because it was about 150ms later than the other.
What was not mentioned is that the amplitude is the movement of the speaker. So when you have phase out of Alignment it makes the audio quieter be cause the to sound waves are canceling out each other’s amplitude.
Hey Rick do you know of any records where the phase on some instruments like guitar or backing vox are inverted purposely to get the wide stereo effect?
It is interesting listening to the “out of speakers” parts on my 7.1 speaker system using Dolby Surround to decode the stereo signal. It sends it to the rears and the surround speakers.
For everyone looking for examples of deliberate usage of phase offsets in music, Broken by Nine Inch Nails is a great album to check out. It even includes the disclaimer "caution: not for use with mono devices".
Ha, loved the thumbnail image - and the video of course! :) Coooool! Just wanted to add that the wavelength for 6KHz wave is about 2 inches. So to avoid phase issues, the distance between two mics should be less than 1/3 inches.
This is technically very interesting to watch & listen Rick! Technically I KNOW some of this but didnt have in my mind when it comes to miking up instruments! Amazingly eye opening! Thanks again!
This is a great video. I'd love to go into more depth, I multitrack guitars, I assume that I should be checking the phase between takes as well if I'm playing the same part? Also when comping I'm guessing if you literally cut one bit from one place and paste it to another place in the track then the phase might change for that period if you cut where the wave form is peaking and paste it into a position where the wave form is troughing? There's so much you have to think about when mixing and recording!
Is it a reasonable endeavor to try to set up your mics so that the thing that they're trying to capture (e.g. snare) is in-phase, but cymbals are out-of-phase, to de-emphasize cymbal bleed? Or would that be so difficult that it's not really worth it, with other better options available to help with cymbal or snare bleed?
Good info Rick! I'd love to hear some input on creative ways of using phase when recording, ie: not having things perfectly in or out to give different tonality, etc. :)
so in other words phase is a tool you can use. most of the time you will want to keep everything in phase but occasionally you might want to try out of phase to give a different effect especially in a acoustic setting to give the effect that you are standing in the room with the guitarist.
The graph at 1:44 shows a time shift that could be produced with a delay, or with microphones at different distances from the source. If the x-axis represents time then the difference between the two waves is a time, measured in seconds. A phase shift is an angle, measured in degrees or radians. Adding the two time shifted sine waves would produce another sine wave phase shifted relative to either of the component sine waves. This is different from using the phase reverse button, which can only produce a one hundred and eighty degree or pi radians shift. Pressing the phase reverse button swaps the wires around reversing the phase without affecting the time.
The time part of the video was placing the diaphragms equal distance to the sound source. This wasn’t a video to show how to get things out of phase or having phase shift. You begin by showing how to make things sound good and go from there.
A good sound is what we want, and this is a great video for helping people achieve that. The first time I encountered phasing in a practical context it stalked sonic space like a bogeyman. I was doing a live recording of a mostly acoustic ensemble. The percussionist had brought his own good mic, which made me think he knew something about recording. He looked around in disgust at our setup of mics on the instruments, and a stereo pair. “You’ll get phasing,” he said. The spectre of phasing hung in the air, unsettling the atmosphere. “My god,” I thought, “has he glanced at the mics and calculated that the distances will interfere with his conga sound?” So I asked him “If we got phasing on the recording, what would it sound like?” “It’s a terrible sound,” he replied. “Tick, tick, tick”. With his fingers he made a snapping gesture beside his ear. “It’s a bad sound,” he said. “OK,” I thought, ”this guy doesn’t have a clue!” and proceeded with the recording. That was the moment I decided to understand phase in detail, so that percussion players with half the picture didn’t freak me out in the future. :-) Cheers, and thanks for all the videos!
Hey Rick I'm a bit confused about the Overhead section of this. I was always taught that you should try to measure the snare drum distance to each overhead and keep it even, like you did- not to make it sound in the centre of the stereo image, but to avoid phase issues on the snare - the most played part of the kit. But I was told to move the overheads higher and lower to achieve this, not left to right- as that would alter the stereo image of the rest of the kit. Is that totally wrong in your books?
