With previous tracks I havn't spent that much time with the actual mixing aspect of my tracks. I've used reason and ableton and done some volume adjustments and some panning to get the sound were i wan't them in the mix. This spring i got pro-tools as well wich I intend to use for mixing tracks and i started taking a small course in musicproduction were we have a book as course literature called Mixing Audio from which I've been learning alot. My question is how many aspects of music do you save for the mix down stage. I guess a few examples should help clarify what i mean. Do you do stuff like fade outs/fade in's in you'r arrangement stage or do you save it for mix down? The same goes for stuff like reverb and delay effects and also EQing and filerting. My concern is it can be hard to get a grip of you'r track if the effects and fades are not there during arrangement.
I searched this one and couldn't find any thread on this topic, but mixing is a quite wide subject when it comes to minimal so I might have missed it. If theres another thread please direct me there.
PS Some tips for a newbie mixer would be great as well.
Mixing
-
JonasEdenbrandt
- mnml mmbr
- Posts: 320
- Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:52 pm
- Contact:
i do everything in the mixdown stage, i use no automation whatsoever, but i make life easier for myself by setting up my mixing desk so that at the peak of the track, all the faders are exactly zero, and any auxilliary sends are set at maximum.
so basically i'm working towards an optimum point, by fading up or unmuting, opening filters etc. all by hand, and i dont use multitracking, so its all going down to stereo.
of course you have to work hard to keep it all moving, but thats what i enjoy, it makes it more live and also i dont plan it out before hand. i have a rough idea of what i'm going to do, then jam it.
over the years i've used multitracking, automation, etc. all the things which give you 'more pairs of hands', and i've eventually returned to simplicity and rawness, because i always feel that as soon as you tie yourself to pre-ordained automations, you instantly loose the 'go with the flow' effect, and i simply just dont enjoy it, and the repetition bores me.
i think basically ive gone back to where i started with it all. the only thing that is pre-ordained is the basic mathematical midi patterns being sent to the synths from my sequencer, and the basic structure of the patches in the machines and the LFO automation within the patch, which consists of two types, consistant shaping effects, and slowly evolving effects to eliminate repetition.
of course this system works best with hardware, where you have dedicated controls. if on the spur of the moment i fancy some reverb on a particular sound, i reach out and turn a knob. my studio is set-up so that i dont have to set things up for individual tracks, its always set-up for any possibility, theres a knob for every job.
i spend very little time looking at a screen.
so basically i'm working towards an optimum point, by fading up or unmuting, opening filters etc. all by hand, and i dont use multitracking, so its all going down to stereo.
of course you have to work hard to keep it all moving, but thats what i enjoy, it makes it more live and also i dont plan it out before hand. i have a rough idea of what i'm going to do, then jam it.
over the years i've used multitracking, automation, etc. all the things which give you 'more pairs of hands', and i've eventually returned to simplicity and rawness, because i always feel that as soon as you tie yourself to pre-ordained automations, you instantly loose the 'go with the flow' effect, and i simply just dont enjoy it, and the repetition bores me.
i think basically ive gone back to where i started with it all. the only thing that is pre-ordained is the basic mathematical midi patterns being sent to the synths from my sequencer, and the basic structure of the patches in the machines and the LFO automation within the patch, which consists of two types, consistant shaping effects, and slowly evolving effects to eliminate repetition.
of course this system works best with hardware, where you have dedicated controls. if on the spur of the moment i fancy some reverb on a particular sound, i reach out and turn a knob. my studio is set-up so that i dont have to set things up for individual tracks, its always set-up for any possibility, theres a knob for every job.
i spend very little time looking at a screen.
I do most of it during the actual making of the track. I get it sounding as good as possible within the 'loop'. Stuff like automation I do when recording in the track. For example I assign my midi keyboard pots to the ones on Ableton/Reason and just jam for like 20-30 mins then cut it down after, adding smaller edits etc...
+1
I mix as i go but after all the creative stuff is finished i leave the track for a few days, come back with freash ears and make sure everything is ok. I might change a few levels, add or take way some effects and just listen through the track checking if there is anything there that shouldn't be.
I mix as i go but after all the creative stuff is finished i leave the track for a few days, come back with freash ears and make sure everything is ok. I might change a few levels, add or take way some effects and just listen through the track checking if there is anything there that shouldn't be.
-
omnipresence
- mnml mmbr
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2006 7:48 pm
- Location: Perth, WA
- Contact:
-
JonasEdenbrandt
- mnml mmbr
- Posts: 320
- Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:52 pm
- Contact:
http://soundcloud.com/jonas-edenbrandt/pre-mix
I just finished arranging a track. It's made up of sounds recorded from around my apartment exclusivly. Any way this tracks is pre mixing I havn't added any compression or EQ and hardly any effects at all. It would be great to get some input on what to do in the mix. So anything from compression, levels, panning to reverb and delay. If anyone has any input on the arrangement and sounds in general I'd be happy if you shared that as well.
I just finished arranging a track. It's made up of sounds recorded from around my apartment exclusivly. Any way this tracks is pre mixing I havn't added any compression or EQ and hardly any effects at all. It would be great to get some input on what to do in the mix. So anything from compression, levels, panning to reverb and delay. If anyone has any input on the arrangement and sounds in general I'd be happy if you shared that as well.