What's the best mixing strategy in T2?
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- KVRist
- 418 posts since 8 May, 2003 from Somewhere in the triangle...
What's the best mixing strategy in T2 as far as levels go? Do I need to be afraid of clipping?
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- KVRAF
- 6490 posts since 14 Jun, 2004 from Rochester, NY
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- The Teach
- 8273 posts since 23 Jul, 2002 from flatness
yeah - just watch your master level (and your input levels if recording real instruments) ... to all intents and purposes its not possible to clip the track outputs (regardless of what the meters seem to be telling you) ... rather than automatically slap a limiter across your master all the time id say just make sure you adjust master level carefully and meter it accurately (use something like elemental audios free inspector rather than the built-in meters in T2) ... of course if youre still getting rogue peaks clipping then careful limiting can help ...
slainte
rob
slainte
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- KVRAF
- 1615 posts since 28 Mar, 2005
no need to worry about clipping- just use the "find normalized level" on the master bus and it will turn down the master fader automatically.
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- KVRist
- 453 posts since 10 Jul, 2003 from Rotterdam
yeah 'find normalised level > based on max level of whole edit' is your friend.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 418 posts since 8 May, 2003 from Somewhere in the triangle...
Where can I find this setting, is it in T2?cbit wrote:yeah 'find normalised level > based on max level of whole edit' is your friend.
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- KVRist
- 453 posts since 10 Jul, 2003 from Rotterdam
t1+2.. if you click the master fader so it is highlighted you'll see the master fader-specific options appear in the bottom panel, in that panel you'll see a 'find normalized level' button.
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- KVRAF
- 10815 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from UK
click on the master volume & look in the properties pannel at the bottom
it in there some where
Subject
it in there some where
Subject
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- KVRian
- 1022 posts since 7 Sep, 2004
Yep. In the master levels section (says "drop filters here" on a new edit), click that area on the bottom right to get the master level properties in the context area. There should be a button that says "find normalised level" and the option should be in there.
[edit hah, seconds out... came in 3rd
]
[edit hah, seconds out... came in 3rd
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- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
Click on the master volume fader. Then in the properties panel (the context-based menu area in the bottom) you'll see a button for 'find normalized level'.
Just taking the piss.
Seriously, though, that's a good plan. And then there are other mixing strategies that are not host-specific that you can get a lot out of. Someone once posted on here that when they start a mix, the first thing they do is set the drums so that they're sending out about -9dB on average. Then they mix the bass in so that they sound good together. From there, it's all about the ears.
I've followed that advice ever since I heard it, and while there are going to be times where -9dB isn't the right level, it's a good starting point.
Greg
Just taking the piss.Seriously, though, that's a good plan. And then there are other mixing strategies that are not host-specific that you can get a lot out of. Someone once posted on here that when they start a mix, the first thing they do is set the drums so that they're sending out about -9dB on average. Then they mix the bass in so that they sound good together. From there, it's all about the ears.
I've followed that advice ever since I heard it, and while there are going to be times where -9dB isn't the right level, it's a good starting point.
Greg
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- KVRAF
- 1820 posts since 28 Mar, 2005
another general "rule of thumb" is with things like solos, or instruments that stand out for brief periods of time should only be boosted by about 3db and then brought back down to their regular consistent level for the time that they are not "soloing"...
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i use differing methods, depending upon the type of music i am mixing.
to start, i track everything, not worrying about levels, only clipping. and then i let is rest a few days. then i start out with all the levels set at minimum, all the way down. then i bring up the bass drum, and bass. i eq the bass drum accordingly, in relation to the bass guitar, adding click if needed, and cutting frequencies on the bass if needed. then i bring up the overheads. alot of people start with the overheads, i do it differently. then i set the overhead levels accordingly, and then being up the snare mics. i don't mic toms individually as it is my opinion that micing individual toms destroys the musicality of the drumset as a whole in the mix... i place the mics to get my drum sounds instead of trying to over-do eq'ing later. whoever it may be, i get consistent and very good drum tracks with this method. and then after the drums are all nice and balanced with the bass guitar or bass instrument, whatever it may be, i move on any other stringed instruments (guitar, mandolin whatever...) and mix roughly. then lead vocals, then background vocals. i usually leave background vocals alone, only adding reverb if needed for effect. vocals are only touched with comp/limit, and a verb, unless they want some other specialty effect. and i go light on everything. you want the lead vocal to cut, not to belnd in too very much. (remember, this is only my opinion.)
after i get rough levels, i let it sit for an hour or so. listen to some other music, do something else and generally relax from the task at hand, and then return later to finish. it could take weeks to finally get the best mix.
just find your path. go out in the desert and eat some peyote and take a bottle of whiskey with you. don't forget your turqiose belt buckle... you'll need that. and just do your thing.
if you have any questions, ask away.
if you want me to post some examples of my mixes, ill put a few snippets up with a link or something.
