So, what are you working on?

[miroslav]

Yeah I've mixed my new album like 10 times. That's a lot of unnecessary work for something that no one is gonna hear.

I thought I was the only lunatic who did that.

I would make changes to the bus EQ and comps, or some track levels, or something else...then do a mix...
...then go back and make some other adjustments, and do another mix...etc...etc.

Then I would listen to all of them, and when I settle on the one that I like best, I would go back and apply those settings that I noted, do some fine tuning that I liked from the other mixes...and then do the final keeper.

 

[Greg_L]

I thought I was the only lunatic who did that.

I would make changes to the bus EQ and comps, or some track levels, or something else...then do a mix...
...then go back and make some other adjustments, and do another mix...etc...etc.

Then I would listen to all of them, and when I settle on the one that I like best, I would go back and apply those settings that I noted, do some fine tuning that I liked from the other mixes...and then do the final keeper.

Yeah I do something like that. Instead of taking notes, I just keep different folders of the same song. With Reaper it's easy and doesn't take up any space because you're still using the same wavs. Right now I'm up to #10. It's pretty good though, so I think I'll roll with it.

 

[miroslav]

Yeah...that works.

I do the notes because I'm mixing OTB with rack gear....so no other way to keep track of changes, but most of the changes are minor, final stuff. I already do a lot of pre-mixing in the DAW before I get to the OTB mixdown, and like you, I'll have a few files to reference.

 

[Telegram Sam]

The key is to learn when to say, "That's good enough" and move on.

That is exactly right, and exactly what my problem was/is.

I was listening to the Yes album yesterday, I've been hearing it a lot lately, it has qualities that I truly admire. For the first time ever I heard on the track Perpetual Change, Jon's voice cracked. It's there plain as day, I never noticed it before; there is no true perfection but perfection.

 

[Telegram Sam]

This is a good thread. . .

Takes good people to make a good thread.

 

[Telegram Sam]

That was decided well ahead of the discussion that happened here, as I had already purchased the bulbs....which sorta made that discussion a moot point...but I guess some folks felt very strongly about arguing in favor of doing a LED conversion.

These are not identical to the stock OTARI bulbs, which were frosted glass and a bit smaller in size...but these are much brighter, I guess because of the clear glass, and they were a pinch longer, so they j-u-s-t fit in the small, available space at the base of the meters.
The machine looks great with all the bulbs working.

Here a picture that Ghost put his famous "wallpaper" finish on...though the VU meters have more warm, golden incandescent glow than comes across in the picture.

That's a beautiful machine there Miro.

 

[JimmyS1969]

I'm just babysitting........

 

[Lt. Bob]

Yeah I do something like that. Instead of taking notes, I just keep different folders of the same song. With Reaper it's easy and doesn't take up any space because you're still using the same wavs. Right now I'm up to #10. It's pretty good though, so I think I'll roll with it.

I mix analog without any way to save mixes and no automation.

I'll mix something 20 times sometimes ..... even more in a few days after I've listened to it in the truck. Not having any automation is rough since if you miss one little tiny thing 3 minutes into the song you have to do the whole thing over ..... every little volume nudge ..... everything from the beginning with that one goof.

 

[Chili]

...since if you miss one little tiny thing 3 minutes into the song you have to do the whole thing over .....

Sounds like you've got to have a perfect performance every time you mix. I'd never be able to do that. I do so love automation.

 

[Lt. Bob]

Sounds like you've got to have a perfect performance every time you mix.

yeah ..... you do.

Ummmm ...... I'm a live guy primarily so I'm kinda used to having to do it right live.

Having said that ...... I sure wish I did have automation.
Sometimes I'll get the equivalent by pinging stuff down if I have any extra tracks ..... but yeah .. it'd be nice to have it full on.

 

[suprstar]

Hey, that's great. Looking forward to following your New Studio thread. Will you have a basement??

Yeah it has a basement. About an 17x14' room for my stuff, open to a 30x16' rec room, I'll have pics eventually. I painted all day yday, that's what I'll be doing again tonite, and tomorrow nite, and probably thursday too!

