I am about to mix my debut album and need some tips

[bckid]

hi folks,

i finally found a label to release my debut album.
its some kind of electronic pop music w/ vocals on all songs
and some guitar and bass but mainly produced in the box (ableton).
i found a decent studio working w/ a neve v3, universal audio, urei, eventide, dbx stuff AND the label is willing to give some money for the final mix OTB.

i am about to render all tracks down to put them into PT HD or Logic 8 track by track.

here´s my first question: which DAW would you choose to put the files into? both are hardwired to a Neve V3.

most engineers seem to like PT for sound quality. my problem is, that i worked with PT a couple of years ago and it might last some time to get fluid again with the software. and studio time is expensive...

my second question is about the dynamics and eq´s. i used a lot of the waves ssl stuff for dyn and eqing. should i deactivate all and start from scratch with the neves channel comp and eq? that would mean a lot of tweaking again and might lead to a totally different color of sound..

would you suggest, to mix down the stuff on tape? i have heard rumours, that electronic material does not benefit that much of tape saturation..
but if there´s a chance to mixdown onto a decent (i think its) studer tape machine.

these questions should be enough for now. but i appreciate any tips you can give.

[gainreduction]

If you will be mixing yourself the only sensible answer is: whatever you feel comfortable with.

You will want to focus on the music, not waste a lot of time scratching your head and learning new gear.

If that means using less than half of what is available, so be it. The (hopefully) controlled monitoring environment and (hopefully) inspirational studio will pay you back anyway.

An assistant that knows the studio inside out is your new best friend during the first day(s).

Sounds like fun, good luck !

[Dirty Halo]

Originally Posted by bckid

hi folks,

i finally found a label to release my debut album.
its some kind of electronic pop music w/ vocals on all songs
and some guitar and bass but mainly produced in the box (ableton).
i found a decent studio working w/ a neve v3, universal audio, urei, eventide, dbx stuff AND the label is willing to give some money for the final mix OTB.

i am about to render all tracks down to put them into PT HD or Logic 8 track by track.

here´s my first question: which DAW would you choose to put the files into? both are hardwired to a Neve V3.

most engineers seem to like PT for sound quality. my problem is, that i worked with PT a couple of years ago and it might last some time to get fluid again with the software. and studio time is expensive...

my second question is about the dynamics and eq´s. i used a lot of the waves ssl stuff for dyn and eqing. should i deactivate all and start from scratch with the neves channel comp and eq? that would mean a lot of tweaking again and might lead to a totally different color of sound..

would you suggest, to mix down the stuff on tape? i have heard rumours, that electronic material does not benefit that much of tape saturation..
but if there´s a chance to mixdown onto a decent (i think its) studer tape machine.

these questions should be enough for now. but i appreciate any tips you can give.

1. If you are going to a "real" studio, it should come with no less than an assistant, so much of your platform and operation concerns should not be a problem. (And if budget allows, also utilize a proper engineer)

2. As for all those plugs... again, depending on money: MORE of your benefit of even going to mix OTB and at this studio would by avoiding all those ITB plugs. So if you can afford the time, kill 'em and mix on the Neve. If not, PRINT them (and option for live), and both tracks available for the session. Again... WHY are you going to a great studio unless you USE it? I understand $, but if you're going to spend it, spend wisely (of course, there are degrees of "bettering")

3. Tape! "Rumors" of not being good for electronica is the operative word. So damn funny how this crap gets perpetuated. And how hard is it to print a mix to tape and any other source of your choice and HEAR what sounds better to you?

GP9 on a tight ATR 102... find a punchier & tighter mix medium!

Best of luck to ya!


-andrews

[u b k]

i'd print a dry and an effected version of your tracks, and i'd plan on using the dry unless there was some compelling effect i couldn't get otherwise.

label the files extremely clearly, so you can load them up at the studio and have them ready to go. if you're able to create the session ahead of time in pt, do it... it takes longer than you think to get everything assigned, labeled, and bussed. my labels look something like this:

01 Kick fet47.aif
02 Snare km84.aif
...
06 Agt 12th fret m300.aif
07 Egt Twin cmv563.aif
...
15 Moog Pulsey Drone.aif
16 Atmo Space Wail.aif
...

the idea is they're numbered numerically and organized by instrument/sound family so they're easy to sort, import, and lay out, and the name makes it explicitly clear what's in the file.

you may want to bring your own monitors to add to the setup, to have a familiar reference. if you don't have a lot of experience mixing in studios, you'll tend to have more success if there's an engineer working with you who knows the room and is good at what he does, and you more or less assist him in realizing your vision.

good luck!


