Whats your signal chain?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Diffusion
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Diffusion

Future Astrophysicist
Just wondering what everyone here is workin with... Thought it might be good to see what kind of results others get with their budget... Also, let us know what ya'll do as far as mixing your tracks, for example, compression ratios, layering tracks etc...

heres my chain:

MXL V63M Condenser> Studio Projects VTB-1 Preamp> M-Audio AudioPhile 2496> Cool Edit Pro 2.0> M-Audio BX5a monitors...

I record and mix all my tracks in the same room, with 2" auralex foam covering most of the walls. No vocal booth.

I usually finish a mix in like an hour, but I gotta learn to take my time and perfect my music... I usually double up my vocals, EQ each vocal track, then just slap on a bit of soft reverb on one of the vocal cuts, leaving the other dry. Then I add compression, usually with a ratio of around 3:1, threshold of -12, quick attack and slow release. Finally, I add any ad-libs, background vocals, and pan them for whatever effect Im trying to achieve... I still got a lot to learn, but Im ready for whatever...

So how do ya'll do it?
 
1. Blue (Blue Bird) Mic (better then the Blue Babby Bottle)
2. Avalon Pre 737
3. Adat Light Pipe into Pro Tools 002 (always use light pipe if you can -clean-)
4. Waves plugs
5. out to mixer Allen & Health Mix Wizard (love the EQ!)
6. KRK speakers

It's all about the front end of your setup baby. Use monster cables on mic and pre. Doesn't reallt master after that. Get the cleanest sound going in first...
 
Here goes...

Studio Projects C1 > M Audio Audiobuddy > FMR Audio RNC > M Audio Delta 44 > Pro Tools M Powered or Nuendo 3.2 > Wavelab > Behringer 2031a's

I have a self made closet booth surrounded by foam on all sides, it looks like a coffin! (Artists know they better have their lyrics down or they gonna die of heat when the door closes, lol!)

I record in w/ a low cut on the mic, slight compression from the outboard compressor (no more than -6 db in super nice mode)

I run the signal as hot as possible w/ out clipping going in (I usually do 16/44.1 but I do 24/96 on projects where the customer wants a clean, precise like sound for the final product)

I place a waves L1 mono limiter in the input channel @ -.1 just in case a good take almost clips, saves perfect takes on rare occassions, but I gain to try to peak @ -1 db to -.5 db.

Ummmm, mixing is something I can't really describe, I do weird shit. I never really mix something the same way (aside from the vox, I like them up front and in your face so I know what comp/eq settings can achieve that)

I usually premix the track in reason/nuendo/pro tools then mix the vox, lol, then go back and mix the track around the vox, I know I know, weird huh? That's how I do it though, the only way that makes sense to me. I try to have the vox, kick, snare, and bassline done to a t, in that order.

I send different parts of the mix to different groups (main vox, dub vox, snares/claps, kicks, hats, etc...) where I eq and comp accordingly, I then use sends to add fx on the groups or main bus if I want a slight fx on the entire mix.

I can usually have a 1st mix done in an 1 hr- 3 hr max, I usually have the mix in my head and the track is premixed when I make it in reason (no more dumping audio 1 by 1 from the mpc!!!)

Plugs I use are:

URS (love the pultec like eq on main vox!)

Waves (comps, doubler, l1, l3, maybe a ren eq on a kick to give it an old, tubish sound)

Sonic Timeworks 4080l (love the verb for vox and instruments)

PSP 84 (love the delay)

Nuendo's inbuilt eq (use it on things that aren't that heard, dub vox, low db instruments, fx, etc...)

DaTube(warms up shit, nice on vox and snares, sometimes on the entire mix)

Magneto(gives a "tapeish" sound on mixes)

After all this I usually render down, but if a client wants me to "master" (essentially a ghetto master w/ me eqing, comping, and boosting a lil bit) I'll dump the groups into pro tools (warms the sound some, but I hate the interface and how it mixes) and then into wavelab to finalize the gain and get it loud enough to bump in the chevy's and benz's!

That's my process, it makes sense to me...
 
good info jb4play..

yo Trackz, i peeped that video, do you record in a booth or just in your room or what? I found it interesting that you mix in a room with NO acoustic treatment and still get good results...
 
yeah

i do i in the same room or drag the mic in my sis room. I run a gate plugin while recording to block out my pc noise.
 
so you track and mix in the same room usually? and you dont have any acoustic treatment?
 
nope...

No acoustic treatment. Its just where I place the mic so it'll miniminze the background noise from the room sound. But when I track in my room my studio pc is loud as hell. What I end up doing is turning off all the fans and stay away from the windows if possible. Or I did this ghetto booth back it the days. Get pvc piping and make it to a tall enuff square then put big ass comforters round it and get one of those lights that's not bulbs and voila it worked like a charm.
 
Ya cpu noise ia a big problem. I had to make a closet for all the computers and drives. I then cut two holes for intake air and to blow all the hot air out. Works very well. Also helps bring down the noise and keep the studio more cool because you don't have all that hot air from the drives and CPU going into the room.
 
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