Sending PT files to be mixed

[Josiah LE]

Hello, I am sending my Pro Tools sessions to be mixed by multiple producers/mixers and was wondering what was the norm. I am burning the files to DVD. Should I send multiple playlists? There are 50 + tracks with tons of automation and effects/plugins. Should I print all the effected tracks along with the original tracks. If I do that I would be sending 100+ tracks. Any tips?

[joel hamilton]

Hello, I am sending my Pro Tools sessions to be mixed by multiple producers/mixers and was wondering what was the norm. I am burning the files to DVD. Should I send multiple playlists? There are 50 + tracks with tons of automation and effects/plugins. Should I print all the effected tracks along with the original tracks. If I do that I would be sending 100+ tracks. Any tips?

Automation is a mix technique. If you are sending it to someone to be mixed, why have a ton of your decisions built in?

on the other hand, I like having the clients session file as a reference before I "save as" and delete all the automation and plug ins. If you are 100% married to the plug in effects, send them along. If you would rather hear the analog tape echo version of the digirack delay, just send your mix as an example.

Who is mixing your stuff? You should really ask them specifically. I am just telling you what I would do. Email the mix engineer, we all want different things for sure....

[pedalboy]

http://www.grammy.com/PDFs/Recording_Ac ... elines.pdf

Here's a doc one of my profs gave me... Suggests some really good ideas, like consolidating ALL your audio files, labeling your tracks (and audio files) clearly, and getting rid of all your effects unless its actually part of the sound (like if you really dig the distortion you have on a piano or something) - in which case you should PRINT the effect. Bottom line is you shouldn't have any automation or plugins on your session - heck by mix time you shouldn't have alternate takes either really. All the suggestions are just there to help the mixer be able to MIX and not wade through your session, trying to figure out what does what.

But that's just a doc. You should totally make sure you ask you mixer what he (or she) wants specifically. The doc is just a good read through - things to keep in mind.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

Keep it simple. If you're not going to be at the mix session (even if you are) the mixer should be able to open the session and get to work without having to ask you a million questions.
-All files should be consolodated back to zero (ie- everything starts at 0). If you have a guitar solo that starts at 2:25 in the song then it should have 2:24 of dead air before it starts.
-Tracks should have the same name as their audio regions.
- Make sure that the session only has the tracks and parts that you want to end up in the final mix. Get rid of everything else that shouldn't be there- this means all the extra takes, parts that you tried out but didn't like, playlists, etc, etc.
- Make sure the regions list only has the parts you want in the mix. Clean it up and remove anything that doesn't need to be there. Also check the full path for all the regions. If an audio file is used in the session it should be in the Audio folder.
-Make a new file in the session folder called Footage and put all the unused stuff in there. I also make a file called Vocal Footage that gets all the unused vocal takes. If you've got any parts that you think the mixer might want to re-comp put them in their own footage file too (ie- strings, horns etc). This leaves the Audio Files folder uncluttered and saves you from having the wrong vocal take used in the final mix.
-Put everything on a hard drive and ship that to the mixer (make sure you back it all up in a few different places). The mixer does their thing, saves their mixes and stem mixes on to that drive (again back it up), sends it back to you and at the end of the day you have a drive that has everything.

[doctari]

You could create a folder for each song and export only the bwf. audio files from each song that you want the mixer to use. Drag the song folders into your cd burning program and create data discs for each song. That way the mixer can create a session on their daw for each song and import the audio files into them. Make sure the files are labeled with simple easy to understand names.

[@?,*???&?]

Hello, I am sending my Pro Tools sessions to be mixed by multiple producers/mixers and was wondering what was the norm. I am burning the files to DVD. Should I send multiple playlists? There are 50 + tracks with tons of automation and effects/plugins. Should I print all the effected tracks along with the original tracks. If I do that I would be sending 100+ tracks. Any tips?

Send them nothing but Broadcast Wave Files of the audio master tracks. Be sure that whatever program you use has the audio regions intact from 0:00 thru the length of the song.

If your automation is reflective of some master track compositing, be sure you have those audio regions intact from the get go and send full-length files. Make sure everything is clearly labeled and you know what the master tracks actually are.

Also, I posted a thread a few months ago on this very topic as I just mixed a mess that was sent to me by a band in Los Angeles.