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Posted by Dave West on Jun-16-2005 15:08:

Arranging and Mixing Process?

I was wondering how many different views there might be on this one.
I suppose the old indistry standard way was to construct your arrangment in a sequencer, get all the bits in the right places and then mixdown each track to audio. Then bring all the audio back into the sequencer and do all the usual mixing stuff (eq, comp, fx etc).

But how many take the A-Z approach and do the whole thing in a single pass? bouncing down what amounts to a master.

Do the pros differ from the amateurs on this one?

Posted by dRale on Jun-17-2005 03:03:

i mix the tracks individually, bounce and compress again the overall track
when it comes to bouncing down individual tracks its really personal preference, i for one do it when i feel like

Posted by hey cheggy on Jun-17-2005 03:11:

I leave VST midi channels as midi unless I start running out of CPU, then I start bouncing them according to which one uses the most power first. For hardware, I bounce them down one by one as I do them.

Posted by RiCo on Jun-17-2005 04:20:

I do just like cheggy!

Posted by aquila on Jun-17-2005 11:15:

I write and mix at the same time. Very seldom I export tracks as separate files and do a proper mixdown later.

Posted by Dave West on Jun-17-2005 11:30:

quote:
Originally posted by aquila
I write and mix at the same time. Very seldom I export tracks as separate files and do a proper mixdown later.

This is how I do it as well. I would fnd it very difficult to find the right sounds for a mix if I didn't eq and compress them as I went along. Otherwise I'd just be listening to mud. Along with that I'll put a neutral maximising plug (Waves L3) on the master bus so I can get an idea of overall impact.

Posted by nhibberd on Jun-17-2005 21:18:

Mastering is a good thing. But a poor quality track with an excellent master doesn't get very far. Make sure you use good quality samples and well tweaked synths to start with. The comp and eq are meant to make an already good sound perfect, not to make a bad sound good.

All in all your finished track should sound prety good before Mastering it. And after that indeed the track can be mastered to perfection. Good monitor speakers are very important here. What sounds good on good monitor speakers, sounds good anywhere, including an outdoor festival.

Most pro's would master each track seperately for they all have different frequency ranges, amplitude ranges... and need to be set to match this. It's important to seperate as much as you can, so no BD and HH mixed together.

anyway, have fun with what your doing,

The Origin

Posted by Agenz on Jun-20-2005 14:56:

Dave,

I tend to arrange and mix at the same time (I have never been able to write a track without any adjustments)...because it sounds shi7 and hard to hear what the end product will be like

This is just my way and not the only way as I have heard about people laying down everything and mixing at the end...

@ nhibberd : Nice info friend

Posted by crazedonee on Jun-20-2005 21:35:

i always add my effects as i go along but i dont mixdown or master to all my tracks are done. i find it would take too long to mix down each track.

Posted by nhibberd on Jun-22-2005 21:44:

I actualy know shit all about anything I posted in the last thread, just put words in that sounded good so I get to feel like a pro and all that. It's fun until a real pro comes along and says you are talking out of your krack. Try it!

Posted by Subtle on Jun-22-2005 22:15:

I master and mix as I make the track.. EQ and effects on each track i add.. then I bounce it up to .wav.. and add a compressor so the level of the track is right, and thats it..

Posted by Chronosis on Jun-22-2005 22:41:

quote:
Originally posted by nhibberd
I actualy know shit all about anything I posted in the last thread, just put words in that sounded good so I get to feel like a pro and all that. It's fun until a real pro comes along and says you are talking out of your krack. Try it!

I mix while composing/arranging. Synths get "bounced" to audio only if they go through hardware or if I run out of CPU power. Mixing afterwards is more practical when live instruments are multitracked, or instruments are played in solo and recorded. It makes no sence to leave mixing till the end, if you have a busy trance track full of synths.

Posted by Beautiful Beast on Jun-24-2005 11:46:

hey nhibberd: you're talking out of your crack!

So feeling pro-time is over now: off you go!