Well more often than not this is my method for the majority of my mixes....
1. Adjust my input gain on my virtual mixer so each tracks peaks around -12db, I generally record at this level so most tracks should be ok but I'm just making sure.
2. High pass filter on each instrument, and check for any annoying frequencies. Basically clean up each track.
3. I bring in the drum overheads, I then set kick relative to overheads, then snare, then hi-hats and then toms, then room mic but just a tad.
4. I like to have my drum tracks playing and I then proceed to eq and compress where needed and I also pan to listeners view, I then send all drum tracks to my drum buss. I then eq this drum buss, 99% of the time I pull a little at 400 hz and thats it. I also use a drum bus compressor just to gel the drums together.
5. I bring up my bass guitar track, I compress to even out level and I eq to seperate from kick drum.
6. I then bring in the vocal and compress to even out level, I then eq to combat any masking with the bass guitar around the low mids.
7. At this stage I start bringing in guitars and pan to my desired postion, for acoustic guitars I use compression as an effect (i.e. to make acoustic punchy) and I eq so they fit in the mix.
8. Any other instruments I then bring in and eq and compress if needed. I pan these and place in the mix. Backing vocals, keys, strings etc....
9. This is now my level and pan mix, I know evaluate and make sure levels are where I want them, I also evaluate any masking that there is and apply eq where needed including the drum bus.
10. I know start inserting my reverb busses, I'll generally have a drum reverb buss (hall or room), Vocal reverb (plate), Guitar reverb (room), Backing vocal (hall).
11. I know start with my drums and send my drum buss to my drum reverb, picking reverbs is tedious and I generally go through a lot of presets and when I pick one I like, I then tweak to taste.
12. I then send my vocal track to the vocal reverb and make sure the vocal is a lot more forward than the drums but sound like they are in the same or similar space...
13. I then start sending my guitar tracks to the guitar reverb, I make sure that they sound in the same space as the drums and vocal, I concentrate on making the guitars inbetween the drums and vocals on the front to back axis...
14. I then send my backing vocals to their reverb and add reverb till they sound in the best place...
15. At this stage I have a level and pan mix and each instrument placed front to back using reverb. I know eq my reverb returns so that their not muddying my mix.
16. I now set up a guitar buss, to which I send my guitars, electric and acoustic...
17. I set up a vox buss and send my Lead vocal and backing vocal tracks to it...
18. Now I put the same bus compressor on my guitar and vocal buss and set up so that the compressors are barley working but are gelling the guitars together on the guitar bus and gelling the vocals together on the vocal bus...
19. I then eq each of the three busses, (drums, guitars and vocals) Just to taste...
20. I begin to listen to the mix from different postions in the room and also outside the room, Listening to the levels mainly and trying to hear anything jump out mistake wise...
21. I then decide on the best way to use automation control dynamics and feeling in the mix, (i.e. drums louder in chorus, strings build up at bridge, Vocals louder in chorus etc.....)
There is no set time for this, sometimes it's fast sometimes it slower, it depends. I like to get this done then leave the mix for a 2 or 3 days then have a listen again and tweak anything that might need tweaking.
This is very general and there is no right or wrong way to do things, This is just how I work and not how I think other people should do things. I've been as brief as I can and in doing so I have left out some things (i.e. taking breaks every hour) and I have left out a lot of details, but hopefully now I've shared my approach it might help somebody if it can.....
) that talked about eqing the lead vox verb/delay while listening to the vox as your main focus and shaping a reverb to suit it. Like cutting where it interferes with the vocal, etc.