Workflow: I don't have a flow. I need help.

[ShanPeyton]

Not sure if this encroaches on peoples safety zone, but i think i'll ask anyways.

What's your typical work flow? I seem to be struggling with finding a system and sticking to it. I find i can't just pick a starting point and work my way to the finish point. But there has to be a general guideline of what gets the best results the most efficiently?Typically i just mixed starting with drums and bass and building around that. NOW however, i want stuff to sound like it has some depth to it and am adding eq's and verbs etc. And that has totally got my borderline A.D.D.

Say you had a project with drums (the typical multitrack set up) Bass, guitars and vocals with some harmonies and backup, can you paint for me a picture of how you go from freshly tracked to ready for mastering? Nothing to specific obviously, just something in flowchart type style writing.

Fresh ideas are much needed and welcomed.

And if this seems a bit weaselly please be sure to let me know. I don't want to be "that guy"

 

[miroslav]

I kinda start mixing while tracking...right from the first tracks.
Then while I edit and comp tracks...I'm also still mixing too.
When I get to the actual "mixing stage"...it's mostly about tweaking and polishing off what I already started.

You have to have a production idea...goal when you start a project. You should be hearing the mix in your head already building up, and if need be, changing a bit as you add more tracks and maybe adjust your production...but it's really all one process.
Sure, there would cases of bands tracking in one studio with one engineer, and then mixing separately in another with someone else....but that's why there's always someone acting as producer, and also the artists should have some production idea/goal.

You sound like you approach each part of the production as an isolated process.

Anyway, AFA the final mixing....the faders are already in their relative positions from previous steps...same as the panning and some FX/processing...so at that point it's about nudging stuff here-n-there until it settles into its final resting spot...kinda moving from track to track and back again, narrowing things down with each pass until.....it's done.

As many times as it's been said....your ears should be telling you what to nudge and when it's where it should be.

 

[JeffroMixesYou]

I start with drums and work my way up. Drums, Bass, Guitars, extra stuff, lead vox, BGV's. I always pick the chorus to listen to while getting everything together. Build on that and then subtract for verses, quiet bridges, etc.