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mix down ok, just a fun thread here:
the age-old idea of mixdown time on your original music. you throw in a cd prior to your session that best represents your idea of the perfectly mixed disc. so who else here throws in The Gold Experience prior to their mixdown? and what other cd's are the musicians of this community using as a reference point prior to mixing down their own music? peace and positivity, soulflyer | |
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I sometimes set my levels with Brass Monkey, for bass and general volume. | |
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I actually almost never use Prince as a reference.
Soundwise he's too unique to copy. I know I should, but for some reason I stopped using references. it's just that I know the studio so well by now that I don't need references to know what will come out. When I do use references, I ask of the artists that I record to bring what they think best represent their type of music. | |
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Most of the time, for reference, I'll use one of Doyle Bramhall II's cds. Wendy and Lisa produced the first two, which are both AWESOME examples of solid funk/rock, and the most recent one is straight up Hendrix/Traffic type blues rock. Those are my goals, at least. If I come close to any of those, I'm happy.
But to be fair, I don't even throw in a disc for comparitive levels. I've read about that, and I'll spend a whole day at work listening to similar songs before I go IN to mix, but once I'm in there, I'm mixing to levels from memory - "the guitars were not at loud as the bass, the snare cut through in the mids but overall, it was lower than the kick drum" that kind of stuff. The Last Otan Track: www.funkmusician.com/what.mp3 | |
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I used 'Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha' (great album by dutch funk rock band Gotcha), TAPOAFOM (George Clinton), 'Seven' (zap mama), 'baduizm live' and others.
However, I found that when I used references while mixing, I kept messing up the mix when I didn't record it the same way. The way it was recorded is too important for the mix. Better to have an idea of what you want your final mix to sound like when you are still in the stage tuning your drums, choosing your amps and instruments and doing the miking and such. These days I just mix without reference and listen to it on as much as possible sound installations as possible (a car stereo amongst them) and keep changing the mix until I'm satisfied (which I never fully am  )[This message was edited Mon Apr 26 1:19:47 2004 by erikd] "Give a monkey a brain and he'll swear he's the center of the universe" (Fishbone)
http://www.soundclick.com...vegaga.htm | |
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erikd said: I used 'Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha' (great album by dutch funk rock band Gotcha), TAPOAFOM (George Clinton), 'Seven' (zap mama), 'baduizm live' and others.
However, I found that when I used references while mixing, I kept messing up the mix when I didn't record it the same way. The way it was recorded is too important for the mix. Better to have an idea of what you want your final mix to sound like when you are still in the stage tuning your drums, choosing your amps and instruments and doing the miking and such. These days I just mix without reference and listen to it on as much as possible sound installations as possible (a car stereo amongst them) and keep changing the mix until I'm satisfied (which I never fully am )
[This message was edited Mon Apr 26 1:19:47 2004 by erikd] I was just talking about that I just finished mixing my EP yesterday http://www.prince.org/msg/15/91368 As far as this topic goes; it was funny. My bassist (and pro-tools engineer) and I decided to bring in the Parade record, Dr. Dre The Chronic and the Velvet Underground & Nico album. Our mixer/engineer was like "what the fuck..." Then a day later he was like "yeah, I think we did it...." | |
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If you're into a clean tight pop/funk/jazz thing, one of these Steely Dan/Roger Nichols (engineer) colabs might be something you'd want to bounce your mix against. They seem to have a knack for making great sounding recordings.
Two Against Nature - Steely Dan 2000 Album Of The Year 2000 Best Pop Vocal Album 2000 Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Gaucho - Steely Dan 1981 Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical FM - Steely Dan 1978 Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical Aja - Steely Dan 1977 Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical  Tribal Disorder"Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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I ensure that all the frequencies are equally loud whilst mixing, but when I do the final mix, I equalise it through a "smiley face" envelope. Like a big stretched letter "U", with the lower and higher frequencies peaking over the middle.
I guess its not very technical, but it works for me. | |
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BinaryJustin said: I ensure that all the frequencies are equally loud whilst mixing, but when I do the final mix, I equalise it through a "smiley face" envelope. Like a big stretched letter "U", with the lower and higher frequencies peaking over the middle.
I guess its not very technical, but it works for me. What you are doing is usually done during Mastering. Not all frequencies are equally loud, no. The closest monitor to play that is Yamaha NS-10M, but they don't have the low bass frequencies. Each monitor has it's own sound/color and thus we leave the equalization for Mastering, where we work with special speakers intended just for that purpose. | |
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MrSoundMan said: BinaryJustin said: I ensure that all the frequencies are equally loud whilst mixing, but when I do the final mix, I equalise it through a "smiley face" envelope. Like a big stretched letter "U", with the lower and higher frequencies peaking over the middle.
I guess its not very technical, but it works for me. What you are doing is usually done during Mastering. Not all frequencies are equally loud, no. The closest monitor to play that is Yamaha NS-10M, but they don't have the low bass frequencies. Each monitor has it's own sound/color and thus we leave the equalization for Mastering, where we work with special speakers intended just for that purpose. When I said "equally loud", I meant flat. I don't adjust the eq of anything whilst I'm mixing it, only the volume and panning. How do you know about this stuff? Do you work in a studio or something? I find it all really intriguing. | |
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BinaryJustin said: MrSoundMan said: What you are doing is usually done during Mastering. Not all frequencies are equally loud, no. The closest monitor to play that is Yamaha NS-10M, but they don't have the low bass frequencies. Each monitor has it's own sound/color and thus we leave the equalization for Mastering, where we work with special speakers intended just for that purpose. When I said "equally loud", I meant flat. I don't adjust the eq of anything whilst I'm mixing it, only the volume and panning. How do you know about this stuff? Do you work in a studio or something? I find it all really intriguing. I know you meant flat. and there are no such monitors. That's usually why people listen to references. to know how other masters sound on the monitors you're working on. Yes, I'm a head sound engineer in a recording studio. Worked in Dubbing, post production and now music. | |
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Hmmm I dont do this all the time, once you know what your doing its good to try new/fresh ideas, hey you might create the next unique sound?
But for some projects its a good idea, and it depends on the style your going for. Here is a good list ta start with off the top of my lil noggin.... Guitar Rock = The Best of Jimi Hendrix Experience ( The fazing/feedback is incredible!!!) Acoustic = Joni Mitchell "Hits" = The wamrth and intamacy is still unparalled even today! Hip Hop = Outcast! Anything! Funk = JB for the overall "sound"/Prince for the production | |
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