What's your take on absolute phase with drums (or in general)? I notice your snare began with a trough because you flipped the polarity of the bottom 57. That usually works with the overheads, which also typically start on a trough, because the drums initially move away from the mic. Some engineers argue that absolute phase matters; Some say it doesn't. Personally, I am undecided, but interested in your take on it. Love your videos :-)
Rick - on the electric and acoustic guitar examples, could you get the same jump out of the speaker effect with an electric guitar by changing the EQ on the mics? For example set Mic (A) to low freqs and Mic (B) to High freqs then set them out of phase?
How does a wave get inverted in the studio? Speaker wires crossed? Microphones having different polarity? I heard about a guitar amp where one speaker was hooked up backward; you could hear it fine, but a mic placed in front and center of it got almost no signal, because the speakers cancelled each other out.
I would love to learn how to get mics in phase for a singer with an acoustic guitar recorded simultaneously. Would you put the mics in line with each other or keep the distance between the mouth and soundhole of the acoustic the same? Can someone please help I'm currently working on a demo!
Went down the rabbit hole of "do my overheads on drums need time shifted to correct phase alignment, or do i work on mic placement n only flip the snare bottom n never go down this rabbit hole again..."🤔🍻
Hey Rick! Could you please do a segment on Buss Compression and the different ways to use a compressor on the 2 Buss, so like Sterio, Dual Mono, M/S . Take Care, have a great weekend!
Ahh thank you for the video! And more prominently, thank you for an awesome summer of content, really high quality and detail without a doubt! I won't lie, I really did only discover you by watching your Guitar Players You Need to Know from 1929-69, but ever since, I have been watching all of your videos because of how much I love your format and information that you bring to the table! Really grateful for all you do, and don't stop the great work man!
Spaced pair on ac guitar, I preferred the out phase sound. Will this be a usable sound or, will it be difficult to add low end and/or hear the guitar in mono when mixing?
Mic Question! Wanting to mic a piano within a budget and keeping unobtrusive, can I do it with a single akg c414xlii or should I just go with the Audix scx25a
I'm curious. When you sum the in-phase and out of phase tracks, the amplitude of the resultant wave is pretty much zero. But when you sum the in-phase tracks, the amplitude of the resultant wave isn't doubled. It looks the same as the two original waves. Why would that be?
Would you ever flip the phase on an acoustic guitar overdub on a song with electric guitars to separate it and give it less body in a mix or is eq always the way to go?
The thumbnail pic is awesome! Love it.
Weaponised Funk
Rick I’ve really been getting into your videos I hope it’s not just a phase.
There's nothing like a chorus of "phase" jokes!
Man the production quality of your videos has went up since you took this on full time and I love it. Sets you apart for sure. Great content as always, thanks Rick!
I don’t do a lot of recording and am not even slightly interested in “phase” - or at least I didn’t think I was until I saw this video. I watch all Rick’s videos and never fail to learn something to improve my musical knowledge. Well done.
What happened to the earlier version that you took down? Was it out of phase? :D
If memory serves, it looked like the original was intended to be edited down and was, perhaps, posted before it was finished.
it was just a phase he was going through.
Yea, I remember there was issues with missing editing near the beginning and the bass drum was clipping like mad!
It was only phase 1...
Blasted with a phaser
I appreciate the time and effort you put into each of your videos. Your enthusiasm for all things music is contagious. Thank you for another informative post, Rick.
Invaluable info! And I love the thumbnail 🙌
After years of recording and mixing I finally found 1 source who explained this a couple of years ago. Rick of course does it much better and in depth and the title is exactly to the point. Thanks so much!
Rick, your thumbnail-game is on point.
:-)
Yeah, cool one.
Drummer: _"I don't really play like that"_
Rick: _"Trust me, it sounds better"_
Rick: *suspends drummer and kit upside down on ceiling*
I laughed out loud at that
A fun phase trick - mic a guitar cab with two mics of the same kind. Start with them in phase and as you track, pull one away from the cab. Great video Rick! Good explanation and examples.
You have just changed the way I record acoustic. LOVE that out of phase sound on the body & neck mics. Thank you!
Oh this is fun! I love the acoustic out of phase but then I began to appreciate the in phase sound as well. Both have their place.
