so you have your midi drums(mostly) guitars, bass, keys, clean/screams. How do you guys start your mixing process? do you start with the kick and bass? or do all the drums first then bass then guitars, vox etc?
Thanks guys
Thanks guys
What Steps do you guys take when mixing
- Thread starter Goodfellas453
- Start date
so when you do drums to start is it just get them to sound proportionate with a more prominent kick and snare? and is there a certain level you aim for for drums in the beginning?
Folkrav
Jean-Sébastien Beaulieu
I do drums, then bass, then guitar, finally keys, then adjust everything (tweaks + musical automation), and finally, vocals over the top, + final automation. Not really true as it depends on the project, but it's my general guideline. I just aim for what sounds good to me.
setyouranchor
Celestial Recordings
also do you guys have only one midi track with all the drums on it? or do you have seperate tracks with each instrument, like kick on 1 track and snare on another?
Scott Horner
Scottimus Maximus
ahjteam has a pretty good guide for starting a mix.
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/8065710-post6.html
EDIT: Damn, four responses since I started typing, haha.
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/8065710-post6.html
EDIT: Damn, four responses since I started typing, haha.
Scott Horner
Scottimus Maximus
Always separate your drums into individual tracks. You don't necessarily have to print them but at least make sure they are going to their own mixer channel. Then group all of the drums into one buss so it's easier to adjust the level of the whole kit.
setyouranchor
Celestial Recordings
I'm gonna go ahead and assume your using superior or slate. If so, use the mutli out function. Leaves you with one midi track but you have different tracks within your mixer for each drum shell to process separately
Seth Munson
How do Amber Lamps?
Save yourself the time and print all of your drums.
And because I am pushing into the pop/radio industry, I now have a different mindset when mixing.
When I start mixing I start with the vocal (90% of the time), If the vocals can sound amazing on their own. I know the track can rock later on with the finished product.
I try to start with whatever the focus of the song is going to be and build the mix around that.
I know most of the people here and on the sneap forum will say Drums -> Guitar or Bass -> Guitar or Bass -> Vocals -> Post. But I am trying to give you a different perspective.
And because I am pushing into the pop/radio industry, I now have a different mindset when mixing.
When I start mixing I start with the vocal (90% of the time), If the vocals can sound amazing on their own. I know the track can rock later on with the finished product.
I try to start with whatever the focus of the song is going to be and build the mix around that.
I know most of the people here and on the sneap forum will say Drums -> Guitar or Bass -> Guitar or Bass -> Vocals -> Post. But I am trying to give you a different perspective.
It doesn't matter how it goes in really. Just how it comes back out.
In Which case multiout function is your friend.
I start with a premix (presets Ive made myself based of many different sounds)
Then I edit. (most important step)
Then I do guitars and bass (to get the biggest guitar sound before working around the drums)
Then I go back and drums and tweek them till I feel like they're nice.
Then I go back to the guitars and bass and retweek to make room for the drums.
Then I finally tackle vocals.
After that. I tweek anything else I need.
timislegend
Member
- Jun 8, 2010
- 1,654
- 1
- 38
as seth does... almost 100% of the time, i mix the vocals first. then mix everything around the vocals.
that's all people really care about nowadays (in pop music).
that's all people really care about nowadays (in pop music).
ahjteam
Anssi Tenhunen
Since editing is not part of mixing process...
- Print everything to audio that is not audio already
- Set static pan and levels
- Listen
- Highpass everything unnecessary to unclutter the low end, use an analyzer to get the specific frequency
- Listen more
- If I notice that I am adjusting the volume of some track constantly, I will put a compressor on that.
- Then I listen some more
After that I start to make artistic choices depending what the track needs. Nothing set in stone after that.
Thanks guys! ill give these tips a go and post my mix on here for more help or constructive criticism
joeymusicguy
Member
Seth Munson
How do Amber Lamps?
Joey I am curious about stuff that you didnt produce but only mix?
Been mixing more than recording and tracking stuff lately so I am curious how you start on a mix
RedDog
Humanoid typhoon
Guide guitars first. Who do you think writes all the songs? Track to click, boom.
Track drummer. If he sucks, get real good and hammered and sample his kit.
Bass. Self explanatory.
Guitars again. Tighten that shit up.
Vocals, and make sure they play nice with them crushing ass guitars.
Add other cool shit, then mix together, being careful to get all the shit at the bottom stirred in there otherwise the basil will overpower everything. Taste, tweak.
Pretty much like this.
Record.
Mix.
????
Profit.
Track drummer. If he sucks, get real good and hammered and sample his kit.
Bass. Self explanatory.
Guitars again. Tighten that shit up.
Vocals, and make sure they play nice with them crushing ass guitars.
Add other cool shit, then mix together, being careful to get all the shit at the bottom stirred in there otherwise the basil will overpower everything. Taste, tweak.
Pretty much like this.
Record.
Mix.
????
Profit.
ryhad15
RyanisHeartless
The first thing I do when I start mixing is get my session set up for it. Delete any unused tracks. Make sure everything is named. Then I make memory locations for the groups I will be mixing, because in Pro Tools I just hit a number on my pad and it takes me to my drums, vox, guitars, or keys. I usually edit on the fly, but for drums, I would now edit them and get that out of the way. But after that I start mixing the drums. Find out what plugins I will use, bus anything I need to, and get a decent drum sound going. Then I lay into the bass and get that sounding great, because face it the bass carries a lot of weight in rock and metal. I go for guitars next, and then vocals. One thing I forgot to mention, is I always do a "save copy in" so that I have the original to go back and reference as well.
Once I get done with a certain group (drums, guitar, vox or keys) I will bounce that group down as a stem so that I am not using up my processor on the plugins. Once I am done with all of it, I lay into making sound effects if the project calls for it. then bounce, and master.
Once I get done with a certain group (drums, guitar, vox or keys) I will bounce that group down as a stem so that I am not using up my processor on the plugins. Once I am done with all of it, I lay into making sound effects if the project calls for it. then bounce, and master.
Vinny
Member
Lol.
But anyway. I mix vox first, then guitars, then bass, then cymbals, then snare, then kick, then toms, then strings, and everything else.
In other words, it doesn't matter what your order is, just make sure the track is bangin' in the end.
But anyway. I mix vox first, then guitars, then bass, then cymbals, then snare, then kick, then toms, then strings, and everything else.
In other words, it doesn't matter what your order is, just make sure the track is bangin' in the end.