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[bckid]

Originally Posted by gainreduction

If you will be mixing yourself the only sensible answer is: whatever you feel comfortable with.

You will want to focus on the music, not waste a lot of time scratching your head and learning new gear.

If that means using less than half of what is available, so be it. The (hopefully) controlled monitoring environment and (hopefully) inspirational studio will pay you back anyway.

An assistant that knows the studio inside out is your new best friend during the first day(s).

Sounds like fun, good luck !

yeah. thats exactly what i thought. i will have an assistant to guide me trough the studio. though i am a trained engineer and already worked on that console at another studio. but studios are like computer os´s. everybody configures them it in his own way and sometimes its hard to find your path even if you know YOUR system inside out..

i just want to be as prepared as possible, because the budget is limited and i dont want to sit there after 4 days with another 6 songs to mix while money is running through my hands, just because i am overwhelmed by all the possibilities high end has to offer in comparison to my little project studio..

i am especially interested in how the waves ssl stuff compares to the neve
which has dynamics and eq on each channel.
the advantage might be the better sound, but when i think of treating smth like 16 to 20 tracks per song on a limited time basis i get kinda sweaty.. catch my drift?

so my idea was to do "pre mix" mixes and just see what the analogue console and outboard adds to my sound instead of going there with totally rough mixes and starting from scratch.

[Barish]

If I were you, I would hire a good mixing engineer who regularly uses that studio, talk to him about what I want out of the mix, preferably with the help of a few reference material, and then get into the room with him as I am the producer behind, and get him mix it for me.

My usual practice is, I do just that, and I tell him that I will not make any comment until he turns around and says "what do you think so far?"

And then I tell him wherever he is offshooting, because it is much easier for the mix engineer to take it to the point where I want to go from there, as he now has a reference point once he materialises what he has in mind about the music being mixed. Until then, whatever I'd say about the mix I'd want, I would be just making a picture in the air.

It works faster, cheaper, and better this way (and I am a person who likes his own mixes. But my friends are much better mixers).

If you try to do everything by yourself in an unfamiliar studio environment, and if you are not so experienced a mixer -which I fear you are, if you are asking this here- then it all may backfire on you.

I am not saying these to scare you off, but just to make you aware of the pitfalls.

Good luck.

M.

[bckid]

Originally Posted by u b k

i'd print a dry and an effected version of your tracks, and i'd plan on using the dry unless there was some compelling effect i couldn't get otherwise.

label the files extremely clearly, so you can load them up at the studio and have them ready to go. if you're able to create the session ahead of time in pt, do it... it takes longer than you think to get everything assigned, labeled, and bussed. my labels look something like this:

01 Kick fet47.aif
02 Snare km84.aif
...
06 Agt 12th fret m300.aif
07 Egt Twin cmv563.aif
...
15 Moog Pulsey Drone.aif
16 Atmo Space Wail.aif
...

the idea is they're numbered numerically and organized by instrument/sound family so they're easy to sort, import, and lay out, and the name makes it explicitly clear what's in the file.

you may want to bring your own monitors to add to the setup, to have a familiar reference. if you don't have a lot of experience mixing in studios, you'll tend to have more success if there's an engineer working with you who knows the room and is good at what he does, and you more or less assist him in realizing your vision.

good luck!


gregoire
del
ubk
.

thanks for all your input.

yeah. i already talked to the studio about the possibility of bringing my own monitors as a reference.

and the tips on proper labeling are very welcome, as i am not the best organized person at all.

unfortunately i am running a windows system. otherwise i would defy prepare the sessions before going there.

again: thanks for your input!

[kellyd]

Don't know much about your background but by the questions you're asking it sounds like you might be over your head. Showing up at a commercial studio and popping the mixes up on a Neve expecting things to turn out pro because you're in a pro studio is no guarantee. How much experience do you have mixing on a large format console? Have you mixed much in large facilities?
As mentioned by Barish, I would have an eng mix the record with your direction.

