Large tracking/mixing job coming up - advice?

P

pure.fusion

New member
Hi all,

I've been cranking out dozens of small projects and are slowly learning how to deal with all the tracks and make a mix - probably a poor quality job compared to the "real" studio guys but this *is* home recording.

The next project is going to be a lot more complicated on the track front. Many many tracks, grouped into 3 or 4 part harmonys, panned, overlapped etc.
Usually I'd juist start at the beginning, put it all down and deal with whatever issues came up but this time I'm attempting to hit it a little smarter. The problem is, I don't know how.

This also makes it hard for you to offer advice since I haven't given alot of info to you! So I guess the biggest things on my mond right now are

- effect / bus efficiency. I guess I have to be careful about what effect I put where and avoid double ups. In previous songs, I got lazy at times and had (for example) effect on 3 tracks where I could have run them all into one.

Oddly this is all my mind can make up right now, knowing that there will be dozens of (probably more important) issues to sift though.

Can any one offer any advice or thoughts before I start? Are there any rules that can be adhered to (links to reading material perhaps?)

Using Cubase.

Cheers,
FM
 
I think you've touched on the most important thing.
If you have 6 vocal backing tracks, send them all to the same aux track and put your effects on that instead of having six of each effect.

Lately, for tidiness, I've been recording gang vocals and stacks of harmonies down to a stereo track.
That way I can 'disable and hide' the many tracks.

It means if anything goes wrong they are all still there, but if not my session is nice and tidy.

If you're worried about CPU load, try to commit as much stuff as you can.
If I use elastic audio in ProTools, I try my best to get it right then turn it off.
That renders the changes and reduces the CPU load.

Same goes for tuning vocals etc. It's either in tune or it's not, so get it right, then turn the cpu hog off.
Again, I could bounce the tuned vocal out then 'disable and hide' the raw track, just incase.

Hope that's useful.
 
Do you commit changes and then save the project as a point in time (Ie Project_V2) so you can go back if you need?. Or do you work with the same file all along?
 
I just work with the same file all along.

It's only really timing corrections that are committed, and like I say, I just make sure I get it right first.
Your 'save as' suggestion is never a bad idea, but I just don't do it that way.
I always have the backup of being able to turn elastic audio back on, tweak something again, then commit again.
You'd probably have to do a lot of faffing around before that became destructive.

For other types of alterations I bounce out and disable the original CPU intensive track.

Maybe cubase has a VST freeze option? That's like a temporary render, isn't it?
 
You should be fine with just audio tracks, as long as you have a separate hard drive to record to. If you run Cubase on the same drive as you record to, then you will likely have issues with multiple tracks.

Using multiple VSTi (instruments), or too many VST (effects) while tracking, is where you will run out of system capabilities. Audio tracks are easy, it is how you monitor them, that can kill your computer.

Elaborate a bit on your system, and how things have gone so far in your experience with it.

Yes, there is a 'freeze' ability in Cubase (full versions), but it only helps after a track is recorded. Mr. Obvious here. :)

Typically, while recording, use as little effects as possible. Once all the tracks recorded, then add what is needed. If need reverb for tracking, then create a single FX track, and send what is needed there. Each instance of a VST, or VSTi, will tax your computer harder.
 
I find that, by the time I get to the vocals, which I typically do last or close to last, I've already got the song 90% mixed. I just bypass whatever effects are increasing the latency (usually reverb) when I track.


...and don't forget to have lots of coffee on hand. :)
 
Can I talk EQ?

Is there a good "standard" application for EQ? I see that SIR is being used alot for reverb (amongts other things) and is a good free app. Is there a good standard for EQ?

I know EQ apps have different interfaces. The first thing I do with my mic'd guitar cabinet tracks is to remove some of the problem frequencies of the room. Is there a type of interface or EQ that is suited to this?

I have been using the Cubase standard track EQ and a LINE6 POD farm plugin that I'm trying to move away from (cause it needs the hardware connected for the software to run (which $hits me)). Is this the best to use?

Any EQ app advice?

Cheers,
FM
 
I often find I need a stack of eqs just for high pass, so I'll buss a stack of things together and highpass the buss.

Pretty much everything except drums and bass is going to go here for me.

It's not really done out of necessity anymore though; Just habit, or good practice if you think so.
 
pure.fusion said:
Can I talk EQ?

Is there a good "standard" application for EQ? I see that SIR is being used alot for reverb (amongts other things) and is a good free app. Is there a good standard for EQ?

I know EQ apps have different interfaces. The first thing I do with my mic'd guitar cabinet tracks is to remove some of the problem frequencies of the room. Is there a type of interface or EQ that is suited to this?

I have been using the Cubase standard track EQ and a LINE6 POD farm plugin that I'm trying to move away from (cause it needs the hardware connected for the software to run (which $hits me)). Is this the best to use?

Any EQ app advice?

Cheers,
FM
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, I'd say there's no standard anything. Even the SIR is just a "hosting program" for reverbs, for lack of a better term. So, everyone who uses it loads totally different reverbs in it than someone else.
 
Are you a cubase user?

Cubase users, do you make use of the track EQ fuction or is there better to be had by way of pluguns?
 
Just use the built in Cubase EQ for playback of tracks while tracking others. It uses no more CPU power to do so. Use other eq's when you go to mix.
 
pure.fusion said:
Are you a cubase user?

Cubase users, do you make use of the track EQ fuction or is there better to be had by way of pluguns?
Click to expand...

I am, and I am personally not a fan of the built in EQ. Not for boosting frequencies anyway. Great for surgical cutting tho.

What version of Cubase do you have?
 
I bet that if software companies offered free coffee with their software, there'd be way less pirating.
 
I got one -if you haven't already begun the process of collecting templates of your projects-
Lay out your best guess' of the project as to where and how things might be organized, save it as a template'. Then what I find is as you're thinking about it and implementing it, or after you've used it in the actual project, you'll see where refinements could be made. Even alt versions on the methods, placement of the tools, default plugs etc- 'Save As and begin your collection.
 
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