Can I get the right way to mix or a process I should use to mix correctly.

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PaulKarate

Guest
I have no formal training with mixing. Eqing aside would this be the correct steps to take in order to mix a song well:

1. Get all the drums right and pump them to the appropriate level without overhitting

2. Mix in the bass next

3. Mix in all the guitars

4. Mix in any and all keyboard parts

5. Vocals last.

I'm pretty sure the answers I'll get will be "just mix it so it sounds good to your ears. But what I'm really wondering is if there is a certain process that I should use as a template.

Again, I'm a newbie to this so any help would be much appriciated.

Where in the process should I do all my eqing and compressing of each of the individule tracks? I'm not sure at which point this should take place. Should I compress and eq each track first before hand or should I do all this to each Individual track while it is playing in the mix?


For example, I know there is a correct signal chain when setting up to record an audio track So I think what I'm looking for is the correct steps and in what order to mix in. Does it even matter?

Thanks
 
Bring up the drums

Bring up the bass and make sure it doesn't crowd out the kick

Bring up the vocals and lead guitar, make sure they are at a good level in relation to the cymbals

Bring up everything else, making sure that they are not stepping on the lead vox and lead guitar.

If you want to bring the guitars up louder without crowding out, say, the kick, cut some bass out of the guitar, then bring up the guitar some, repeat until you can hear the guitar enough. Do the same with keyboards. If they are crowding something out use eq cuts to prevent that. Then for a real trip, try soling the instruments you just made cuts on and get a mirror so you can watch your nose shrivel in discust.

If you're still not getting levels up enough, try using some compression. Something I like to do (at least lately) is putting the bass and kick together on a group and using the compressor to just act on the kick. It sort of brings the bass down for every kick strike and then boom, it's right back. Basically start with a threshold as low as it can go, the shortest attack and release times available, ratio as high as possible. Bring up the threshold until it is stops compressing the bass and is only taking off the attack of the kick, then bring the ratio down until the pumping stops. Also you can set the release time to like eighth or quarter notes or whatever to keep the bass down, then let it swell back up for the next note.

But yeah, there really is no "correct" way to mix other than to sort of bring out whatever catches your ear I guess. But that is just one way to approach a mix and the more approaches you try the more you'll learn.
 
Bruce thanks for the great article. I also learned from Moshe's Description of Compression/Limiting as well.
 
And you are doing this mixing in a good room? with good monitors? I've learned the hard way that my room and lack of real monitors is what ruined my mixes, and I didn't even realize it until I took my cd to other people's houses and cars.

If you room is bad or your monitors are bad, all the mixing tips int he world wont do you much good.

If they are good, then the steps people describe above are pretty darn reliable.
 
PaulKarate said:
Where in the process should I do all my eqing and compressing of each of the individule tracks?
Click to expand...

depending on your software/hardware will depend whether using effects like EQ/comp whilst recording can be removed afterwards. for me, i use logic and i literally record my Vocals/acoustic guitars with compression/reverb on already. i think it's just a confidence thing that it sounds good whilst i'm recording so i seem to get better takes. but i can easily remove these effects as logic just records the 'dry' sound.

i actually also prefer to do things the opposite way to you. it's mad, because another post drew me to the fact that when i write, i write the vox, chords/melody, bass and drums in pretty much that order, but then reverse the process when recording and lay down the drums first. when i mix, the process is reversed yet again - i find that working around the vocals helps me most. only because it's comfortable for me, not because it's right or wrong.

i appreciate that alot of people here giving advice have output much more examples of good work than me, and have lots of experience, but my own process is:
1) record all the tracks 'dry', but using certain effects to help me.
2) reset everything, remove all the effects. bring down all the vols apart from the lead vocal.
3) sort out the lead vocal to a level youre happy with and to avoid clipping.EQ + compression to keep things even helps me here as the vocal is the most varying of all tracks in that it's volume is all over the place depending on the song. this is also why i like to work around the vocals first.
4) bring up the quieter of the melodic rhythm instruments, ie acoustic guitar or piano until youre happy with the way it sits in with the vocals. backing vocals/harmonies i also deal with here
5) bring up the louder instruments such as rhythm guitars, using panning and EQ subtly but as necessary to fit with your results up to now.
6) bring in the bass and the drums
7) subtle tweaks to panning and levels on all tracks.

it really depends on the song tho. i think, and i might get slated a bit for this, that it's important to keep things varied and not get into too much of a technical routine if you are also writing the songs you are recording/mixing.

cheers
 
Thanks guys for taking the time to respond to my post, I'll be trying out some of your suggestions tonight.
 
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