what program do you use to mix a song?

[popsych]

........

Using Logic and then exporting each seperate track to Samplitude for mixing... sounds like quite a process! Obviously you must feel there are real benefits to doing this, but you don't explain what they are... could you do that, because it would be interesting to know?

First of all I prefer producing and then mixing as opposed to mixing on the fly because i find that separating the two hats (producer/engineer) works for better sounding mixes with me. I should also clarify that i do not only do mixing in the console sense when in samp but also some post-pro. That said i could just make all levels 0db and start mixing in logic but i don't for the following reasons -

No offline export - i like to burn different mixes and listen on varied mediums. Realtime bouncing would be a drag.

No freeze in my version of logic - In samp i have freeze and it's one of the best implementations.

Samp supports M/S natively and i find that some treating is best done in M/S

Samps oop approach works wonders for the post-pro i want to do.

Full pdc - logic lacks that (probably this is the main reason for what i do).

Best crossfading along sequioa. And all crossfading is non-destructive.

Samp is also a very efficient engine, has the best (IMHO) built in effects and tools (analyzers etc) and the fact that you not only get a daw but a fully featured wave editor and mastering environment thrown in are grea. CD-burning is good too.

Mixing snapsots.

Best routing available bar logic. Clear mixer,arrangable order of effects and designation of pre and post effects and finally very good support of recent vsts which logic lacks.

Regarding the other four that I mentioned I have personally used, I prefer ABleton Live for mixing to any of them for the following reasons:

Cubase: Routing is over complex; the effects are substandard

agreed - so are live's IMHO

Audition: lacks level meters on a track-by-track basis; limited bussing; no real-time effects on Master channel
Reason: Need to use more than one mixer if you exceed 14 tracks
Tracktion: Larger projects require too much scrolling up/down; Can't adjust the level of "frozen" tracks; volum/pan filter and level meters get squished when you add effects to a track, and can become unmanageable.

Agreed.

* Visually combining the volume slider with the level meter is an inspired SOFTWARE solution rather than a pointless hardware emulation. In a software setting, its easy to use and saves screen space.

Regarding that last point, I can see that Smaplitde's mixer LOOKS stunning, and for anyone who is trained in mixing in a hardware environment I can imagine that Samplitude would be a strong choice

Also I should say that if Live worked for me as a production environment i might not bother looking elsewhere (and spending extra $$$) but for me the logic/samp combo can't be beat.

[headquest]

Hey, thanks for the detailed response popsych . You obviously have a system that is working well for you.

I understand your point about producing/mixing as seperate tasks. I tend to work that way to, although for me the producing part is largely done in Ableton's Session View, and I tend to switch to the Arrange view for the mixing and tidying stuff up. I use automation a lot during mixdown.

Live 5 deals with many of the issues you have in Logic - there is full PDC across the signal path, and the freeze is very good indeed. Crossfading is great too, although it has been for some time. But more automation available for the crossfader as of v5.

Offline editing is important to me, too. I use Adobe Audition for that, which integrates brilliantly into Live (or other sequencers). I also export into Audition for mastering, which I prefer to carry out in a different program from Live.

The only thing I disagree with you on is the Live effects, which for the most part I think are brilliant. The exception is the Reverb, which can be useful for specific reverb effects on a track, but sounds horrible on a bus or over a whole mix. So for reverb I use a VST plug in instead. The Live EQ4, compression, and especially the filters are all top rate though. Also the new Saturator is very nice.

Cheers.

[popsych]

just realised there are no smilies in my post which would make me appear being on the very serious acting side - to mend that insert them where appropriate on your own accord.

I'm glad there are a few people on kvr which understant that a given system works for other people when it does not for them. Live is progressing very well and I must say that being forced to buy a Mac to get an up to date is something i resent and makes me envious of you lot (the ones whose company didn't dump them ).

Keep producing .

[keyboardmatt]

i just use ableton live 5 to mix. it does everything as well as any other DAW. it might not be tailored to do mixing, but it does it good enough for me.

[g3n3r4t0r]

What program do you use to mix a song?

Samplitude is for mixing simply the best.)