Physics lesson nice. I remember when we came to this lesson in school i got to wip out my guitar and talk about some kewl stuff that goes on thats related to the over all lesson and chapter. The teacher who was this awesome materials scientist who developed stuff for NASA taught me about how some materials and some stuff we learned in later chapters really affect sound.
The crash cymbal advise is a good one. I've seen this missed many times.
GREAT lesson and demonstration on phase. It's the most concise and complete video I've seen and it helped me understand it more clearly. Thanks so much for the time and effort you put into these. Welcome Maxton, can't wait to see more from you.
I asked for this in a previous video's comment section and you've really delivered the knowledge Rick. Thank you for the excellent examples. This is now my reference anytime I'm not sure if I am in or out of phase, or I'm experiencing phase shift. Superb.
Got to admit I know enough about phase where I normally wouldn’t be interested in a video on it, however the thumbnail for the vid was so good i had to open it and give you a 👍. Very clever
Jeeze this is a reeeeallly good video. Everyone needs to buy the Rick Beato book. This is so helpful man...thank you soooo much dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱
Rick, thank you! This is fantastic! you guys are SO generous! Would love a supplement about room mics and blending.
So educational! Been playing guitar for 33 years and had no idea. Thanks! 🤘
Thanks Rick! I shared this with my peers in Music Production class. We love your channel.
these vids are amazing. i am actually on the edge of me seat waiting for the break down and explanation of each example.
I'm only a few minutes in but I'm learning lots already; thanks Rick!
The phase associated with that phase button is 180 degrees at all frequencies. The phase difference between two microphones placed at different distances will be a linear phase, so a different phase shift for each frequency, which is how a time delay is described via phase. Two different situations and that is why the tonality changes when you push the button.
What about phase issues when recording acoustic guitar and vocal at the same time? (The singer at the guitarist are the same person). Thanks for the video!!!
The definitive video about the phase ... Thanks for this.
Really appreciate this information, Rick. As a schooled musician/teacher, most of my knowledge gaps are in the technical-scientific side of sound. Thanks for explaining such an important topic in a logical, demonstrative manner. Cheers!
Very insightful video as usual. One thing I heard about those phase-tricks for stereo widening effects etc. is that they don't work so well on vinyl because it makes the needle jump out of the groove. Haven't looked further into that myself.
All the examples show a phase difference of 180o. When out of phase 180o the sound waves subtract each other completely, leaving only the difference between them. This difference is more in the case of acoustic guitar example. However, when the phasing difference is less than 180o, the interference between the audio waves will generate a third sound, that can give an interesting sound in some cases. Great video
I was going to comment on the same thing on this but found your post. So---THIS!
Great video as always, Rick. I really needed an explanation of this, as I wasn't sure what this phase thing was about, but now it's crystal clear.
This is so important and of course no one explains it better than you... Thank you
So informative, you really demonstrated this in a clear way, thank you so much Rick.
You're right. Greatest thumbnail ever!
Some good information here. Phase issues make me nervous about recording with more than one microphone, so most everything I do is either direct or with a room mic. I know there are certain live applications for phase cancellation (like if you have a horn player that's playing to loudly for a small room, you can flip the phase in the house and try to get rid of some of the volume)
Thanks Rick! This is valuable information, and I really appreciate your doing this.
Rick, this video actually taught me so much in such a small time. Thanks for getting me interested in recording!!
The best video thumbnail image! Nice info, thanks once more.
Thanks Rick & Rhett! Good to know what happens if you try to bring the out of phase stuff to mono.
Awesome post. Such valuable information. Thank you, Rick!
i love your recoding tips and thanks for the video . you're the best
Perfect, as always. And that bass tone- wow!!! We need more Rick bass videos! :D
Very informative for someone who always works inside of a digital vacuum :)
I would like to see a video dealing with latency when overdubbing; how it's handled with tape, pro tools, and in general.
It was just not
I just discovered this issue while recording at home. I had to manually move one track over because it was about 150ms later than the other.
What about piano? Like a 3-mic setup...
Great work, as always!
Great vid. Learned more about recording today than I've know previously.
What was not mentioned is that the amplitude is the movement of the speaker. So when you have phase out of Alignment it makes the audio quieter be cause the to sound waves are canceling out each other’s amplitude.
Hey Rick do you know of any records where the phase on some instruments like guitar or backing vox are inverted purposely to get the wide stereo effect?
