Mix process/workflow in S1

[lowerfreq]

Wondering what your individual workflow was when it comes to mixing a song in S1... Everybody seems to have a "system" or "method", so I thought I might inquire about your individual process. Not talking mastering here, though that probably comes into play when working on the mixing aspect, but just thoughts on how you go about from start to finish after tracking is done. We're talking home studio here, nothing more really. I'm always looking to streamline the process, though I know there are no shortcuts in order to get a good mix.

Anyway, here's kind of what I do in a general order:

Gain stage
Rough balance/mix with volume and panning
Track comping,editing, bouncing/transforming
Individual track EQ/compression and other plugins(e.g., Melodyne)
Rebalance tracks
Automation
Rebalance group busses
Print a test mix for speakers and earbuds
Think about mastering(in S1)
Scrap it all start all over again LOL

Thx for your suggestions, salud!

 

[RedSkyRoad]

I produce with a glue compressor on the master. Let it bounce around 2dB. Keeps balance in check

 

[lowerfreq]

Sorry, this probably should have been posted in the Lounge section

 

[Davey]

Like many DAW users I tend to mix as I go so when I get to the "proper" mix stage the balance and levels are already about right and the song is usually sounding pretty decent so mixing tends to be more about controlling frequency clashes and making some space for the vocals.

A couple of years back I made a major change to my process and that is to archive a copy of the project and then bounce everything down to audio before starting the final mix and mastering. I find it really helps me focus on the sound rather than on the instruments behind the sound and it also discourages me from fiddling with stuff rather than getting on with the mix! Sometimes you can feel a bit overwhelmed by all those plugins, especially in a busy arrangement. It also has the benefit that you can revisit a project years later, and maybe on a different PC, without having to worry about plugins that may no longer be installed.

The other thing I'd say about mixing, and this will offend the purists, is to accept that most of us are not trained and experienced professionals doing this for a living every day so sometimes we have to accept that the results will not be quite as good as those folks can achieve. That's not to say that we shouldn't strive to be better but sometimes it's best to finish a song and move onto the next one rather than burning yourself out on tiny details. I once spent days obsessing about one syllable in the lead vocal of a song. It wasn't even part of the hook but my ears noticed it early on and I couldn't get away from it. I attacked that syllable with about a million different processes but in the end I just turned it down a bit and moved on. To this day I still hear it leap out at me but I bet no-one else would.

So that bit in the process that says "scrap it all and start again" should say "get it good enough then park it and make some new music".

One final tip. If you are struggling to get a coherent sound ask yourself whether you simply have too much stuff going on. It's all too easy to add yet another synth track to an already busy arrangement. I'm very guilty of this myself.

 

[lowerfreq]

Thanks!