how do you guys base a mix off of? I was thinking, since the first thing you record (of course after prepro) is drums, so do you guys get the best drum sound possible, then mix the bass in, then the guitars? Thanks for any responses
Mixing around drums?
- Thread starter AntonioPetrole
- Start date
There's more than one way to skin a cat. I'd suggest you search through the archives of this forum and other production sites and find tips that inspire you to try new things. There's a lot of great books as well, namely the Recording and Mixing Engineer Handbooks for any level of engineer trying to find something.
For me personally I like to throw it all in once and get the levels set up on dry tracks. I end up missing key pieces of the music when I just start cutting and boosting frequencies. What if the bass drum's fullness is in the snare mic? Or maybe the bass completely clashes with another instrument. It's all about trial and failure.
For me personally I like to throw it all in once and get the levels set up on dry tracks. I end up missing key pieces of the music when I just start cutting and boosting frequencies. What if the bass drum's fullness is in the snare mic? Or maybe the bass completely clashes with another instrument. It's all about trial and failure.
mephisto_loh
Green Tea Member
there has been plenty of this in the threads man. make a deep search and you will find it.
but a lot of people recommend to first the guitars then the bass, because if there is something out of tune in the guitars tracks you can arrange easily the bass track.
as karl said, is all about try and error.
cheers man!
but a lot of people recommend to first the guitars then the bass, because if there is something out of tune in the guitars tracks you can arrange easily the bass track.
as karl said, is all about try and error.
cheers man!
DanLights
Santa Hat Forever
I normally work that way, with drums first. And many people do guitars before bass cause they mix the bass to fit with the guitars, but I always find useful to first get a good drums & bass mix (not the genre of music)and then add the guitars and work it all out together
professorlamp
I are Joe
zackpennington
Like a boss
My last mix ended up being, drums, bass, rhythm, vocals, leads.
Obviously I had to tweak everything randomly throughout.
Obviously I had to tweak everything randomly throughout.
i've always heard this referred to "bottom up" if you're starting with the drums/rythym, and "top down" if you start with the vocals
personally, the way i approach a mix depends on the music. metal and its heavier kin, to me, is more about powerful instrumentals, so 1st i mix the drums, add guitars, bring in the bass to fill in the low end between the drums/guitars, and then pull the vox up until they're clear and intelligible
for anything that has more of a pop vibe to it, or that's a bit more sparse in arrangement, i'll start by getting the vocals right first, then bring the other elements of the mix into the picture in a way that enhances them
Lately ive just been pulling all faders up, get a rough level mix and then start fuckin with drums, bass, gtr and vocals. Usually I try and get the kick and bass workin together first. But I never have started with gtr.....I might try that sometime.
i wouldnt recommend starting with guitar personally. I was in a 1 months rut because i made my guitars sound super huge and didnt really worry to much about drums and bass. I realized with the help of some sneapsters that bass interaction is the biggest thing that makes guitars sound bigger and fuller. Everything has to interact and balance eachother. Just my 2 cents
Morgan C
MAX LOUD PRESETS¯\(°_o)/¯
You can't possibly get 'the best drum mix possible' and then mix everything else around that.
You have an idea in your head of what each instrument should sound like (ie. I want a picollo snare drum with a really click kick, bass is gonna be really grindy), you track so that you get pretty close to that. Then you start mixing all together. I usually start with drums, but I'll only mix them for like 5 minutes, just to get in the ballpark, before I start bringing in other instruments. Everything affects everything.
You have an idea in your head of what each instrument should sound like (ie. I want a picollo snare drum with a really click kick, bass is gonna be really grindy), you track so that you get pretty close to that. Then you start mixing all together. I usually start with drums, but I'll only mix them for like 5 minutes, just to get in the ballpark, before I start bringing in other instruments. Everything affects everything.
joeymusicguy
Member
i mix everything in two seperate groups, two seperate projects (per song)
i mix the music with its self, and i mix the vocals seperately
i then apply the vocals to the music.
i mix the music with its self, and i mix the vocals seperately
i then apply the vocals to the music.
P-E
Munchkin
P-E
Munchkin
Dan tells the truth.
Actually anyone can mix the way he wants, but that's the way I prefer.
C_F_H_13
Protools Guru
wierd....I thought I was the only one who did this whenever I have to mix in the box.
Ermz
¯\(°_o)/¯
OHs first, then I throw in kick/snare, after which the rooms are done. Toms last. During this whole process I'll be flipping guitars in and out for some perspective. After drums come the guitars normally, and after that it's more or less everything. Once the bass comes in is where you start the back and forth battle of how much energy to give to the kick and how much to the bass guitar, so I like to leave that for last if possible.
