Newbie seeks essential mixing Do's and Dont's

P

powerbob247

New member
Hi
I've just started recording using reaper and the plug in side of it doesn't seem to be too good, I've recorded guitars drums and vocals and now just wanna mix it, bring it out and lift the track / polish each track (there are less than 10 tracks 4 instruments inc vocal. What steps do I need to take to do this as it's just raw right now, I've heard about multi band compressors, eq, reverb, compression, limiters but not sure what order to do them and where to get them from, it's nothing ambitious obviously but still like to do stuff properly if it's within my means.
Thanks for reading
 
I will say one thing without trying to come across as condescending... A well recorded track does not necessarily need any plug in's. If you are expecting to make magic, then start at the source.

That being said, the one you first mentioned 'multi band compressor' is just about the last thing you should be looking into if you recorded things right to begin with.

As far as order of and use of plug in's, that depends on what any given track needs. There is no real order. Only what works and 'you' find is needed.


Sorry that sounds so vague but it is the truth.
 
Listen to Jimmy ^^^^

Keep it simple to start...stay away from the multi-band compressors until you consider yourself a pro, and if you find that a track needs a handful of plugs and a heavy hand just to get it sounding decent....then the source tracking wasn't as good as it could have been.
 
Render your song and post the audio file for us to hear. If we could hear it completely unprocessed, we could get a better sense of how the original recorded tracks sound. A good recording is the foundation for everything that follows.
 
Do: Learn how to mix, which takes time and practice.

Don't: Blame the plug-ins if you don't know what the f**k you're doing.
 
OKAY, still got questions, well the only source that would need treatment then would be vocals because most things are recorded using VSTs the drums are Xln addictive drum tracks, guitars use guitar rig, that just leaves the voice which is actual raw audio which would require treatment, what about panning? Is it best to over dub guitars or record two takes to thicken it? Or just have 1 track for each instrument, Do I leave the bass in the middle pan wise? Reverb on vocals? Is it best to double track vocals or not?, it's hard for me to sing in time, but there's a Vst I have which emulates vocals called Avox which I could use but not sure
 
Those aren't essentials, they are matters of taste. They are up to you to decide. Post something to get people's opinions, but in the end do what you think is right.
 
powerbob247 said:
OKAY, still got questions, well the only source that would need treatment then would be vocals because most things are recorded using VSTs the drums are Xln addictive drum tracks, guitars use guitar rig, that just leaves the voice which is actual raw audio which would require treatment, what about panning? Is it best to over dub guitars or record two takes to thicken it? Or just have 1 track for each instrument, Do I leave the bass in the middle pan wise? Reverb on vocals? Is it best to double track vocals or not?, it's hard for me to sing in time, but there's a Vst I have which emulates vocals called Avox which I could use but not sure
Click to expand...

There are no 'one answer fits all' answers to your questions. Since you're using MIDI drums and amp-sim on guitar, that may be your basic problem in getting a decent cohesive sound. Work on each part separatly first - do the drums sound good when you mix and pan the volumes? Now throw the bass in (panned to the middle is usual as bass tones are less directional). Get the bass to sit well with the drums - they are your rhythm section.
Now mute the drums and bass and listen to the guitar parts you've tracked - do they sound good by themselves? Adjust the sim until they do. Multiple takes with different sounds may be needed - really depends on the music. Ok, now unmute the drums and bass, and mix in the guitar(s).
Don't use a plug-in doubler on the vocal unless that's the sound you want.

The basic plugins that come with Reaper - ReaVerb (get some IM files for it), ReaEQ and ReaComp are enough for you to get started. There are a ton more that come with it, but don't go throwing plugins on a track because it sounds like crap - you'll just get crap X fx.
 
i'll go against the grain here and say this: if i had to go back one year, to where i started, i would have spent more time in the beginning learning to EQ properly. The first months were spent using boosts (even though everything told me not to), and not any cuts. Cuts sounded lame. I didn't want to cut anything, i wanted more more more! Still, the amount of EQ used now is even less than it originally was, and the more I learn about how to record properly in the first place, the less i need to rely on EQ for shaping. This includes getting the guitar tones the best I can on the way in (which includes the pre-amp gain level, the volume knobs on the guitar, the tone knobs, which pickups, which guitar cabinets in the sim, when to double track, and more). If you start messing with the EQ, do it by "sweeping" around and get a feel for what frequencies are super annoying on which instruments. learn where you can high and low pass each instrument, and what areas of each are problem areas.

i feel i can say this to you because you are using the same setup I am...i can identify with where you are at in the process. like someone said above, don't worry about MBC yet, it can really ruin the song if you aren't using it properly, and it's more of a mastering tool anyway. work on getting the mix to sit well first. if you have questions on panning, double tracking, EQ, etc...you can PM me. I use Superior Drummer 2, a Gibson, a Fender bass, and a condenser mic to make all my recordings, so i have a good idea of what you're trying to do. also, Sound On Sound is an online recording magazine that has a lot of helpful tips...but the real truth is that most things you do will be done minimally - probably even less than you are thinking right now.

