tips for mixing a live recording - using gates etc

[joninc]

I am mixing a live show and wondering if there are any particularly transparent gate plug ins for muting channels that aren't active (vocal mics in particular) or if it's better to just draw in a bunch of automated volume cuts...

[digitaldrummer]

I've not used it live, but I've used the Waves Rvox for mixing vocal tracks where I wanted it to gate when the singer wasn't singing. it does a pretty decent job as long as the "background" volume is not too high (for example if it's a live recording of a band really wailing, then sometimes the bleed is way too much to gate effectively). If it's just dialog it may work for you. I also like the gate in the Waves SSL (E or G) Channel plugins. easy to use and if you are going to filter out low end or EQ anything else the rest of the strip may be useful too. $29 and you are golden.

[Nick Sevilla]

I am mixing a live show and wondering if there are any particularly transparent gate plug ins for muting channels that aren't active (vocal mics in particular) or if it's better to just draw in a bunch of automated volume cuts...

I like using the SSL channel strips, they have a decent gate. I prefer only letting it lower the volume, instead of completely cutting off the signal, so that you don't end up with a weird sounding mix. Usually, 20 dB less volume on each track, with a slow response, so it lowers the volume while other instruments take the listeners attention. And I don't use the same settings on each track to be gated, so they each do a different thing.

Waves has a good set of SSL channels strips, but so does Plugin Alliance.

[kslight]

I came here to say my preference is to not do a hard gate, just set the gate to turn down “to taste” and not completely mute. Or just do volume automation.

Depending on how problematic, you may be able to dial it in using multi band tools like Neutron and or a spectral editor like RX to clean up the trash or control how the gate is being triggered.

Probably though, in most scenarios the less you have to do the more natural it’ll sound.

[roscoenyc]

My advise would be to mix a live recording the way you would mix a live show....

Get the vocal mics sounding good then add the other elements that help the overall mx.

[drumsound]

The one live record I ever did was on RADAR and I don't have any good gates. Muting the vocals (the lead esp) totally messed with the drum sound. The singer was right in front of the drummer, in a typical stage setup. I mixed with that mic being the lead vocal and an element of the drum sound.

[AndersonSoundRecording]

I'd echo the advice given about trying to make the bleed work in the mix and/or mixing it as you would if it were actually live. Generally, if you're messing with the lead vocal, then the drum spill is going to be coming and going, which will definitely draw attention to itself. Bleed is part of the gig of live recording, and learning to manage spill and/or make the bleed work is essential skill.

That said, if the bleed was not taken into account at point of origin, and/or it's destroying the mix, I've occasionally resorted to editing, automating mutes, &c.; but don't overlook expanders - sometimes just taking the bleed down 6 - 10 dB is more than enough to do the trick without making it obvious. The SSL expanders in the Waves plug-ins are pretty good; the stock Digi ones also work well.

Also, consider how heavily you are using compression and EQ on the mic in question - sometimes it's your processing that is mucking up the mix. It's not a studio record - you can't always get away with just treating the sound as you would if it had been captured in isolation in a studio somewhere. Pay attemtion to how your EQ is effecting the bleed, not just the instrument the mic is pointed at. Heck, sometimes you can actually EQ out some of more deleterious aspects of the bleed. Automation is definitely your friend here - try riding faders instead of relying on heavy compression to do all the dynamics work.

[digitaldrummer]

I actually forgot to mention I just did a "live off the floor" recording a couple weeks ago and everyone was all in the same room (my studio). Guitars behind gobos, bass amp behind gobo (mixed with DI) and lead vocal behind a gobo, but lots of bleed from the drums coming off the walls into the vocal mic - I haven't found a way to stop it yet. Sometimes we will just overdub new (clean) vocals, but in this case it was just part of the mix. That really limits you as far as what processing you can do to the vocal track. in this case I did a little bit of EQ but no gates or automation because that would be very noticeable (I actually tried Rvox and the SSL channel gate - well really the expander -- just to see if I could reduce it a bit but it nah...). The vocal was an SM7B into an LA-610 with a little compression happening. Then I think I used an LA2A plugin in limiting mode later just to keep any large peaks from coming through. I put a tiny bit of reverb on the vocal track and guitars but none on the drums (the vocal mic bleed did plenty for that). I think it worked for what was needed here (some demos for posting online for booking agents to hear...). some of it is actually posted online if you care to listen.

https://harrybodinemusic.com/southern-can

[permanent hearing damage]

really depends on the vocal performance. i just had to mix a live record where the singer was quite animated and jumping around with his handheld. that had to be done manually or i was dead in the water. if someone is a bit more stationary and the bleed is more consistent, izotope RX might help.

for drums, the oxford drum gate is decent, though I invariably need to double check it - as often hits are missed or let through erroneously.

I wonder if something like this might help you a little: https://lowwavestudios.com/cymbalkiller/

it's free. i have downloaded but have yet to play with it.

[Recycled_Brains]

I bet it'll sound weird if you gate the vocals entirely, or even at all. Maybe an expander to boost the vocals like 2 db or something so it's not noticeably raising the bleed would work. Or set the gate so it only goes down a couple DB. The FabFilter gate is good.

I know live vocal mics are supposed to be great at rejection, but they're still pointing directly backwards at everything else so they're effectively room mics. Gating drums will help tighten things up.