Mixing Question! YAY

[Elfs1der]

This has probably been posted so many times here, and I have looked through the search to see if my question could be answer but no...

Anyways I was wondering what is the process of mixing. Is it Balance > EQ > Panning > Effects > Dynamics > Interest???

Interest was in my mixing engineers handbook, the only problem with this book is they don't specifically say what order is the best to go in.

Another question is:
What are some good ways to double a vocal. Like make it really wide like a dr.dre track. I have tried delays and reverbs and whatnot but i cant quite get it.

[The Chase]

This has probably been posted so many times here, and I have looked through the search to see if my question could be answer but no...

Anyways I was wondering what is the process of mixing. Is it Balance > EQ > Panning > Effects > Dynamics > Interest???

I've really never heard of an order of operations when it comes to mixing. Most people just do what is needed in no specific order.

Another question is:
What are some good ways to double a vocal. Like make it really wide like a dr.dre track. I have tried delays and reverbs and whatnot but i cant quite get it.

You're probably thinking of chorus. There are plenty of good free chorus plug-ins out there. I imagine you would need a simple plug-in with some nice presets to help you out.

Try these:
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/487.html
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/648.html

[C00kie]

There are no set rules for the order of effects. But in a traditional setup it would make sense to keep the signal level high until the end. So "balance" with other tracks (not pan) would be the last. Also dynamics (including noise gate) would be one of the first, maybe after EQ. In general: whatever works is OK. Be creative...

Now for Dr.Dre's double vocals. There is no effect in the world that beats this: simply record the vocals two times. Then you can play with panning them, etc.

[DwarfNebula]

...
Anyways I was wondering what is the process of mixing. Is it Balance > EQ > Panning > Effects > Dynamics > Interest???

...

level balance, eq and pan have all influence on the (felt) level of the material. a change on one of the three would normally force you to do some adjustments on the others. same for effects and dynamics.

@cookie: what do you mean with "keep the signal level high until the end". regarding muson-fletcher you have to adjust levels throughout mixing coz otherwise you will change the whole spectrum of a track when pulling down level at the end, so that you have to adjust the very basic eq, track compression... again.

normally i have the track balance set during compositon process and just do (quite slight) adjustments during mixing.

[C00kie]

DwarfNebula, I think you understood "at the end" as in the end of the creation of the song. I meant at the end of the signal chain of an individual track.

If you put a volume fader first in the chain, followed by a compressor, you would need to adjust the compressor also if you changed the volume of the track. By putting the volume fader at the end, you don't need to adjust the compressor anymore. At least not as drasticly...

But you're absolutely right, it all influences each other. After doing some basic EQing you probably need to adjust the volume also. Etcetera etcetera, no end to the tweaking

[soulkraka]

elf

try this if you havent already.

take your vocal track and copy it onto another track. Insert a delay set to about 7-20 ms, 100% wet, 0% feedback on the second track. Pan track 1 hard left and track 2 hard right.

You can do a less extreme pan but just make sure they are even..35 and -35 for example.

[C00kie]

take your vocal track and copy it onto another track. Insert a delay set to about 7-20 ms, 100% wet, 0% feedback on the second track. Pan track 1 hard left and track 2 hard right.

Can do.... But not as organic / lively as just another recorded take!

[DwarfNebula]

DwarfNebula, I think you understood "at the end" as in the end of the creation of the song. I meant at the end of the signal chain of an individual track.

yo, i got you wrong

[nool]

Now for Dr.Dre's double vocals. There is no effect in the world that beats this: simply record the vocals two times. Then you can play with panning them, etc.

nice idea, i don't sing, but maybe one day this idea will be useful .. thx

[Elfs1der]

THX! some of those helped quite a bit. I also have another question. How would I go about tuning drums in cubase. I have tried using the pitch shifter but I was wondering if there is an exact way of doing it.