What is your mixing workflow?

[cjogo]

Well, here's what's always worked for me.

Make a mono 64k mp3 in itunes, post to Soundcloud and it's Miller Time.

We follow most of your techniques ....just at the end we do a mono cassette and open a 89 French Bordeaux

[knobtwirler]

Well, here's what's always worked for me.

First I use the zoom controls to maximize the waveform display, then I normalize all the files to -0.1 dBfs so I can make sure everything's one big undifferentiated block of digital ink. Then I process all the files with the "reverse" plug-in, so I can do all my pre-echoes, and do a rough balance listening to the song backward because Eno must have done it that way once. After that I re-process the files so they'll be forward. I like to do as many destructive Audiosuite processes as possible because the build-up of computing errors adds a sort of fuzzy, dare I say jittery charm to the mix. If possible I like to stream two or three porn videos and burn a data DVD while I'm doing this so the computer has plenty of other things to do.

Once I've got the backwards balance established, I go to this spreadsheet I've put together of all the EQ and compression settings I've written down from other producers' mixes of other songs by other artists, figuring that if those settings worked for them, they'll work for me. If I'm missing settings for something, like a french horn or kazoo overdub, I'll start a thread on gearslutz about it and do whatever the third guy to respond says.

I start by working on the hi-hat and a dotted-triplet delay on the vocals for 45 minutes, then bring up the Bonham's squeaky kick drum pedal sample that I grabbed from YouTube and squish that with a cracked VST that emulates a Federal compressor.

After a pizza break, I put all the guitar tracks up full, pan 'em at random and bounce to disk. Again, while streaming 2 porn vids and burning a DVD.

Make a mono 64k mp3 in itunes, post to Soundcloud and it's Miller Time.

I tried that once.

[JGriffin]

Well, here's what's always worked for me.

Make a mono 64k mp3 in itunes, post to Soundcloud and it's Miller Time.

We follow most of your techniques ....just at the end we do a mono cassette and open a 89 French Bordeaux

A type I cassette, I hope.

[cjogo]

A type I cassette, I hope.

Wish I could afford metal ':D') http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-4-METAL-CASSETT ... 33676607f8

[JGriffin]

A type I cassette, I hope.

Wish I could afford metal ':D') http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-4-METAL-CASSETT ... 33676607f8

Well, except that they'd only sound right in about 30% of tape decks...

[cjogo]

Never could get the bias/alignment right in my old Nakamichi -- and metal was too abrasive for the cheaper decks ....

[cjogo]

. I'm with cjogo in that I do vocals and lead instruments first. After that, i usually switch to drums. Once I've fiddled with the balances enough, I put the mix back in stereo and pan stuff out. After that, I add whatever EQ and dynamics are needed, again doing the principle parts first. After that, I hog on the verb and echo.

I just love vocal work -- I always put that lead vocal up & the melodies main instrument FIRST...You can see how many tracks we dedicate to vocals on our limited 48 channels. Really driven from that 60's sound : vocal on top.