sup with using separate engineers for mixing and tracking?
- digital eagle audio
- pushin' record
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sup with using separate engineers for mixing and tracking?
i don't get it, man. that almost never happens at my studio. i would HATE to not get to mix a band i recorded or vice versa. anybody feel like explaining this tactic?
- JGriffin
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Budget would be another reason. Hire a moderately priced but good tracking engineer, so you have more money for a really good mixing engineer.
"Jeweller, you've failed. Jeweller."
"Lots of people are nostalgic for analog. I suspect they're people who never had to work with it." ? Brian Eno
All the DWLB music is at http://dwlb.bandcamp.com/
"Lots of people are nostalgic for analog. I suspect they're people who never had to work with it." ? Brian Eno
All the DWLB music is at http://dwlb.bandcamp.com/
- JohnDavisNYC
- ghost haunting audio students
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i really like mixing stuff that i didn't record. it's nice to be presented with unfamiliar sounds and make decisions about what to do with them based on what you get.... it could be a salvage job, or it could be super easy... but either way it is a learning experience, and i like the way it forces me to try new stuff. I know that the way i track a kick drum 90% of the time, and so i know what I'm going to do to it 90% of the time... but if i get a drum sound i didn't do, it's either going to make me work hard to get it to do what i want, or it's going to be totally awesome and open my eyes (ears) to a different way to do stuff.
as far as tracking something for someone else to mix, i find that situation a little harder, because when you work to get sounds, it's easy to worry about and or be dissapointed by how the mix engineer treats the tracks you recorded. that possibility is a good reason to always track everything as well as possible... not leaving any thing medicore because you can 'fix it later' or have some idea you know you're going to do at mixing to compensate for something wierd... i dunno. or just do whatever you want and let the mix guy deal with it. i feel like if there is the possibility of someone else mixing it, leave options where it is apropriate, but don't go overboard... i have opening up a session with 13 room mics and then having to figure out which 2 actually sound good, or wading through 5 guitar amp mics with shitty phase relationships. just get one or 2 really good mic choices. maybe a DI for reamping if you're REALLY sweating the options tip.
*rambling*
i'm tired.
later,
john
as far as tracking something for someone else to mix, i find that situation a little harder, because when you work to get sounds, it's easy to worry about and or be dissapointed by how the mix engineer treats the tracks you recorded. that possibility is a good reason to always track everything as well as possible... not leaving any thing medicore because you can 'fix it later' or have some idea you know you're going to do at mixing to compensate for something wierd... i dunno. or just do whatever you want and let the mix guy deal with it. i feel like if there is the possibility of someone else mixing it, leave options where it is apropriate, but don't go overboard... i have opening up a session with 13 room mics and then having to figure out which 2 actually sound good, or wading through 5 guitar amp mics with shitty phase relationships. just get one or 2 really good mic choices. maybe a DI for reamping if you're REALLY sweating the options tip.
*rambling*
i'm tired.
later,
john
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- pushin' record
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I have run my own studio for years. After years of long weeks, I hired a guy to help with the studio load. I trained him to my ways, and he tracks for me now, sets up the session for mix, and I mix. He doesn't feel confident with his mixing enough yet to mix for my clients, given the time restraints and pressure of getting it perfect right then.
I just can't track every overdub every day, and then mix every song, day after day, without finally burning out. Then what service would I be doing the client?
It works for me, my calendar has never been fuller, and I always have a set of fresh ears for the mix. Interesting question.
I just can't track every overdub every day, and then mix every song, day after day, without finally burning out. Then what service would I be doing the client?
It works for me, my calendar has never been fuller, and I always have a set of fresh ears for the mix. Interesting question.
Check your mix in mono.
www.mixmonsterz.com
www.mixmonsterz.com
i think for some projects it's really good to get an extra set of ears on it. For example, my band had been working on 4 songs for 8 months (mostly tracked by me), and i was to the point where i was in no shape perspective-wise to do it justice in the mix. So i handed it off to a friend of mine and he did a killer job (mostly because he's awesome but partially because he was coming at it with a fresh mind).
