How many tracks are your mixes?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Teacher
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What do you use 40 tracks for?!?

I usually end up at 15-20, and then I'm counting the aux returns (I like putting them on normal channels so I can filter them).

Since 16 was the limit of my old mixer (20 with the returns), I assume I'm gonna make slightly bigger mixes in the future when I have 56 channels on mixdown including returns (but minus one channel for each subgroup I use).

So I'll probably use 8-16 synthesizer/drummachine channels (synced to the tape) and 7 channels of acoustic things from the tape (vocals, bass, doubletracked guitars to fill it up) and then between 2 and 8 channels for different effect returns. All in all that's between 17 and 33 channels.

I can't even
 
My max is 16 tracks and I average between 6 and 12 tracks.
If you were to look at alot of the 24 track studios you would probably find it to be about the same. I know a alot of studio's have safeties on every instrument plus alot of wasted tracks on vox for comping later. I was surprised when I was an intern about how little some records have as far as track counts, then again I seen guys with 72 tracks 3 A327's and a MTR 90 all sync'd with no doubles...whoa.

You should only use as many tracks the music needs... don't just keep adding tracks to add tracks. With the way Protools works and other's you can actually drop tracks within tracks and modify volume envelopes individually as well at efx envelopes.. I had 8 tracks of drums crammed into 2 tracks the other day...

Learning on analog I had to find ways to get everything done economically.

SoMm
 
Son of Mixerman said:
With the way Protools works and other's you can actually drop tracks within tracks and modify volume envelopes individually as well at efx envelopes.. I had 8 tracks of drums crammed into 2 tracks the other day...
SoMm
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I understand. Are you talking about bouncing?
 
Re: Re: How many tracks are your mixes?

fenix said:
mults (what's a mult?), submixe, and aux sends will not increase your track count. It will increase the number of channels you are using on your DAW. Number of channels is not the same as track count.


My track count ranges from 16 at the least to a full 32.
Click to expand...

mult=mulitple basically copying the same track to other tracks.

i count submixes and auxes because thats how the samplitude mixer is set up...if i don't count those it'll lower my cound like 5- 10 tracks
 
Re: Re: Re: How many tracks are your mixes?

Teacher said:
mult=mulitple basically copying the same track to other tracks.

i count submixes and auxes because thats how the samplitude mixer is set up...if i don't count those it'll lower my cound like 5- 10 tracks
Click to expand...

So your counting the total channels?
 
shit, if we're counting total channels....i'd say i have run as much as 50.
 
ok i meant total channels...

sorry for the mis use of language


would edit the begining but its way too late
 
Most of my music is mixed in the box.
Soft synths, samples, drums
I run these out via Spdif to Stereo/digital in.
Then I track the vox, bass guitar, etc DI.

So I use about 12 tracks or so. Depends on the song.

Malcolm
 
tom18222 said:
theres only 3 channels, right left and center.
Click to expand...

good one... Hey, Ican get 4 if I use aluminum foil on my rabbit ears.

but seriously, it totally varies for me.
 
For my stuff 2 or 3 sometimes 4 . Its so easy that way. Life is so much better if I just keep it simple and too the point.
 
hookiefree said:
I'm not sure I understand. Are you talking about bouncing?
Click to expand...

Not in the traditional sense. Most multitrack software allows you to drag and drop "blocks" of loops or audio into a single channel. In the old days, it was one track on one channel and the fader controlled the volume for that channel, but newer pieces of software allow envelopes that are separate from the fader in a way, you can mix an entire song faderwise by just using volume envelopes. This is great because you can nearly do an entire song on less channels by grouping things. I guess its like treating a channel like a sub group. Make sense?

SoMm
 
Most hover around 20, but I frequently hit my 24 track limit and find myself wishing I had more. When that happens I have to do stuff like record background vocals on the extra percussion track at a place where the percussion isn't playing. Thank god for automated mixing. :)
 
Son of Mixerman said:
Not in the traditional sense. Most multitrack software allows you to drag and drop "blocks" of loops or audio into a single channel. In the old days, it was one track on one channel and the fader controlled the volume for that channel, but newer pieces of software allow envelopes that are separate from the fader in a way, you can mix an entire song faderwise by just using volume envelopes. This is great because you can nearly do an entire song on less channels by grouping things. I guess its like treating a channel like a sub group. Make sense?

SoMm
Click to expand...
if i understand u right, the blocks that u put on the same channel won't be played at the same time right? like if record the verse vox and chorus vox on separate tracks u can drag one's blocks to the other's tracks?
 
hookiefree said:
if i understand u right, the blocks that u put on the same channel won't be played at the same time right? like if record the verse vox and chorus vox on separate tracks u can drag one's blocks to the other's tracks?
Click to expand...

Exactly :)


SoMm
 
Although the disadvantage of doing that is that any effects you apply to the channel apply to everything in it
 
tracks- no more than 16
virtual tracks- anywhere from 1 to 256.
 
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