...but my best advice is to not listen to what i say. listen to professionals. im at best a high end amatuer. i wouldn't say i qualify as expert on this rifle range, but im getting good marks, if that helps.
listen to the guys that have had hit records. i've yet to have one, so i cant say with any conviction that my way is any good.
my clients are happy. im happy. and my mom thinks im cool, but sometimes other engineers will find things later on that i should have caught. but i think that happens with everybody. what do you guys think?
sorry for the long winded response. but what else do you coots come here to do but read and write?
adios
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i use differing methods, depending upon the type of music i am mixing.
to start, i track everything, not worrying about levels, only clipping. and then i let is rest a few days. then i start out with all the levels set at minimum, all the way down. then i bring up the bass drum, and bass. i eq the bass drum accordingly, in relation to the bass guitar, adding click if needed, and cutting frequencies on the bass if needed. then i bring up the overheads. alot of people start with the overheads, i do it differently. then i set the overhead levels accordingly, and then being up the snare mics. i don't mic toms individually as it is my opinion that micing individual toms destroys the musicality of the drumset as a whole in the mix... i place the mics to get my drum sounds instead of trying to over-do eq'ing later. whoever it may be, i get consistent and very good drum tracks with this method. and then after the drums are all nice and balanced with the bass guitar or bass instrument, whatever it may be, i move on any other stringed instruments (guitar, mandolin whatever...) and mix roughly. then lead vocals, then background vocals. i usually leave background vocals alone, only adding reverb if needed for effect. vocals are only touched with comp/limit, and a verb, unless they want some other specialty effect. and i go light on everything. you want the lead vocal to cut, not to belnd in too very much. (remember, this is only my opinion.)
after i get rough levels, i let it sit for an hour or so. listen to some other music, do something else and generally relax from the task at hand, and then return later to finish. it could take weeks to finally get the best mix.
just find your path. go out in the desert and eat some peyote and take a bottle of whiskey with you. don't forget your turqiose belt buckle... you'll need that. and just do your thing.
if you have any questions, ask away.
if you want me to post some examples of my mixes, ill put a few snippets up with a link or something.
...but my best advice is to not listen to what i say. listen to professionals. im at best a high end amatuer. i wouldn't say i qualify as expert on this rifle range, but im getting good marks, if that helps.
listen to the guys that have had hit records. i've yet to have one, so i cant say with any conviction that my way is any good.
my clients are happy. im happy. and my mom thinks im cool, but sometimes other engineers will find things later on that i should have caught. but i think that happens with everybody. what do you guys think?
sorry for the long winded response. but what else do you coots come here to do but read and write?
adios
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- KVRAF
- 6740 posts since 25 Mar, 2002 from sheffield, england
Should i do that bit before i set the drum balance, or after?lharless wrote:just find your path. go out in the desert and eat some peyote and take a bottle of whiskey with you. don't forget your turqiose belt buckle... you'll need that. and just do your thing.
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- KVRist
- 123 posts since 14 Oct, 2004 from Derbyshire U.K.
[quote="lharless"]
just find your path. go out in the desert and eat some peyote and take a bottle of whiskey with you. don't forget your turqiose belt buckle... you'll need that. and just do your thing.
We went to the same school of music dude...
just find your path. go out in the desert and eat some peyote and take a bottle of whiskey with you. don't forget your turqiose belt buckle... you'll need that. and just do your thing.
We went to the same school of music dude...
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- KVRian
- 991 posts since 16 Feb, 2005 from USA
i always get my kick and snare leveled first..i establish a strong center by adding the bass next..so all my center panned instruments come in...i then bring in the rest of the drumkit and mix it all playing together..i dont solo anything after that.
many times ill bring in the lead vocal next and just get the mix peaking close to -1 or so. this usually covers all my dead center pans.
I then bring up all the rest of the tracks until it is sounding right.
If im getting a track mastered by an engineer, I have been bussng everything to a submix and then controlling the volume of all of them from there. this allows to me to watch my peaks w/out using a limiter. when i do this i usually get the drums peaking at around -8 or 9 and mix accordingly. this usually ges me peaking around -1 or so, and then i use the volume submix to fine tune the voulme until i have it as loud as i can w/ no clipping.
many times ill bring in the lead vocal next and just get the mix peaking close to -1 or so. this usually covers all my dead center pans.
I then bring up all the rest of the tracks until it is sounding right.
If im getting a track mastered by an engineer, I have been bussng everything to a submix and then controlling the volume of all of them from there. this allows to me to watch my peaks w/out using a limiter. when i do this i usually get the drums peaking at around -8 or 9 and mix accordingly. this usually ges me peaking around -1 or so, and then i use the volume submix to fine tune the voulme until i have it as loud as i can w/ no clipping.