good luck
 
andrushkiwt said:
i'll go against the grain here and say this: if i had to go back one year, to where i started, i would have spent more time in the beginning learning to EQ properly. The first months were spent using boosts (even though everything told me not to), and not any cuts. Cuts sounded lame. I didn't want to cut anything, i wanted more more more! Still, the amount of EQ used now is even less than it originally was, and the more I learn about how to record properly in the first place, the less i need to rely on EQ for shaping. This includes getting the guitar tones the best I can on the way in (which includes the pre-amp gain level, the volume knobs on the guitar, the tone knobs, which pickups, which guitar cabinets in the sim, when to double track, and more). If you start messing with the EQ, do it by "sweeping" around and get a feel for what frequencies are super annoying on which instruments. learn where you can high and low pass each instrument, and what areas of each are problem areas.

i feel i can say this to you because you are using the same setup I am...i can identify with where you are at in the process. like someone said above, don't worry about MBC yet, it can really ruin the song if you aren't using it properly, and it's more of a mastering tool anyway. work on getting the mix to sit well first. if you have questions on panning, double tracking, EQ, etc...you can PM me. I use Superior Drummer 2, a Gibson, a Fender bass, and a condenser mic to make all my recordings, so i have a good idea of what you're trying to do. also, Sound On Sound is an online recording magazine that has a lot of helpful tips...but the real truth is that most things you do will be done minimally - probably even less than you are thinking right now.

good luck
Click to expand...

I wouldn't call that 'against the grain' at all. That sounds really close to what I did when I started with ITB recording myself. We all learn from trial and error.

The point that should be clear is that it all comes down to what the source quality is, and what that recording needs for any particular situation or genre. It is never exactly the same for any track.

Finding what it is that works for you is the chase. :)

I was about to post an analogy about getting a hooker if you want to get to the end result quick. But I feel that would be inappropriate. lol
 
What you got against hookers? Hookers are people too.:D hell, some may even record music.
 
Hi thank you for your input, I'll keep it simple then as it suits the genre, I've added vocal compression, default cubase MBC to smooth it out, slight reverb vocal, maximiser and posted on MP3 clinic, thanks you all
 
I just skipped to replying, so apologies if anyone else has already covered it, but room treatment would be my #1 suggestion. You can get setup with a legit room setup for under $1,000 from GIK Acoustics, all setup and ready to place in your room. You can also do this stuff DIY to save yourself some money if you've got the time and the know-how.

Next big place to spend the money would be your monitoring system. You can get a great mix with stock plug-ins if you're hearing your mix properly out of your speakers.

Aside from that, like I saw one person comment, if the recordings are solid, then the song is going to be a thousand times easier to mix than if it was recorded poorly. If you aren't the one recording it, pray the other person got it right at the source and your job gets way easier. If you're planning to record as well as mix, then make sure you're getting the recording as close to the right sound as possible before hitting record, and it'll save you a ton of effort.

That being said, use your ears. If it sounds good in your treated room with proper monitoring, then it is good. You don't necessarily need to use a ton of plug-ins to make something sound good if it's recorded right. Make sure you listen to the recording, and if you hear something WRONG with it, then go in and work on EQing it or compressing it to fix the issues you're hearing that you couldn't fix at the source. Don't just whip out an EQ before even deciding if anything needs done. Always use your ears first.

I know these aren't necessarily strictly MIXING tips, but these are the most important things you'll want to have when you're mixing. =]
 
Hey there.

I am pretty new to the forum, but want to add my 2c. Also using Reaper for about 6 months now, to mix rock songs I am working on with a remote group of dudes. Here are a couple of tips for you to get started:

- Reaper Compression (ReaComp) is a really good stock compression. Save yourself a default that will be a good place to start for most tracks, 30ms attack, 100ms release, 4:1, then adjust threshold. Always good to put a little compression on all tracks to even them out, but you should only see a couple dB of reduction at the peaks. You don't want to hear the compressor working.

- Reaper EQ (ReaEq) is another great stock plugin. I bought Kenny Gioia's tutorial and he gives some really great EQ tips on all instruments. In a nutshell, if you are cutting with EQ (high-pass on vox, guit), put that EQ first. Then compress. Then boost with another EQ (highs for clarity).

- Reverb. Get a decent Reverb, lots of reviews on free vs. pay plugins. Make a reverb bus for a particular group of tracks eg drums, and use sends to the reverb track to mix in reverb. That way if you need to tweak the reverb sound, you are doing it in one place which will have a global affect on the drums.

- ReaFIR, good for noise reduction.

- Learn to use folders to organize the tracks. This allows you to adjust the level on all of your guitar tracks (which might be mixed together well) with one fader, or to use a single EQ to test what it would sound like if all the vocals/drums/whatever had some top-end boost, etc.

- Learn a few shortcuts like splitting the track. the Reaper "actions" menu is great to find the command and bind it to a key (if it is not already). Use the "actions" menu!

That's it for now, hope this is helpful.

- Paul
 
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