Piano on sympathy for the devil
Thanks for the knowledge! Definitely appreciated rick
It is interesting listening to the “out of speakers” parts on my 7.1 speaker system using Dolby Surround to decode the stereo signal. It sends it to the rears and the surround speakers.
For everyone looking for examples of deliberate usage of phase offsets in music, Broken by Nine Inch Nails is a great album to check out. It even includes the disclaimer "caution: not for use with mono devices".
Thank you rick and crew!!
That is one beautiful drum kit.
Set phasers to fun!
This clarified many things. Thanks man!
Excellent tutorial on Phase. Wow! So helpful Rick. Thank you for taking the time on this :)
Ha, loved the thumbnail image - and the video of course! :) Coooool! Just wanted to add that the wavelength for 6KHz wave is about 2 inches. So to avoid phase issues, the distance between two mics should be less than 1/3 inches.
This is technically very interesting to watch & listen Rick! Technically I KNOW some of this but didnt have in my mind when it comes to miking up instruments! Amazingly eye opening! Thanks again!
This is a great video. I'd love to go into more depth, I multitrack guitars, I assume that I should be checking the phase between takes as well if I'm playing the same part? Also when comping I'm guessing if you literally cut one bit from one place and paste it to another place in the track then the phase might change for that period if you cut where the wave form is peaking and paste it into a position where the wave form is troughing? There's so much you have to think about when mixing and recording!
That acoustic sounds sooo good. What kind of guitar is it?
Hi, bit late to game. I work in live events. Would it be possible to do a follow up video about how phase can be affected in a live environment.
rick, i love you. thank you for your knowledge.
Is it a reasonable endeavor to try to set up your mics so that the thing that they're trying to capture (e.g. snare) is in-phase, but cymbals are out-of-phase, to de-emphasize cymbal bleed? Or would that be so difficult that it's not really worth it, with other better options available to help with cymbal or snare bleed?
Rick, more content like this please.
That was great! I'd love to see more videos about sound engineering!
Wow, thats impressive. The acoustic guitar part was great
Great explanation so far. Love your videos.
Good info Rick! I'd love to hear some input on creative ways of using phase when recording, ie: not having things perfectly in or out to give different tonality, etc. :)
so in other words phase is a tool you can use. most of the time you will want to keep everything in phase but occasionally you might want to try out of phase to give a different effect especially in a acoustic setting to give the effect that you are standing in the room with the guitarist.
The graph at 1:44 shows a time shift that could be produced with a delay, or with microphones at different distances from the source. If the x-axis represents time then the difference between the two waves is a time, measured in seconds. A phase shift is an angle, measured in degrees or radians. Adding the two time shifted sine waves would produce another sine wave phase shifted relative to either of the component sine waves. This is different from using the phase reverse button, which can only produce a one hundred and eighty degree or pi radians shift. Pressing the phase reverse button swaps the wires around reversing the phase without affecting the time.
The time part of the video was placing the diaphragms equal distance to the sound source. This wasn’t a video to show how to get things out of phase or having phase shift. You begin by showing how to make things sound good and go from there.
A good sound is what we want, and this is a great video for helping people achieve that. The first time I encountered phasing in a practical context it stalked sonic space like a bogeyman. I was doing a live recording of a mostly acoustic ensemble. The percussionist had brought his own good mic, which made me think he knew something about recording. He looked around in disgust at our setup of mics on the instruments, and a stereo pair. “You’ll get phasing,” he said. The spectre of phasing hung in the air, unsettling the atmosphere. “My god,” I thought, “has he glanced at the mics and calculated that the distances will interfere with his conga sound?” So I asked him “If we got phasing on the recording, what would it sound like?” “It’s a terrible sound,” he replied. “Tick, tick, tick”. With his fingers he made a snapping gesture beside his ear. “It’s a bad sound,” he said. “OK,” I thought, ”this guy doesn’t have a clue!” and proceeded with the recording. That was the moment I decided to understand phase in detail, so that percussion players with half the picture didn’t freak me out in the future. :-) Cheers, and thanks for all the videos!
Amazing information
Just like your other videos
Hey Rick I'm a bit confused about the Overhead section of this.
