Mixing in backing guitars...

[JayB]

Messing around with a mix right now that has backing guitars in certain parts (say during a chorus, where there's a main guitar part playing on both sides as well as two panned backing guitars playing held out chords). How do you guys normally mix these? Do you send them to the same bus as the main rhythms? Or do you make a whole other aux and eq them differently etc? Different LP/HP? What about panning? If the mains are panned 100 LR, would these backing guitars be more like 60/70 LR?

 

[Contra Studio]

I would create the the backing Gtr in there own aux with their own eq, comp, etc.
I would test the panning not at 100% more like 50% then go from there, plus maybe add some eff like chorus or flang, change it so it's not fighting in the same space as the main Gtr. You can do that with the mids, 3-4k. GL have fun and put some samples I would like to hear it!

 

[Skinny Viking]

Jay no offense intended at all dude but do you ever bother to use the search function?

I mean, I think your last handful of threads have been on topics that are not just kinda basic but also have been covered numerous times

Things like this, using send for vocals, how to pan things, etc ...

It's just comin off as pretty lazy. I honestly don't know how you could not find lots of threads with tons of great info on each of these unless you're almost trying not to

Like I said, no offense, just curious why

 

[Contra Studio]

Jay no offense intended at all dude but do you ever bother to use the search function?

I mean, I think your last handful of threads have been on topics that are not just kinda basic but also have been covered numerous times

Things like this, using send for vocals, how to pan things, etc ...

It's just comin off as pretty lazy. I honestly don't know how you could not find lots of threads with tons of great info on each of these unless you're almost trying not to

Like I said, no offense, just curious why

I totally agree with you. But if he is using an iPhone app to be in the forms like myself. The search eng dosent work at all. You would have to be on a pc/Mac system to view it. All it does when your trying to use it, is shows you the latest post made.

 

[Mago]

don't use internet on a cellphone then?
I've heared they weren't built for this at first...you know, they made them for....dunno....talking and shit

for ur question:
that depends on how you want to sit them.
held out chords usually are panned wider for me than the stuff with more action going on.
so your mains could go more centered in that case I guess
if you want them to be in the back: different eq -> middier sound and lower in volume. maybe some more verb too

 

[JayB]

Jay no offense intended at all dude but do you ever bother to use the search function?

I mean, I think your last handful of threads have been on topics that are not just kinda basic but also have been covered numerous times

Things like this, using send for vocals, how to pan things, etc ...

It's just comin off as pretty lazy. I honestly don't know how you could not find lots of threads with tons of great info on each of these unless you're almost trying not to

Like I said, no offense, just curious why

Honestly dude, I use it ALL the time. Maybe I'm just not using the correct phrasing. Usually I come up with good results but sometimes I just can't find exactly what I'm looking for. For instance, I typed into the custom sneap search function thing "mixing backing guitars" . Here were the results.

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=007593...tab=0&gsc.q=mixing backing guitars&gsc.page=1

First 5 pages have nothing related to what I'm looking for. And I really hate this mentality where no one is allowed to bump an old thread, and god forbid you create a thread someone might have talked about in 2007. Things change, everyone gets better and uses newer, better techniques, etc and making a new thread might give everyone a new view or idea on something. If you can point me to a thread talking about this EXACT topic, as far as panning and mixing backing guitars exclusively, I will eat my words.

Try searching "Backing guitars" or "mixing backing guitars" now... what is right at the top? This thread. Which I think would be helpful for someone in the future who is looking for this topic.

Until they open it and find the canned "use the search function" response.

Same to you, no offense, but I've just seen this reply , not just on my threads, but on other threads I've found through the search function and it's definitely getting on my nerves. Not everyone is lazy, it's just that the search function doesn't always work great 100% of the time, etc

 

[JayB]

for ur question:
that depends on how you want to sit them.
held out chords usually are panned wider for me than the stuff with more action going on.
so your mains could go more centered in that case I guess
if you want them to be in the back: different eq -> middier sound and lower in volume. maybe some more verb too

Thanks! I have them automated lower in volume, I think I'll use a weird eq on them to make them separated more from the mains. Chorus, verb etc might work well too. Might try echoboy for this

 

[Skinny Viking]

Honestly dude, I use it ALL the time. Maybe I'm just not using the correct phrasing. Usually I come up with good results but sometimes I just can't find exactly what I'm looking for. For instance, I typed into the custom sneap search function thing "mixing backing guitars" . Here were the results.