About half my living is mixing records that other guys have tracked. It happens for many reasons (one of which I guess is that I am OK at mixing records). Sometimes the record company rejects the original mixes and hires me to remix, sometimes if the budget it tight a less expensive guy will track it and I get hired to mix and what is becoming more and more common is I am mixing lots of records that were recorded by the artists themselves. As long as the snare drum does not ring too much and the guitars were not recorded direct , I can usually do a lot to make a home recording sounds like a pretty big budget record.
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Separating the two parts of the process can be a great thing. I have mixed a zillion records that have been tracked under all kinds of circumstances.
I have even just done overdubs for vocals oon certain records that were being mixed by someone else...
I like every permutation equally. I like tracking, i like mixing. I like recording at large, so enjoy whatever part of the process someone chooses to use you for.
If you knew a guy in town with a million mics and great front end stuff, and you had a guy with real credits that you could have mix.... why not get the "best" of both worlds?
I dont understand the ego driven "ownership" of prjects that people will get into. Like if they tracked something good, would it belittle their involvement if the mix engineer does a good job with those tracks and everyone looks great in the end? I dont think so. People would just hear aa good record. Every step is crucial, and just as important as any other step.
A good mix flatters everyone involved, as do well recorded tracks. all the way out to mastering....
I have even just done overdubs for vocals oon certain records that were being mixed by someone else...
I like every permutation equally. I like tracking, i like mixing. I like recording at large, so enjoy whatever part of the process someone chooses to use you for.
If you knew a guy in town with a million mics and great front end stuff, and you had a guy with real credits that you could have mix.... why not get the "best" of both worlds?
I dont understand the ego driven "ownership" of prjects that people will get into. Like if they tracked something good, would it belittle their involvement if the mix engineer does a good job with those tracks and everyone looks great in the end? I dont think so. People would just hear aa good record. Every step is crucial, and just as important as any other step.
A good mix flatters everyone involved, as do well recorded tracks. all the way out to mastering....
Not to mention some records have been released that have used multiple studios to track, edit and mix..couple songs here couple there, with diferent engineers in each studio. Traveling to what ever studio the producer want to use for certain songs. Looking for certain vibe for certain songs.....lots of variables.
As mentioned, some engineers are better at tracking vs mixing and vise versa. Some mix better for certain style of music as well....and some are more diverse.
But I think the reason most of the time is for the diffent perspective, fresh ears....similar reason you send it off to a seperate mastering engineer.
just my 2 pennies...
As mentioned, some engineers are better at tracking vs mixing and vise versa. Some mix better for certain style of music as well....and some are more diverse.
But I think the reason most of the time is for the diffent perspective, fresh ears....similar reason you send it off to a seperate mastering engineer.
just my 2 pennies...
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- pushin' record
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I suppose if you are running a small project studio, and you are used to doing the tracking and mixing all yourself, that may all seem a bit strange to you. Fact is, it's the norm for projects to move around a bit, especially at the higher budget levels.
Check your mix in mono.
www.mixmonsterz.com
www.mixmonsterz.com
- JGriffin
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Or even at the lower budgets...lots of records I have worked on lately have the drums tracked at a big studio (or studios) and all the overdubs done at a smaller (and cheaper) space, as a big "drum room" is not needed.Sean Shannon wrote:I suppose if you are running a small project studio, and you are used to doing the tracking and mixing all yourself, that may all seem a bit strange to you. Fact is, it's the norm for projects to move around a bit, especially at the higher budget levels.
"Jeweller, you've failed. Jeweller."
"Lots of people are nostalgic for analog. I suspect they're people who never had to work with it." ? Brian Eno
All the DWLB music is at http://dwlb.bandcamp.com/
"Lots of people are nostalgic for analog. I suspect they're people who never had to work with it." ? Brian Eno
All the DWLB music is at http://dwlb.bandcamp.com/
- theistheman
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