mixing/mastering help

[tk421 studio]

I have recorded keyboards and samplers for years and now I am taking the plunge into guitars, bass and vocals.
I know that there are a lot of you with years of experience and I could use your help. Here is my list of gear:

Mackie 1402 VLZ (Upgrading to Carvin 2444- 24 channel next week, any thoughts)
AMD 1700 Athalon XP
Aardvark DirectPro 24/96 (4 ins 6 outs)
Cubase SX
Sound Forge
NERO
Windows XP Pro
CAD M177 Condensor
2-Shure SM57
Sony DTC-A6 DAT Recorder
Sony Mini-Disc Recorder
Kurzwiel K2vxs- 4 outs
Akai MPC2000 - 2 outs
Sequential Circuits Multi-Trak - mono
Ensoniq ESQ M - 2 outs
Korg Poly 61 - mono
Bass guitar through Hartke 3500 (xlr mono)
Guitar through Silvertone 1331 tube amp or Peavey Backstage 30
Sans-Amp Tube Simulator
Alesis Midi-Verb 4
Zoom Studio 1204
2- Symetrix SX 206 Compressor/limiters
ALto BK 2.0 Stereo Compressor/Limiter

Here is how I mix this all up-
First I record the synth tracks into Cubase SX - Mackie->Alto Compressor->2 inputs on Sound card. and use the other two ins for whatever I would like to seperate (mainly drums on the akai).
Then I record Bass directly through the XLR out into the soundcard.
Then I record guitar through the SM57 directly into the soundcard.
Then I will record vocals through the CAD directly into the soundcard (has phantom power, very cool).

That part is working so far-
Mixdown gets tricky!

I record through the SPDIF out into my DAT.
Then for CD's and MP3's, I record back into Cubase's mastering function and export into a .WAV or .MP3
Then into Nero.

Any better suggestions?
Thanks,
Jason

 

[malcolm123]

I have recorded keyboards and samplers for years and now I am taking the plunge into guitars, bass and vocals.
I know that there are a lot of you with years of experience and I could use your help. Here is my list of gear:

Mackie 1402 VLZ (Upgrading to Carvin 2444- 24 channel next week, any thoughts)
AMD 1700 Athalon XP
Aardvark DirectPro 24/96 (4 ins 6 outs)
Cubase SX
Sound Forge
NERO
Windows XP Pro
CAD M177 Condensor
2-Shure SM57
Sony DTC-A6 DAT Recorder
Sony Mini-Disc Recorder
Kurzwiel K2vxs- 4 outs
Akai MPC2000 - 2 outs
Sequential Circuits Multi-Trak - mono
Ensoniq ESQ M - 2 outs
Korg Poly 61 - mono
Bass guitar through Hartke 3500 (xlr mono)
Guitar through Silvertone 1331 tube amp or Peavey Backstage 30
Sans-Amp Tube Simulator
Alesis Midi-Verb 4
Zoom Studio 1204
2- Symetrix SX 206 Compressor/limiters
ALto BK 2.0 Stereo Compressor/Limiter

Here is how I mix this all up-
First I record the synth tracks into Cubase SX - Mackie->Alto Compressor->2 inputs on Sound card. and use the other two ins for whatever I would like to seperate (mainly drums on the akai).
Then I record Bass directly through the XLR out into the soundcard.
Then I record guitar through the SM57 directly into the soundcard.
Then I will record vocals through the CAD directly into the soundcard (has phantom power, very cool).

That part is working so far-
Mixdown gets tricky!

I record through the SPDIF out into my DAT.
Then for CD's and MP3's, I record back into Cubase's mastering function and export into a .WAV or .MP3
Then into Nero.

Any better suggestions?
Thanks,
Jason

Whats tricky about the Mixdowns?

Malcolm

 

[tk421 studio]

It just seems that the quality is going to be degraded every time I dump it into something else.
There is no noise or hiss but it definately sounds far different than the original.
Until a month ago I would go from my mixer to Mini-Disc and it sounded almost exactly the same.
Maybe I am being too picky?
Thanks,
Jason

 

[TexRoadkill]

Why don't you just mixdown within Cubase?

 

[tk421 studio]

I have spent hours trying and it only mixes in the first two tracks. Any idea what I am doing wrong?
I just got back into playing and recording about two months ago after a 3 year leave for wife and school. I think that I went crazy buying stuff and I need a month off to learn all of it!
Jason

 

[TexRoadkill]

I have spent hours trying and it only mixes in the first two tracks. Any idea what I am doing wrong?
I just got back into playing and recording about two months ago after a 3 year leave for wife and school. I think that I went crazy buying stuff and I need a month off to learn all of it!
Jason

lol, welcome to the club. I'm not a Sonar user so I can't be too specific. Look up Mixdown under the help files or manual and there should be some pretty specific instructions. If you are only getting the first two tracks then I would look at buss/output assignments to make sure you are assigning all the tracks to the master buss. Usually that is what gets recorded for the mixdown.

 

[tk421 studio]

I will try that when I get home tonight. I am only using 3 stereo bus channels but it is very likely that I am missing something since my Drum tracks are always on one and two!
Thanks for the tip-
Jason