20-02-2015, 01:47 PM
Thank for this Jondis4u,
my starting point is always the gain staging:
when the multitracks is uploaded in the DAW, the master push always too hard in the red zone
I don't touch any faders yet, I insert a Britson channel on every tracks, it provides an input fader and a VU meter.
I check the tracks one by one setting the proper gain (up or down than the recorded level) to reach something near the O VU (depending on the source)
VU meter is very helpfull to investigate about the material you're working on
You could discover sounds with so much sonic power inside (as a pad or others long attack instruments with so much bass power that even if you couldn't hear clearly it is stealing so many headroom)
Doing that kind of job I listen to every track one by one and I get all the issues I will working on mixing, at the same time I create BUS channel to organize the session as Drums, Guitars, Keys, Vocals etc.
I put the Britson BUSS on those
At the end of this first phase I obtain a rough mix with faders at 0, no pan done, but the master fader doesn't peaks in red, I can hear everything, I'm sure nothing clips, I have a clean and clear session in front of me.
That's my starting point for mixing
AH HA moments ?
never reached it, I always close too early this kind of session and that's why I'ld need the real client to motivate me for the proper finalization phase (render, hearing on some other listening envirorment, tweaking the master, automation, listen again, render again, referencing, etc. etc.)
my starting point is always the gain staging:
when the multitracks is uploaded in the DAW, the master push always too hard in the red zone
I don't touch any faders yet, I insert a Britson channel on every tracks, it provides an input fader and a VU meter.
I check the tracks one by one setting the proper gain (up or down than the recorded level) to reach something near the O VU (depending on the source)
VU meter is very helpfull to investigate about the material you're working on
You could discover sounds with so much sonic power inside (as a pad or others long attack instruments with so much bass power that even if you couldn't hear clearly it is stealing so many headroom)
Doing that kind of job I listen to every track one by one and I get all the issues I will working on mixing, at the same time I create BUS channel to organize the session as Drums, Guitars, Keys, Vocals etc.
I put the Britson BUSS on those
At the end of this first phase I obtain a rough mix with faders at 0, no pan done, but the master fader doesn't peaks in red, I can hear everything, I'm sure nothing clips, I have a clean and clear session in front of me.
That's my starting point for mixing
AH HA moments ?
never reached it, I always close too early this kind of session and that's why I'ld need the real client to motivate me for the proper finalization phase (render, hearing on some other listening envirorment, tweaking the master, automation, listen again, render again, referencing, etc. etc.)