Can I?

[sirslurpee]

.. mix the drums before I have any other instrument down? Or should I wait untill everything is tracked before I start mixing anything?

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Whatever works best for you on that one. I see little to no problem mixing the drums first, though you might wind up going back and making some small adjustments when you start mixing everything else in.

You can mix the drums before you track the rest if you want, but you might find an advantage to having at least the bass tracked as well. I personally usually - depending on the nature of the music, of course - mix the bass either right after the drums are along with them, for two reasons; first, this gets the typical rhythm section down and solid before layering in the rest of the arrangement, and second, because the kick and the bass share so many fundamentals and functions, it's usually good (for me, anyway) to get those two properly co-existing with eachother before a whole bunch of other noise gets in the way.

YMMHOMFT,

G.

[sirslurpee]

Thanks. I'm tracking my bassist and 1 guitar tomarrow so I figured I'd see if I should even play with it tonight but I am going to wait till after I get those two tracked...

[tourettes5139]

Originally Posted by SouthSIDE Glen

.....

YMMHOMFT,

G.

Your mileage may...........what??

[Cloneboy Studio]

My way of seeing this is if you were making a cake, would it make any sense to mix the flour first, and then put everything else in? You're going to have to remix all the other ingredients once they get in there so it was a waste of effort.

My opinion--wait until you have everything recorded before you mix.

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by tourettes5139

Your mileage may...........what??

I just compress all the standard abbreviations into a single one: YMMV, IMHO, LSMFT, etc. just to get the point across that I'm not speaking from scripture.

Back to the thread: this is kind of a misleading question in a way. I think the question is not so much, "Should one mix before all the tracking is done?" as it is, "How does one mix their tracks?" Here's what I mean:

Im my case, most of my mixing jobs come in to me with all the tracking all the way done; i.e. most of my work (at this time, anyway) is as a mixing engineer with someone else doing the tracking elsewhere. In these cases I get the whole package and the original question of this thread as it's literally stated is academic.

However, it is only a rare occasion where when I start the mixing that I have more than the rhythm tracks enabled. I am essentially mixing the drums - and maybe simultaneously the bass - first. I geth the rhythm section set as the foundation of the song (especially true in rock/pop, not so much in other genres) upon which the rest of the tracks are laid. This can be done whether or not the other tracks are actually there; the fact that the other tracks are turned off means they may as well not be there.

That said, though, I will say that before I start mixing the rhythm tracks, I usually give the entire package a run-through listen or three so I can plan my attack on the mix. This raw listen can often have an effect on how I want to *process* (eq, verb, etc.) the drums, though frankly it rarely has an effect on how I want to spacially mix them as that I usually have figured out from the get-go.

And finally, whether I have the other tracks before I mix the drums or not, it is almost metaphysical certainty that during the mixing process I'll wind up going back and tweaking the snare or a ride cymbal or something at least once, even if I have everything from the outset. So it all kind of washes a bit at the end.

Go with what works for you.

QWERKISSRSVP,

G.

[Hi_Flyer]

I would think that this is something you would do only if you had to. For example, when all that I had was a 4-track, I remember a few projects where I tracked the drums first, then mixed and ping-ponged down to a single track. But I wouldn't have done it that way if I had other options.

Also, I think your question implies a sort of "set it and forget it" attitude, which I'm learning is not the best way to work. like southsideGLEN said, you always end up going back and tweaking things.

[tourettes5139]

Originally Posted by SouthSIDE Glen

I just compress all the standard abbreviations into a single one: YMMV, IMHO, LSMFT, etc. just to get the point across that I'm not speaking from scripture.

Ah, that makes sense.

IMHOYMMVLOLROFLMAOBRBJ/K,

JM

[chessrock]

Originally Posted by sirslurpee

Can I?

No .

[Robert D]

My suggestion, FWIW, YMMV, etc., is to set up a sub bus for the drums and rough mix them to the sub bus. Then as you build the rest of the song you have quick and easy control of the drums (single fader, single mute, etc.).
While I agree that mixing while recording is something not to waste much time on, I find it helps build the rest of the song if the existing parts at least sound cohesive and nothing is sticking out in a distracting way.

-RD

[noisewreck]

Originally Posted by SouthSIDE Glen

I just compress all the standard abbreviations into a single one: YMMV, IMHO, LSMFT, etc. just to get the point across that I'm not speaking from scripture.

LSMFT = Lucky Strike Means (or Makes) Fine Tobacco
Plus, I don't think you compressed. You clipped and then trunkated

As for the original post. Don't lock yourself down. Just bus the drums and make a submix, that way you can treat them as one coherent group, yet be able to tweak the individual channels had the need arised.

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by noisewreck

LSMFT = Lucky Strike Means (or Makes) Fine Tobacco
Plus, I don't think you compressed. You clipped and then trunkated

Only baby boomers and those that spend waaay too much time watching obscure cable TV channels are supposed to know that one 'wreck.

And I didn't compress, clip or truncate...I ducked with a gate, using reverb as my EQ.

And, yes, it's "means".

G.