When you record and mix...

[john]

Hey

How do you set up a mix? Are there things that you commonly do? Is there any method to your recording and mixing, or do you just go with the flow when you record or mix?

Cheers

John

[hariossa]

usually I render each track to a new track in order to unload all fx from memory, then plug an eq to each track or route several tracks with same information to a common bus.

I add automation information to any track that needs it (volume and pan), then mute all tracks but the bass and bass drum, check levels, then add the voice track and set levels, then I begin adding the other tracks...

and that's when my head begins to ache!!

normally all guitar, synths and piano parts are steping in the voice register, so I turn down the mids on them until I can hear the voice again, but normally I feel like I need higher education... all my mixes are a mess!!

just one advice: if you reached a point when you don't know if it is ok or not, stop, go to sleep and return to it another day...

[BongStuff]

Hey

How do you set up a mix? Are there things that you commonly do? Is there any method to your recording and mixing, or do you just go with the flow when you record or mix?

Cheers

John

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Totally depends on the kind of music!

If you're talking RAWK ( guitars, vocals, bass, drums ) then I'd try and get the drums balanced internally / relatively first, then sit the vocal over. Probably bass next, then the rest. I suppose it's a "top down" approach - loudest first!

For more abstract stuff, which is much more my bag, it's really an integrated exercise. I'm mixing all the time as I lay tracks down or take tracks away - the mixing can have an impact on the song and its structure and vice versa. The idea of "mixing" as a distinct phase of producing a track really doesn't apply.

For example, the quick track in the previous thread - I never got to a point where I thought "right that's all the parts down, lets try and mix them".

However, I guess what's common to both approaches is sonically I'm always trying to achieve separation between parts - making sure each one can be heard balanced within in its own frequency range and point in the stereo picture, so that each contributes to the song!

BS

Edited March 21, 2005 by BongStuff

[tgrover]

Hey

How do you set up a mix? Are there things that you commonly do? Is there any method to your recording and mixing, or do you just go with the flow when you record or mix?

Cheers

John

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

on all our songs... start with getting as full a drum sound as possible. Get the kick drum and bass drum slotted together on different eq's. Work out the panning of each guitar track and also use small amounts of eq to give them indivual space. Always compress vocals when recording but usually add a compressor in the effects bin as well and add small amounts of other effects i.e reverb/chorus. Get a basic level set for each instrument. Using volume/eq and panning do the best to seperate each instrument, then listen a further 1000 times to make sure it all sounds good.

The track we posted yesertday used this method and took about 2 hours to mix.

The first track we posted called easy feed took no less than about 4 days.... depends how busy the song is and how well recorded it so you dont have to clean to much up.

[FinnArild]

I think there's some old post with lots of good responses about this which maybe could be bumped up ??

[john]

I think there's some old post with lots of good responses about this which maybe could be bumped up ??

Hey Finn

I had a quick look but didn't spot it. I'll have more time later on...

Cheers

John