08-05-2012, 11:57 AM
You can find the multitrack files for this project in the 'Mixing Secrets' Free Multitrack Download Library.
Here's some more project info you might find useful:
If you have any other general questions about this multitrack, just reply to this post and I'll see what I can do.
Before posting a mix, please read The Three Commandments!
Please post your mix as a new thread, rather than as a reply to this sticky.
Please post your mix as a new thread, rather than as a reply to this sticky.
Here's some more project info you might find useful:
- About The Raw Multitracks:
- Drum tracks have been generated by a virtual instrument, under the control of a live drummer using one of Roland's V-Drum trigger systems. The simulated 'mic' tracks provided for mixing purposes are as follows: stereo overheads, containing spill from all the kit components; close mics for kick (in, out) and snare (over, under), also containing fairly realistic levels of spill; and spill-free signals for snare, hi-hat, ride, two crash cymbals, and three toms.
- The bass is provided both as a miked cab signal and as a DI feed.
- The single acoustic guitar performance was dual-miked, and a DI feed was also recorded at the same time.
- There are five tracks of electric guitar, all recorded via a miked amp.
- Two vocal tracks complete the line-up: a lead and one harmony.
- Drum tracks have been generated by a virtual instrument, under the control of a live drummer using one of Roland's V-Drum trigger systems. The simulated 'mic' tracks provided for mixing purposes are as follows: stereo overheads, containing spill from all the kit components; close mics for kick (in, out) and snare (over, under), also containing fairly realistic levels of spill; and spill-free signals for snare, hi-hat, ride, two crash cymbals, and three toms.
- Challenges You're Likely To Face:
- The pitch of the inside kick-drum mic signal seems slightly out of tune with the track as a whole, and also resonates in a way that obscures the bass line melodies.
- Hi-hat spill is very strong in most of the main drum-mic signals.
- The simulated spill signals generated by this particular virtual instrument don't fill out the drum timbre in the way that spill tends to do in a real live drum recording, and tends to sound rather phasey.
- The bass doesn't have much in the way of low-end weight, but if you add lots of EQ boost down in the lower regions of the spectrum, what you get isn't well defined at all.
- There's a lot of superfluous subbass on all the acoustic guitar tracks.
- The tuning of the guitar and vocal tracks leaves a certain amount to be desired, which makes it tricky to find a good blend for these tracks.
- The electric guitars have been recorded with delay/reverb effects, which clouds the important gaps in the rhythm parts in particular.
- The pitch of the inside kick-drum mic signal seems slightly out of tune with the track as a whole, and also resonates in a way that obscures the bass line melodies.
- Some Mixing Tips:
- The way the bass and kick interact is key to this mix, in my view, so be sure to give those enough time and attention. Personally, I chose to add a subsynth part to underpin the bass, given that the existing low-end of that part wasn't particularly well-defined.
- Don't expect to wheel out all your normal drum-mixing techniques when working with a simulated drumkit like this one -- you need to work from first principles, because the raw tracks respond rather differently to mixdown processing than live recordings.
- If the bass amp track doesn't work well for you, then bear in mind that you can easily replace it by reamping the DI track.
- You can reduce the apparent delay/reverb levels on the electric guitars by gating them.
- Although there are no double-tracks in the raw recordings, it's pretty easy to edit together your own, given the amount of repetition in the parts.
- I remixed this song for Sound On Sound's August 2010 'Mix Rescue' column, which not only shows how I approached this band's recordings myself in practice, but also includes a selection of audio files demonstrating the effects of some of my processing and layering decisions.
- The way the bass and kick interact is key to this mix, in my view, so be sure to give those enough time and attention. Personally, I chose to add a subsynth part to underpin the bass, given that the existing low-end of that part wasn't particularly well-defined.
If you have any other general questions about this multitrack, just reply to this post and I'll see what I can do.