I was always taught that you should try to measure the snare drum distance to each overhead and keep it even, like you did- not to make it sound in the centre of the stereo image, but to avoid phase issues on the snare - the most played part of the kit.
But I was told to move the overheads higher and lower to achieve this, not left to right- as that would alter the stereo image of the rest of the kit.
Is that totally wrong in your books?
Very informative, thanks!
The Beato Book looks great judging from the table of contents. Is yesterday’s discount still available and, if so, where do you insert the code?
Yesterdays code is still active for a little while. It will show you where to enter the code.
This is massively helpful Rick, thank you :)
Kinda like noise cancelling?
Out of phase is EXACTLY what noise cancelling does. Not "kinda", but that is the exact physics. good catch!
we need more of this
4:22 Alice In Chains - Them bones? O.o
I believe "Them Bones"... played he? lol
Yep and the bass was Kansas - "Carry on my wayward son".
Carlos= yes. He features that song on an episode of "What makes this song great" (on this TH-cam site). Watch it.
16:54 - Can't help but hope that was a teaser for a What Makes This Song Great - Kansas :D
I thought this got blocked. And after Toto I was extra peeved! Glad its here to see!!!!!
What's your take on absolute phase with drums (or in general)? I notice your snare began with a trough because you flipped the polarity of the bottom 57. That usually works with the overheads, which also typically start on a trough, because the drums initially move away from the mic. Some engineers argue that absolute phase matters; Some say it doesn't. Personally, I am undecided, but interested in your take on it. Love your videos :-)
Thank you for making the phase video we asked for!
Rick - on the electric and acoustic guitar examples, could you get the same jump out of the speaker effect with an electric guitar by changing the EQ on the mics? For example set Mic (A) to low freqs and Mic (B) to High freqs then set them out of phase?
When can we buy the official Beato Nation black t-shirts?
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Rick. Much obliged.
How does a wave get inverted in the studio? Speaker wires crossed? Microphones having different polarity?
I heard about a guitar amp where one speaker was hooked up backward; you could hear it fine, but a mic placed in front and center of it got almost no signal, because the speakers cancelled each other out.
Great video, thanks Rick!
RIck beato is the coolest dude in youtube man !!!!
Thanks a lot, Rick! That was really a helpful and vivid explanation as always
Off Topic: Please do a What makes this song great: Placebo Bitter End. The song is so simple yet awesome! Love your channel although I'm new here.
I would love to learn how to get mics in phase for a singer with an acoustic guitar recorded simultaneously. Would you put the mics in line with each other or keep the distance between the mouth and soundhole of the acoustic the same? Can someone please help I'm currently working on a demo!
Went down the rabbit hole of "do my overheads on drums need time shifted to correct phase alignment, or do i work on mic placement n only flip the snare bottom n never go down this rabbit hole again..."🤔🍻
Hey Rick! Could you please do a segment on Buss Compression and the different ways to use a compressor on the 2 Buss, so like Sterio, Dual Mono, M/S . Take Care, have a great weekend!
I already did. Look it up on my channel.
Ahh thank you for the video! And more prominently, thank you for an awesome summer of content, really high quality and detail without a doubt! I won't lie, I really did only discover you by watching your Guitar Players You Need to Know from 1929-69, but ever since, I have been watching all of your videos because of how much I love your format and information that you bring to the table! Really grateful for all you do, and don't stop the great work man!
Good stuff Rick, thanks for sharing.
Spaced pair on ac guitar, I preferred the out phase sound. Will this be a usable sound or, will it be difficult to add low end and/or hear the guitar in mono when mixing?
Are there any recording scenarios in which the sound being out of phase would actually be helpful or desired?
Mic Question! Wanting to mic a piano within a budget and keeping unobtrusive, can I do it with a single akg c414xlii or should I just go with the Audix scx25a
That's a pretty good sounding drum!
I'm curious. When you sum the in-phase and out of phase tracks, the amplitude of the resultant wave is pretty much zero. But when you sum the in-phase tracks, the amplitude of the resultant wave isn't doubled. It looks the same as the two original waves. Why would that be?
Would you ever flip the phase on an acoustic guitar overdub on a song with electric guitars to separate it and give it less body in a mix or is eq always the way to go?