Mixing As You Go?

  • Thread starter Thread starter AdzMeister
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AdzMeister

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Just curious,

When you guys are working on a project, do you add effects and plug ins as you go to create a basic idea of what you want to accomplish in the final mix? Or do you leave it all raw until all the recording has been done?
 
I'll play with real time effects as I go but not do anything that makes any irreversible changes.
 
I like to commit early so I mix as I go.
 
I think everyone "mixes" as they go...consiously or subconsciously. If you've done a good amount of pre-production, you're probably already mixing the song in your head before you even start tracking.
 
miroslav said:
I think everyone "mixes" as they go...consiously or subconsciously. If you've done a good amount of pre-production, you're probably already mixing the song in your head before you even start tracking.
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Yes! I'll already have a good idea of what I want my project to sound like so I will mix as I go. Besides, if you mix first and then add effects, you will only have to mix again to compensate for the effects.
 
Not sure what effects you really need to be adding in the first place during tracking/editing...?

The only *effect* I use during the tracking/editing is maybe some reverb...just so things don't sound too dry/dead.
I have a preset I on my reverb rack box I always when I'm tracking to tape, and for cue/headphone mixes...and I have a preset I always use in my DAW if I want some reverb when editing.
There's rarely any other *effects* I apply prior to final mixing.

Are you talking about EQ, compression....etc...?
 
I think I must rephrase my answer. When I track, I generally dont use any effects. When I start to mix the tracks together I'll use eq and compression and play around with some vocal effects.
 
I don't count EQ and compression as "FX"...

During tracking, I'll use light compression on some things, and if needed, some EQ to shape the tone as it is recorded.

For cue/headphone mixes, I'll EQ and add FX (reverb/delay) just to approximate what the final mix may sound like.
During editing, I will already start to make final EQ/processing decisisions...
...but when the final mix comes around, then I may go back and adjust some of my previous decisions.

Nothing I do during tracking for processing is really extreme...so no problem adjusting things during mixing.
 
AdzMeister said:
Just curious,

When you guys are working on a project, do you add effects and plug ins as you go to create a basic idea of what you want to accomplish in the final mix? Or do you leave it all raw until all the recording has been done?
Click to expand...

Brenton said:
I think I must rephrase my answer. When I track, I generally dont use any effects. When I start to mix the tracks together I'll use eq and compression and play around with some vocal effects.
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Same same, still yes. As needed to advance it. To me part of the process is discovery, trying out what ifs', following those leads. 'Over dub tracking is a good time to poke around (assuming your process allows it.

This sort of keys into that other question 'why eq if you tracked it right?
Well with each additional track there's that trial of 'how does this fit?' (tone here not the performance.
Now let's say early in the building stage, it's a good track' but an eq trim helps. Are you going to do it over chasing that? (This could be you playing- or one or many other people you're recording.) Decision time. And the mix is still to be filled out. Was that evaluation of that tone need going to stay the same?
I tend to go with very often not, and things evolve along the way.
 
miroslav said:
I don't count EQ and compression as "FX"...
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I like to see how 'done a song can get before going to the verb and delay (partly trying to 'keep it real, parly false pride? :D But in this context, eq, compression, 'FX'.. what ever. I don't much see much distinction.
 
I track dry (w/out eq and comp although some recommend comp to remove clipping) and mix as I go. It's boring for me to listen to a mix with no "realness" factor.
 
Mix as i go. I like to track as dry as possible, but it really depends on the song and feel.
 
mixsit said:
...I don't much see much distinction.
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Well maybe it's the old-school way...but when someone says "effect", I don't think of EQ or compression, though you can use those things in an extreme mode to turn them into an "effect".
To me, "effect" is stuff like reverb, delay, flanging, etc.

I know what the OP means...but I notice a lot of newbs tend to get much of the recording terminology mixed up or they invent new ways of using it...which is understandable when you first start out and are learning.
I was juts making the point that from my old-school background, "effects" implies specific things instead of everything that you do to a given track. :)
 
I'd say do what ever works for you :) I think its so easy to add reverb etc to tracks as you go with DAW systems these days. I only eq drums abit when laying down tracks if im wanting to eq much else i'll try recording it differently.
 
I mix as I go. During mixing I'll tweak the eq and compression or run it through the hardware. Usually the reverb is saved for last. Seems like this is a pretty common way to do it. I also don't use many if any effects, just eq, comp, reverb, delay. And I tend to do a lot of the same sort of music so the tracking, and mixing are similar from song to song.
 
miroslav said:
Well maybe it's the old-school way...but when someone says "effect", I don't think of EQ or compression, though you can use those things in an extreme mode to turn them into an "effect".
To me, "effect" is stuff like reverb, delay, flanging, etc.

I know what the OP means...but I notice a lot of newbs tend to get much of the recording terminology mixed up or they invent new ways of using it...which is understandable when you first start out and are learning.
I was juts making the point that from my old-school background, "effects" implies specific things instead of everything that you do to a given track. :)
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Yes I agree, and I miss took 'Brenton as the OP'. Sorry for blurring the two together. I was still back with OP was saying 'plugs.:)
 
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