[Empire Prod]

I need to fly from LA to New York this week. Can someone give me some tips for flying a jet?

Thanks

[MIKEHARRIS]

Eat some beans....Flap your arms....really fast....ignite !!

[bckid]

haha. like that bean idea!

but seriously: i know that specific console. worked on that long time ago.
i am into audio producing and engineering since 98. i recorded and mixed bands a couple of years ago, produced commercial stuff and some short movie scores and then turned into the slightly different profession of producing dancestuff and djing..

but this is a quite different situation. i am working on these songs for about two years besides doing other projects and have a quite personal relationship to them. i just want to treat them the best way i can and i also have a responsibility for performance of the participating artists. its all quite personal...

and yes: there are same aspects i am unsure about. and it might be a little over my head. but this is the reason why i do research and q&a (not only) here. so how do you gain knowledge and experience? do you just stay where you are and feel comfy with what you got or do you try to grow?

on the other hand it feels kinda adventurous and fun to take my own stuff to a pro studio and see what happens.

so i appreciate any tips and tricks and comments. but pls stop flaming on (what you think are) noobs.

[Empire Prod]

Originally Posted by bckid

so i appreciate any tips and tricks and comments. but pls stop flaming on (what you think are) noobs.

There was actually a point in there. I was trying to show how important the pilot is to those who are taking a flight. Recording can be very much the same way. The guy behind the gear is so integral to the results. This is not flaming but rather good advice.

[outUVphaze]

Originally Posted by MIKEHARRIS

Eat some beans....Flap your arms....really fast....ignite !!

Coleman camp fuel added to the beans, as well as a substancial amount of crushed flax seed. It will help to keep your sputter regular. thumbsup

Now say "ignite".

[Barish]

Bckid,

There are differences between a "trained" engineer and an "experienced" engineer and a "seasoned" engineer.


Learning those differences costs, .


So does closing them.


And the distances between them are farther than the eye can see from below.


If you want to switch to become an "experienced" from what you are now ("trained") with this baby of yours, go ahead. It's your money.


Recoupable. If you think your own mix can sell that many.


Simple maths.

Good luck.

M.

[extendedplay]

Bckid, First off congratulations, it is hard enough for someone to get interest these days much less a company willing to give you money and "carte blanche" on a debut project.
Since you are going to be in an unfamiliar room you should bring reference material with you and check yourself. Do it often. And rely on the assistant, if they are good. You may even want to have the assistant do some of the mixing so that you can be more in a producer role and not have to think about the technical details, be able to pay attention to more of the musical aspects of the mix.
And remember to reward good work. I give my assistants anywhere from $50 to $100 per day bonus out of my pocket. I know that they are usually at the low end of the pay scale , plus I try to make sure they get their credit listed.

Best of luck,
Steve McDonald

[u b k]

Originally Posted by bckid

but this is a quite different situation. i am working on these songs for about two years besides doing other projects and have a quite personal relationship to them. i just want to treat them the best way i can and i also have a responsibility for performance of the participating artists. its all quite personal...

all the more reason to have someone else mix it. you're too attached to make the kinds of bold, ruthless choices needed to bring the mixes home.

i know you're gonna ignore this advice, but i had to say it anyway.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[bcgood]

Judging from what I've read of your posts so far the impression that I get is that for all of the reasons already mentioned you should let someone else mix it. By all means you should come to the studio every once in a while and provide feedback and ideas as to what you want but let someone that knows the studio and mixes for a living do it if you want it to sound professional. Just my 2 cents, good luck.

[Barish]

Yep.

You need to decide whether you are going to serve yourself, or serve your music.


Looking at the circumstances as you laid them before, if you mix it yourself, you'll be serving yourself and not your music. You'll gain some mixing experience at the expense of your music. That's pretty much it.


If you choose to serve yourself, this production of yours will not benefit from it I can guarantee you. May be the next one will (with the experience of "what you shouldn't have done" feeling that sinks in sometime later), but certainly not this one.


But on the contrary, if you have someone better than you mix it under your artistic direction, you'll be serving your music, which will eventually serve you.


I mean, if you have a label that's ready to toss up money for a proper mix, it's obvious that you have done a great job in producing it already. I suggest you don't blow it in the last step by succumbing to your own "no-one-else-can-know-my-music-better-than-I-do" ego.


They do.


