New At forum and mixing. Question about blend samples.

[scarlettsroom]

Hi, i'm new at this forum. My name is Gabriel and i'm from Spain.

I play the guitar and Im starting to mix. Last april I made a demo in the equipment of a friend and I liked too much that decided to start my own project this quarter. Although I'm a big fan of all the music that Sturgis and Mizell mix and all of their work but I've to say that my biggest influence is Andrew Wade.

I've been reading too much about mixing last year and im starting to understand the basics of eq, compress... But sincerely when i use compression, for example, I have a lot of questions about what im doing. So at the end I use more ear than knowledge

My first question is about blend drum samples. I've read a lot of this at this forum but I don't understand what does it mean in mixing reference, I mean, I have the idea, for example, that blend a Kick with another is to have 2 equal tracks but with 2 different samples. But what's the advantage of it? And what can you get more than a single sample well mixed... :S Sorry for my ignorance.

Here is one of the two demos (a song from a friends band) that I've made whit midi bass, slate drums and lextac in guitars.

What do you think and how can i improve it?

Thank you very much and sorry for the speech.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/om7lyj13i4tf4dx/Last Man Standing - Face It.mp3

 

[scarlettsroom]

I don't know if its a stupid question. But its only to get a different tone?

 

[DullElysium]

Basically yes, it's just to get a different tone. You might have two snare samples that both have some nice features the other one doesn't. By blending these two together you might get a "hybrid" snare that has all the qualities you like.

Then there's another way to use this (well many, but here's one). Say you have a pretty dynamic snare in your tracks and want to have it that way but would still want more smack to it. Pair it up with a cracky single shot to give it more smack all the way and still have it sounding dynamic.

 

[scarlettsroom]

Thanks DullElysium. Until now my concept of blend samples was very different.

I used to have two tracks one more strong than other, where the "strong" was the most realistic without any effect like reverb, and the other mixed with reverb at a low volume only to give more presence.

But it has more sense what you're saying.

Thank you again.

 

[jdolese1226]

With blending I take a huge approach to this, cause dude I love blending! Brings a completely different sound to drums, but I don't do it with cymbals. They are tonal so it'd be pretty weird haha, but this is how I blend kicks, for example

Using the FOP kick drum with Slate Kick 10, you layer them just literally just have them sit together in the mix, then say you want specifically the sustain of the fop kick and the click/hit of the slate kick, so inside of Kontakt you can open your ADHSR (attack decay hold sustain release)

On the fop take about 10 milliseconds or the attack, so it's just the air or sustain, then on the slate kick you can take away som release so it clips off, adjust volumes and use an over compression on both to make them 1 sounding kick. So fun!

If you need anymore help I'm here dude

 

[scarlettsroom]

This is a method that I would never imagine, also I have to admit that I don't used to touch the Kontakt controls. I have too much respect for them, at least until know that.

Thanks for the advise

 

[jdolese1226]

No prob dude and remember you can do it with a transient designer too! Not just in Kontakt

 

[Gujukal]

Blending is great if u cant get the sound u want from one sample like above have said. But dont blend just because, if it one of the samples sounds like shit its probably better to not blend it with your other sample that sounds good. And personally i dont blend kick samples, I often get phasing issues. But if it works it can sound really meaty

 

[jdolese1226]

Blending is great if u cant get the sound u want from one sample like above have said. But dont blend just because, if it one of the samples sounds like shit its probably better to not blend it with your other sample that sounds good. And personally i dont blend kick samples, I often get phasing issues. But if it works it can sound really meaty

Yeah dude I see what you mean!

That mix I posted the other day is WIM unprocessed and fop kick!

 

[scarlettsroom]

Blending is great if u cant get the sound u want from one sample like above have said. But dont blend just because, if it one of the samples sounds like shit its probably better to not blend it with your other sample that sounds good. And personally i dont blend kick samples, I often get phasing issues. But if it works it can sound really meaty

Of course, my first priority is to sound the best possible with the minimum resources. I don't want to be adding tracks only because I couldn't make sound good the track I had. But I know that in different cases its imposible to get what you want and for this reason I wanted to know if "blend" something was to modify the sound.

Thanks again and... I didn't tell before, but sorry for my english if my words aren't the best in the context when im writing.

Have a nice weekend.