Steps you can do earlier in the mix to make it easier later on?

[Lairry]

I'm all too familiar with what it's like to make a few careless mistakes in early-on and then have to spend twice as much time than I otherwise would've just because I started with a shaky foundation.

I'm familiar with the basics. Organize folders, create channels and busses. Normalize track volumes and gain stage before you start adding a bunch of plugins. I also heard that many people start with a group of instruments first (i.e. they'll gainstage and eq all of the drums first before adding lots of instruments).

Do you have any other tips on what you should do early on?

Also, at what points of the mix do you start automating? Maybe you don't need to automate as much later on if you gain stage/eq properly. Or maybe automation early on could save you from making unnecessary changes to the channel as a whole?

 

[Papanate]

The biggest help you can do - is to mix the tracks while recording them - which is a problem for many in this day and age of never making a decision.

 

[markmann]

Correct any timing issues is at the top of the list for me.

 

[RRuskin]

Mix as you go. If parts 1 & 2 aren't working well together, no other added parts are going to fix it.

 

[Monkey Allen]

I find myself doing this...mixing as I go...but being too lazy to, say, completely clear what you've done to the vocal and start again on it...or the lead guitar solo or whatever. I'll have these plugins doing x, y and z and just keep adding or tweaking getting it close without having the patience to wipe the slate on that track and start again from scratch. So, being prepared to remove all you've done and do it again is something to keep in mind.

 

[Ujn Hunter]

I find myself doing this...mixing as I go...but being too lazy to, say, completely clear what you've done to the vocal and start again on it...or the lead guitar solo or whatever. I'll have these plugins doing x, y and z and just keep adding or tweaking getting it close without having the patience to wipe the slate on that track and start again from scratch. So, being prepared to remove all you've done and do it again is something to keep in mind.

Just duplicate the track, and mute your original, don't need to "throw away" your original work just to try something else.

 

[RFR]

Mix as you go. If parts 1 & 2 aren't working well together, no other added parts are going to fix it.

Yes! This^^^^

Old analog workflow in action

 

[jamesperrett]

I'd certainly think about mix ideas while recording. However, the most useful thing is to think very carefully about the arrangement before you even start recording. It is much easier to mix something where the parts fit together than it is to mix something where all the parts are fighting each other.

 

[Monkey Allen]

Just duplicate the track, and mute your original, don't need to "throw away" your original work just to try something else.

I tend to fall into the trap of just making stuff worse by adding and tweaking because I'm too lazy to start again. So I try to remind myself not to be afraid to start again if need be. Sometimes you just have to go back to the drawing board. Knowing that its time to nuke it is pretty key I guess. Otherwise, sure, leave a copy.

 

[grimtraveller]

mix the tracks while recording them

I find myself doing this...mixing as I go...

Mix as you go. If parts 1 & 2 aren't working well together, no other added parts are going to fix it.

I'd certainly think about mix ideas while recording

I never really used to, but for years now, conceptually mixing as I go has been the way to go. I say conceptually, because it's not until I have everything recorded that final decisions can be made. I always reserve the freedom to switch things up a bit. When it has been said that mixing is both science and art, I take that literally. And in reality, whatever ideas I might have been housing during the recording of the parts, I never truly know what one of my mixes sounds like until it's actually finished, and I've said "yeah."
In terms of decision-making, I never have a problem with that. I want to get a mix done as quickly as possible because "finished is better than perfect."

 

[RedStone]

Get it right at the source. that's the long and short of it.
Do these things and the rest comes a LOT easier in my experience ...

1. A good performance is #1. Everything needs to be in the pocket, and vocals tuned as transparently as desired
2. Use the best quality instruments you have, and try not to use cheap things unless it's all you can afford, or are ok fiddling with it to get good tone.
3. Use great microphones if you can (Rhode, Advanced Audio, Neumann, Se Electronics, AKG, Sennheiser, Sure etc) and choose the right microphone for the source as best you can.
4. When working with samples, keep in mind they are pre-mixed so be careful with things like compression on sampled things.
5. Deal with Phase if recording live (esp drums - snare bottom and top, kick in and out, dual mic'd guitar amps, phase from vocal mics due to bleed etc)
6. Use excellent preamps and monitoring (UAD is my personal favourite).
7. Record at Line level (peaking at -12 or so). This is where all of your digital recording gear is designed to work it's best.
8. When mixing, start with high pass filters on ALL non-bass elements and low pass filters on anything with high frequency information that will screw up your high end (like electric guitars and synths). then move to balancing elements together, then work on EQ, compression, Reverb, delays etc. Mix in Mono a bunch. It helps a lot.

 

[RedStone]

and Automation is the last thing I do personally ...

As you finish songs that you like the sound of, save them as templates and take out the files ... then next time you're 80% of the way there after you finish recording