A mixer better than you can in fact open a lot of doors in your music during the mix that you even yourself never knew that they were there. It happened to me.


But then again, it's your money, your music, your call.


Whatever you choose, don't regret your decision later. You asked, and I just told you my experience.


M.

[ThomasWho]

Hi bckid , congrats on your deal .

The technical part of your questions are answered already. But people have also dispensed advice you didn`t ask for , saying you should hire a "proper" engineer to "fix" the mistakes you`ve made because you aren`t objective enough to mix your own music.

Screw that! Those "mistakes" are interesting to experience for a listener. They could even be a large part of your appeal as an artist. You could be ironing out kinks that make you unique.

Mix it yourself , don`t waste money on someone who "knows how to mix on a large console" - None of that stuff matters , it`s your musical ideas that count. (Yes Gearslutz is a forum about gear , but you guys opened the door when you went from his techincal questions to discussing artistic choices like "should the artist mix his own creations" ) And you obviously know how to communicate them since you have a record deal.

I bet you might even like the mixes you did in you homestudio just as much as the ones you`ll do on the Neve. The only real important difference may be that the studio will have good acoustially treated listening enviroment so your mixing decisions will be more accurate.

Disclaimer: discard everything I just wrote if your label can afford Spike Stent or someone on that level. Or if you make country music.


thumbsup

Thomas

[Barish]

Ah Thomas, ah Thomas...


There was a time when Spike Tent was nobody, but was already great in what he was doing, looking for his break. He was lucky he had it come his way.


And a few years from now, you may be talking about the guy who will have mixed bckid's album, just like you talk about Spike right now. You never know.


That's how these things go.


There are a lot of great engineers out there, doing their thing on a daily basis. It's just that not all of them have the luck to have a hit songwriting/production/performance/marketing/x-factor combination coming their way so that they can show to larger masses what their talent can really offer.

They just mix away whatever comes their way, because they have bills to pay. They don't have the luxury to turn down jobs until Madonna knocks on their door.

There's no such thing when you are professional.

Remember that besides all the hits that those hit mixers sport in their discographies -and you read and get fascinated by-, they have even longer piles of albums and songs they never mention, because they just simply flopped.


I suggest you read this again:

I mean, if you have a label that's ready to toss up money for a proper mix, it's obvious that you have done a great job in producing it already. I suggest you don't blow it in the last step by succumbing to your own "no-one-else-can-know-my-music-better-than-I-do" ego.


They do.


A mixer better than you can in fact open a lot of doors in your music during the mix that you even yourself never knew that they were there. It happened to me.

We are not saying just "a mixer".

We are saying "a mixer who is better than you and familiar with that particular environment you not familiar with."


Professional results require consistency in rendering professional services, and any professional mixing engineer who meets above criteria and has been mixing consistently on a daily basis for a living, will blow someone like bckid out of the water with his fart.

Read what bckid has been doing in the past how many years.


I'd read it somewhere that said "eventually your experience will catch up with your opinion."


How true.


So will yours eventually, too. But please, don't give people advice that you need yourself in the first place until then. Don't cost people money, time, opportunity and success with false cynical advices while you think you are saving them some.


M.

[Mike Caffrey]

Originally Posted by bckid

hi folks,

i finally found a label to release my debut album.
its some kind of electronic pop music w/ vocals on all songs
and some guitar and bass but mainly produced in the box (ableton).
i found a decent studio working w/ a neve v3, universal audio, urei, eventide, dbx stuff AND the label is willing to give some money for the final mix OTB.

i am about to render all tracks down to put them into PT HD or Logic 8 track by track.

here´s my first question: which DAW would you choose to put the files into? both are hardwired to a Neve V3.

most engineers seem to like PT for sound quality. my problem is, that i worked with PT a couple of years ago and it might last some time to get fluid again with the software. and studio time is expensive...

my second question is about the dynamics and eq´s. i used a lot of the waves ssl stuff for dyn and eqing. should i deactivate all and start from scratch with the neves channel comp and eq? that would mean a lot of tweaking again and might lead to a totally different color of sound..

would you suggest, to mix down the stuff on tape? i have heard rumours, that electronic material does not benefit that much of tape saturation..
but if there´s a chance to mixdown onto a decent (i think its) studer tape machine.

these questions should be enough for now. but i appreciate any tips you can give.

