A Set of rules for Mixing Down

[lurgan liar]

Ok ... I'm still new to this...but i've learned a lot in the last few weeks from this forum

My main problem area is The mixing down process...

I understand that diffferent instruments should own a particular sonic space ...and that EQ has the role of thinning particular areas of the audio bandwidth in order to make instruments more easily identifiable when placed in the mix...

Ok, what I now need to know is....Is there a standard procedure involved during the mixing process that can be applied to all instruments placed within a mix...

For example...My song has the following tracks:

an acoustic guitar
bass guitar
kick drum
snare drum
overheads
electric guitar 1 (mild distortion)
electric guitar 2 (overdriven guitar solo)
Vocals
Backing Vocals

Which ones do i record in Mono? Which ones do i do double layers of and pan?
Do I add reverb to individual tracks or to an aux bus?
Panning instruments - what works best for what instruments?

I've heard a lot of talk about Compression...I know what it is ... but where should it be used and where not?

Is there a particular rule about the order in which EQ, Reverb, Compression, Limiting should be applied? I've also heard that dithering should be applied after Limiting...What exactly is Dithering?

Ok I'm gonna stop here because I know that once I can get the hang of this process I'll probably want to start a new thread about Mastering...and that will probably be as long as this one...

Any advice at all would be helpful...ALL i really want to know is the order in which these plug ins should be applied ...And what EQ cuts/boosts work for what instrument?

Thanks in advance

 

[IronFlippy]

I'm also relatively new, but I've learned a few things. I like to dub the rhythm guitar, if there is only one, and pan hard right left. If there are 2 rhythm guitars and are both electric or both acoustic, I like to pan one around 66% right, the other 66% left. If, in your case, there is one electric and one acoustic rhythm guitar, try soft panning one left the other right, not more than 33%. I've never actually done that and I don't know the set-up of the song, but if both are playing, a little bit of panning like that tends to thicken the mix.

Vocals are the hardest part, I find, and it really depends on the sound you're going for. I've had success with dubbing the vocal track twice, keeping one center, and then one left and the other right.

I've never actually recorded a full drumset (other than the very first recording I did with my first band when I was in high school), so I can't give any personal advice on it. (That recording was worthless, by the way =P).

Try to pick up "Home Recording for Dummies". It's a surprisingly good book for the beginning home recorder. Best of all, it was written by a drummer so it covers a lot of the harder parts of recording drums and percussion. The book also gives suggestions on EQ settings for different instruments, mic placement, and compression settings. I think the book was like, $30 at Borders. I highly recommend it. And this is coming from someone who hates "for Dummies" books.

I wish I could give you more help, but again, I'm still a beginner at this, and the only instruments I can record are guitars and vocals. Good luck!

 

[giraffe]

an acoustic guitar
bass guitar
kick drum
snare drum
overheads
electric guitar 1 (mild distortion)
electric guitar 2 (overdriven guitar solo)
Vocals
Backing Vocals

Which ones do i record in Mono? Which ones do i do double layers of and pan?
Do I add reverb to individual tracks or to an aux bus?
Panning instruments - what works best for what instruments?

it's all a mater of taste and the song but i'll spit some opinions
on acu you can stereo record if you want, and if the song has enough room (stereo acu can take up a ton of room) i usually don't double track and pan acu as i kinda find it annoying for some reason, unless it's just some support, but not usually for a prominent instrument. if you want a wider acu go stereo
a typical stereo set for acu is one about 12-14 in from 13 fret, second 12-16 from bridge. that is a loose guideline though, adjust as nessasery

i double tracked bass and panned it one time, but only for an effect, on a day to day basis i'd say it's a bad idea

kik snr-in center
overheads, pan to taste, but usually (i'd say) not hard panned

electric git one, lots of people use lots of layers here and pan them hard, or not so hard, or some hard and some not and some in the center
or just use one track, the rules are really blurrey here

lead, if you double track it i automatically give you status of "hair band geek"
but other people would say otherwise

vox, layer to taste, i usually don't layer lead vox because of the crappy chorousing effect i apperantly don't know how to get rid of

backing vox, this is kinda open, just do what you think the song needs.

reverb always goes on an aux, post fader

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Temporarily off-thread...sorry

Quick note to IronFlippy...

As to your sig: I agree completly on the premise, but the solution is weak. Problem is stupid people don't read the safety labels to begin with...

Just a quick US$.02

G.

 

[dmc777]

Great question. It seems we're in about the same spot. These are the questions I could use some help on.Is there a particular rule about the order in which EQ, Reverb, Compression, Limiting should be applied? I've also heard that dithering should be applied after Limiting...What exactly is Dithering?

The only thing that I can say is to make sure you have everything recording just like you want it before doing anything else.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

As a *general* rule (as all rules in this crazy field are )...

EQ before you compress if the EQ is to remove unwanted artifacts that may otherwise be enhanced by compression. (e.g. boominess, sibilance)

Compress before you EQ if the EQ is meant to slightly sweeten/tweak the overall sound of the instrument itself. (Caution: heavy EQing can add back some dynamics that defeat some of the original compression.)

Reverb is almost always the last to be added to the FX chain. You simply want to add space to the final sound.

Break any or all of the above rules to experiment with special effects that can sometimes sound "k3wl", if unnatural.

G.