Adding life to a static mix with restrictions.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dark Imagery
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Dark Imagery

Dark Imagery

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I may be jumping the gun a bit because I'm still tracking, but I've been thinking about a potential challenge I may face during the mixing process. Allow me to explain the arrangement of instruments on my album and then explain my problem.

I've got 7 drums tracks panned from 0 to L/R 80
Bass panned 0
3 rythmn guitar tracks (one performance, 3 mics) panned 100% L, 100% R and 0.
I plan on recording one lead take with 2 mics...
There will also be vocals of course...

Now here's the issue. I must explain when I say lead guitar it in no way means conventional lead guitar that pops up here and there with sparkling solos. I guess what I'm calling lead guitar is really the melody, where as my rythmn guitar plays mainly chords to help lay the foundation. Both sets of guitars are playing constantly in each song. I want the focus of the album to be on the guitars, where the screamed vocals will actually sit lower in the mix to add an atmospheric element.

Now, the problem: I'm afraid if I set my rythmn guitars to L/R 100% and 0, and my two "lead" guitars at L 40-R 40 and leave them throughout the album, that the album will feel lifeless. Do you guys have any ideas to add life and movement to the album without losing focus of the guitars? Do you think subtle automation of the lead guitars from L 40, to 0, to R 40 may achieve what I need? Sorry if I'm not explaining very well, I just got up!
 
It's impossible for me to say without hearing your tracks, but in most of cases you're going to want all 3 mics for guitar #1 hard to one side, and both mics for guitar #2 hard to the other side. Hell, in most cases you're going to want to really listen and see if you even keep all 5 guitar mics.

In your case since you want the guitars to have priority over vocals, I would start with:
all rhythm mics hard left
all lead guitar mics dead center
vocals hard right

Again, impossible to tell without hearing it, but generally you want your focus panned center and the supporting cast hard-panned out of the way.
 
Hey thanks for the reply, but no offense, I must say I've thought of and discarded that idea. I don't want the album to sound like an old Opeth album, which sounds great, but when listening in the car, guitar left completely outdoes guitar right. If both guitars were very melodic, with intertwining melodies this could work great. But on my album, the "rythmn" guitars (and bass) are essentially all of the harmonic foundation. The "lead" guitar essentially acts as the lead vocal part... does that explain any better? Yes, though, without hearing the tracks I may be asking you all the impossible. Thanks for the quick response, though.
 
I didn't say "guitar left + guitar right".

I suggested rhythm guitar hard left and lead guitar dead center. Most of the time you want your melodic lead in the center. If the vocals are supporting sound, pan them out of the way hard right.

Upload a rough and I'd be happy to give a more informed opinion.
 
I have found automation of volume, fx, mute and panning is your friend to bring a little movement and liveliness to a mix

For example do the guitars, bass drums have to be panned to the same spot all the way through the mix. Maybe they can wander a little

Try muting the rhythm part for a couple of bars and spread the lead out with panning and EQ automation to fill the space, see if it is appropriate and if it helps to give the sense of movement you are looking for.
Just cos you recorded 5 minutes of uninterrupted chords doesn't mean you have to use all of it all the time

Volume automation or sidechained EQ or compression can be used to push some elements back or forward in the mix as instruments need to be more or less prominent

EQ doesn't have to be the same all the time, automating a LPF can drop the HF and make something seem to move into the distance etc

Similarly automating the amount of a track sent Reverb,Delay etc can change the sense of space for an instrument it doesn;t have to be at the same level all the time

Volume swells leading to important parts of the song can help to build and release tension and movement in the piece

I would say IMO/E that the best way to not have a static mix is to not have a static mindset about mixing it so don't set and forget all the parameters at the start. let them evolve and move through the song and just cos you have them set a certain way at the start doesn't mean they have to be in use through the whole piece or stay where you set them. Play with the tools you have throughout the song

YMMV
 
Set two hard panned mono delays up and send any panned instruments to their opposite sides.

i.e left guitar goes to right delay etc

In terms of automation, think of a cork bobbing on the water for the focal points.
 
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