I don't get why you're mixing through a console other than to avoid plugins and digital summing.

In otherwords, take all of the plugins off.


Really these decisions should be made by your prodcer or mix engineer.

If that's you, then the reality is, if you're mixing in an expensive studio, it's for the novelty of it and the answer doesn't really matter. This is probably coming off far more rudely than I intend it to. My point if you're experience level is leading you to ask these questions, it means your experience level is going to prevent you from getting your full money's worth out of the studio.

Whoever said, do what you're most comfortable with is right, but it certainly sounds like you're paying to set yourself up in a situation that you're not at all comfortable in.


If it were me, Id' take all of the plugins off, use protools and do everything from sratch using the console only. I'm assuming that the studio has a dozen outboard compressors etc.

IF you doing this because you've heard that it's the best way to mix, in my opinion that's correct. However, the question is will it be the best for you?

What I would do is do the best mix you can at home. Then book a small chunk of time and mix using the console only and no plugins. Then compare the mixes and see if you're getting $X worht of improvement at the studio.

At that point you'll have no problem answering the question for yourself, which will give you the best answer, and probably lead you to using a few plugins and mostly the console.

[Peacock]

Originally Posted by bckid

hi folks,

i finally found a label to release my debut album.
its some kind of electronic pop music w/ vocals on all songs
and some guitar and bass but mainly produced in the box (ableton).
i found a decent studio working w/ a neve v3, universal audio, urei, eventide, dbx stuff AND the label is willing to give some money for the final mix OTB.

i am about to render all tracks down to put them into PT HD or Logic 8 track by track.

here´s my first question: which DAW would you choose to put the files into? both are hardwired to a Neve V3.

most engineers seem to like PT for sound quality. my problem is, that i worked with PT a couple of years ago and it might last some time to get fluid again with the software. and studio time is expensive...

my second question is about the dynamics and eq´s. i used a lot of the waves ssl stuff for dyn and eqing. should i deactivate all and start from scratch with the neves channel comp and eq? that would mean a lot of tweaking again and might lead to a totally different color of sound..

would you suggest, to mix down the stuff on tape? i have heard rumours, that electronic material does not benefit that much of tape saturation..
but if there´s a chance to mixdown onto a decent (i think its) studer tape machine.

these questions should be enough for now. but i appreciate any tips you can give.

If this is a label release ask the label who a good mix engineer for your style would be. Preferably one who will not object to your input and hire him/her ASAP. At this point you need a real engineer.

[Fletcher]

Originally Posted by Barish

There are a lot of great engineers out there, doing their thing on a daily basis. It's just that not all of them have the luck to have a hit songwriting/production/performance/marketing/x-factor combination coming their way so that they can show to larger masses what their talent can really offer.

It has nothing to do with "luck"... it has to do with A) being very talented; B) putting yourself in the right place to be noticed; C) working your ass off.

The old expression "it's not what you know it's who you know" is total bullshit. It's who knows what you know that's important. If you put yourself in an environment where your talent will make you or break you, work your balls off on any and everything that comes down the pike, and network your connections then you can be the next Mark Stent, Bob Clearmountain, Michael Brauer, Ron St. Germain, ____ Lord Alge, Ed Cherney, etc., etc., etc.... if you don't put yourself in the right position, if you don't have the talent, if you're not willing to work your balls off then you end up as a guy that makes a living doing what he likes doing... or selling insurance or bond trading.

While the above is slightly off topic the fact of the matter is that there is very little luck involved other than having the "talent" gene and the "drive" gene along with the willingness to suffer in order to sing the blues.

If you're talented and have the ability to network you'll get the high profile work. There are some guys who have a better ability to network than they have to talent to do the gig... they'll get second tier profile work... there are guys who have no networking skills but talent up the ying... they too will get second tier profile work... but the brothers who have both will become the industry icons they deserve to become.

A "hit record" doesn't get you made... a string of "hit records" doesn't happen by chance... as for the project at hand [as in the original poster's project]... he may very well know his music best and may indeed be the best person for the job... or he may very well be screwing his immediate future by trying to mix the project himself... and while we all know exceptionally talented people who should be way bigger than they are, the fact of the matter is that those who should have a career will always be employable and those that shouldn't have a career will find some other avenue of employment.