 

[Guitargodgt]

Oh yeah, also have been working on this

Just waiting for Pearl to have the 8 and 10" mesh heads in stock SOMEWHERE.

 

[dreib]

Oh yeah, also have been working on this

Just waiting for Pearl to have the 8 and 10" mesh heads in stock SOMEWHERE.

Just call the factory in Tennesee and ask...they'll tell you.

 

[Guitargodgt]

Just call the factory in Tennesee and ask...they'll tell you.

The company already tried to do this for me and failed. But this idea sounds like a good one so I'll give it a try.

The floor tom triggers so much better than the racks with that mesh head on.

 

[aaronmcoleman]

Well, since you asked...I'm working on about 6 new songs right now that I hope to have done by the end of June. Then another 6 by the end of August. I can't just sit and do one song...I get bored and like to have variety. I'm doing a kinda folky-country-rock thing right now. I've tracked a lot of the guitars and some EZdrummer drums. Hopefully I'll be able to get with my drummer the beginning of June and track all of the real drums. Then do vocals.

So hopefully I'll have a full 12 song album done by the end of the summer. The main thing right now is writing and arranging, and lyrics. I feel like I'm 80% of the way with the writing and arranging.

So yeah, that's what I'm up to right now.

Oh, and I've really been working a lot on "my sound". I've got too much good guitar equipment and I usually just pull out what I think will work and mess with it for a few minutes then record. I'm really focusing on getting a tone I LOVE and a sound that's more uniquely me. I have a Fender twin, Orange rockerverb 50, and a Dr. Z maz 18. I'm mostly using the DR Z with a P-90 strat and getting some really great, slightly overdriven sounds. The twin is all cleans all the time, and the orange is all dirt all the time. I'm running them through a 60w 2x12 with webber alnico blue and silver that I built a few years ago.

 

[grimtraveller]

Sounds like you've got to have a perfect performance every time you mix. I'd never be able to do that. I do so love automation.

Up until two or so weeks ago, mixes were a live performance for me. Which was an event, when doing songs that were clocking in at 10, 17, 22, 37 etc minutes ! You forget one little fader movement and it's back to the drawing board of frustration !!
What got me to move from analog to digital was nothing to do with sonic quality, but the idea that a mix could be done in sections. They used to do it in the 60s but no way would I be splicing tape and adding sections of edit tape to the master track. Then it turned out that with my DAW, unless a siong came in at 10 tracks or less, sectioning wasn't going to happen. So I resigned myself to having to come up with short songs with 2 instruments !
Last year I bought a duplicate of my Akai DPS 12i as a back up really, it was going cheap in a shop and I got it on a whim. I use it frequently and it's been great for adding things from one song to another. Then it occurred to me that I could also use it as a mixdown deck and do mixes in sections. I did a few tests and it works brilliantly. Can't tell the joins anywhere and it means I can get each bit just as I want it.
I'm getting all wizardy in my old age.

 

[Greg_L]

Here, I'm working on this:

I don't usually post unfinished stuff, but I'm breaking in my new guitar gear and this is where I'm at.

 

[RAMI]

Here, I'm working on this:

I don't usually post unfinished stuff, but I'm breaking in my new guitar gear and this is where I'm at.

Sounding good, man. Rock, it will! I like the half-time break that goes into the 6/8 part and then back into major neck-snapping.

 

[JimmyS1969]

Here, I'm working on this:

I don't usually post unfinished stuff, but I'm breaking in my new guitar gear and this is where I'm at.

Wow, livin on the edge with great tone are ya?

Sounds great man! But, your bridge is too close to your pickup tho. I can tell from the tone.

 

[TeyshaBlue]

I mix analog without any way to save mixes and no automation.

I'll mix something 20 times sometimes ..... even more in a few days after I've listened to it in the truck. Not having any automation is rough since if you miss one little tiny thing 3 minutes into the song you have to do the whole thing over ..... every little volume nudge ..... everything from the beginning with that one goof.

LOL...I feel your pain. When I was running 24 tracks of ADATs through a Soundcraft 24x8 board, I would have to practice fader moves for hours before I did a final mix. Eventually that process sure as hell made my initial tracking better cause who in their right mind wants to ride 24 faders?