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=007593...tab=0&gsc.q=mixing backing guitars&gsc.page=1

First 5 pages have nothing related to what I'm looking for. And I really hate this mentality where no one is allowed to bump an old thread, and god forbid you create a thread someone might have talked about in 2007. Things change, everyone gets better and uses newer, better techniques, etc and making a new thread might give everyone a new view or idea on something. If you can point me to a thread talking about this EXACT topic, as far as panning and mixing backing guitars exclusively, I will eat my words.

Try searching "Backing guitars" or "mixing backing guitars" now... what is right at the top? This thread. Which I think would be helpful for someone in the future who is looking for this topic.

Until they open it and find the canned "use the search function" response.

Same to you, no offense, but I've just seen this reply , not just on my threads, but on other threads I've found through the search function and it's definitely getting on my nerves. Not everyone is lazy, it's just that the search function doesn't always work great 100% of the time, etc

Fair points and like I said, wasn't trying to get into anything with you ...

I understand how the search doesn't always pop the exact thing you need right away ... a lot of times it can come down to the phrasing and then really, how much time you wish to invest in reading.

For instance, instead of "mixing backing guitars" I tried "guitar blending chorus" and got something like this http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/production-tips/671732-choruses-arrangement-kind.html

now it might not be exactly what you're looking for but then again, it might have that one tip in there that really gets you going in the right direction.

As for people bumping old threads, I think most have no problem with that and in fact prefer it. Its only when a 5 year old thread gets bumped and someone asks what happened to the links or something that it gets goofy

It just seemed like the last bunch of new threads I've seen you posting are about things that have been covered so often, directly or indirectly, that you'd actually save yourself time just finding it rather than posting about it and waiting for people to reply

 

[JayB]

Fair points and like I said, wasn't trying to get into anything with you ...

I understand how the search doesn't always pop the exact thing you need right away ... a lot of times it can come down to the phrasing and then really, how much time you wish to invest in reading.

For instance, instead of "mixing backing guitars" I tried "guitar blending chorus" and got something like this http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/production-tips/671732-choruses-arrangement-kind.html

now it might not be exactly what you're looking for but then again, it might have that one tip in there that really gets you going in the right direction.

As for people bumping old threads, I think most have no problem with that and in fact prefer it. Its only when a 5 year old thread gets bumped and someone asks what happened to the links or something that it gets goofy

It just seemed like the last bunch of new threads I've seen you posting are about things that have been covered so often, directly or indirectly, that you'd actually save yourself time just finding it rather than posting about it and waiting for people to reply

I agree with you for the most part, but like with that thread you point to, it really does not talk about mixing backing guitars exclusively, it really is about making choruses stand out, or more lively- moreso regarding tempo changes. Before I post anything, I always search, because contrary to what people would like to believe, it's actually much easier to use the search and find something that's already posted than create a new thread.

 

[Dave1978]

What's the issue in having some more threads about similar topics? Particulary as every thread has its own dynamics.

I think it's an interesting topic. Almost every thread here is about tight rhytm guitars, other aspects of mixing songs seem to be less interesting for some folks. So I like to read more feedback to the questions of the threadstarter, since I think the right integration of backing and effect guitars is the difference between a good mix and a perfect one.

 

[SethTheGreat]

http://www.google.com/cse/m?cx=007593470310830667409:4qw46y8lnza&cref=&theme=SHINY

Paste that in safari on your iPhone then make it a link on your springboard.

For the record, I don't see anything wrong with rescuscitating old topics. There's always someone new with new ideas and that's a good thing.

 

[JayB]

http://www.google.com/cse/m?cx=007593470310830667409:4qw46y8lnza&cref=&theme=SHINY

Paste that in safari on your iPhone then make it a link on your springboard.

For the record, I don't see anything wrong with rescuscitating old topics. There's always someone new with new ideas and that's a good thing.

Yeah, that's how I look at it