When you open a session to mix, what makes your day?
A project or session the follows the
NARAS DAW Guidelines for Music Production let's me get right to work.
And what makes you grumpy?
Projects or sessions that don't follow the guidelines. I waste tons of time trying to untangle the mess.
Sessions from real instruments or from keyboards/drum machines that someone else recorded?
I love working with live drums, bass, el + ac gtrs, but also loved programmed stuff. Not a big fan or fake drums on rock songs tho. (I realize this is the Rap + Hip Hop forum, but anyways....)
Tracks
Kick - both
SN - top & bottom, but don't always use the btm
RM - stereo... puhleaze.
Lead VOX - one comped take
BKG VOX - as big or as little as you need
GTR - amped
BASS - amped + DI
HORNS - lovem
Recording Levels - not too low + not hyper compressed; more waveform than whitespace pleaze
Tracks in a certain order (from left to right) - bass, loops, drums, perc, gtrs (if gtr driven), keys 1st (if key driven), horns, strings, lead vox, dbl vox, harm vox, bg vox.
Certain things mono or stereo - whatever you want, but pleaze NO MONO "STEREO" TRACKS (like a mono synth bass on two tracks... pain in the ars)
Rough Mixes - most recent
etc...
click track
tempo map
song markers
I label everything before recording audio. I also utilize the comment box on protools tracks to note mics, preamps, or whatever was used. Set song tempo, renumber bars (3 becomes 1) and many other little things.
Very nice. That all sounds awesome. The bar renumbering is a nice touch.
Cool thread, nuk. thumbsup