The only key to success is to put yourself in the position to have other very talented people drawn to your work, and the only way to do that is to work your balls off exhibiting your talent and dedication on a daily basis.

Peace.

[James Meeker]

Originally Posted by bckid

so i appreciate any tips and tricks and comments. but pls stop flaming on (what you think are) noobs.

But only a noob would ask your question....

If this is going to be a commercial release I recommend hiring the best mixing engineer you can find/afford. Takes money to make money.

[ThomasWho]

Originally Posted by bckid

hi folks,

its some kind of electronic pop music

This is the most important info in the original post. From this sentence I get that his music is not in need of anything "proper" or "experienced". Heck , even a top guy like Dave Pensado says "it`s more important to sound New than Good". I guess he`s not worried about job security like some of you may be ?


T

[cortisol]

Hi bckid

I think interms of working efficiently on the neve and for the fastest way to make improvements on your current mixes you will be best utilising someone very familiar with the studio rather than relying on your past experiences. I'm sure you will pick up the flow better by having someone who works the system fluently. Time is money and it's your money!

So get your files ready for what ever platform will be easiest for you to jump in on so that you can be hands on if needs be.

Make it clear to the assistant from the outset that you need them to be flexible and fast as you will be auditioning different treatments and mix decissions. Let them know that you want options. This will stop the engineers attatchment to his mix ideas on your music that you find inappropriate.

Give the engineer the opportunity to do a mix their way after you have gotten the mix as good as you can with the treatments you wanted.

I think the advantage of going to the pro studio is the mixing room and speakers as much as anything! Play your mixes in there as soon as you can to confirm the sonics of the mixes you did at home.

Leaving the chance for the assistant to mix your song until later on (after you have heared your mixes improved the way you want) will have allowed the engineer to actually get to know your song! And then they will appreciate of the charms, hooks and distinctiveness of the song and their decissions and mix time will be faster. Also they will have learned the things you like to hear along the way.

Best of luck and have fun,
cortisol

[u b k]

Originally Posted by ThomasWho

From this sentence I get that his music is not in need of anything "proper" or "experienced". Heck , even a top guy like Dave Pensado says "it`s more important to sound New than Good."

pop is pop, whether it's electronic or rootsy or acapella. i can't think of any form of music that wouldn't benefit from experience, least of all pop. balancing a vocal is not child's play.

i'm not sure what 'proper' has to do with anything, or why you injected it into the discussion.

and while dave pensado may have said that, he isn't churning out anything that sounds bad so a grain of salt might be in order. imo, it's probably best to be both 'new' AND 'good'. why make arbitrary choices between desirable qualities?


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[chet.d]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

It has nothing to do with "luck"... it has to do with A) being very talented; B) putting yourself in the right place to be noticed; C) working your ass off.

The only key to success is to put yourself in the position to have other very talented people drawn to your work, and the only way to do that is to work your balls off exhibiting your talent and dedication on a daily basis.

Peace.

yeah, what de said.

Originally Posted by u b k

imo, it's probably best to be both 'new' AND 'good'. why make arbitrary choices between desirable qualities?
gregoire
del
ubk
.

yeah, what he said too.

[ThomasWho]

Let`s review:

The original poster was planning on mixing it himself , in a particular studio on a particular desk. He had some technical questions around this.

Then people started jumping on him saying "don`t be silly , get an engineer to mix it. You`ll never do the music justice" etc.

So you assume he`s not so good because of the nature of his technical questions , and even if he IS great he can`t do it himself because he won´t be objective enough to make "the hard decicions".

There is no such thing as THE right way to mix music. Or one way to balance a vocal. This is Art , he`s expressing himself . And this attitude of "let the pro`s fix it" is presicely what he should avoid because it leads to boring art.

Unless he , like I stated before , gets a TOP class guy.

This is just my opinion , of course , but I´d rather hear an interesting and unusual mix. Which is exactly what people like Spike does , that`s why they get the gigs.

Thomas

Originally Posted by u b k

pop is pop, whether it's electronic or rootsy or acapella. i can't think of any form of music that wouldn't benefit from experience, least of all pop. balancing a vocal is not child's play.

i'm not sure what 'proper' has to do with anything, or why you injected it into the discussion.

and while dave pensado may have said that, he isn't churning out anything that sounds bad so a grain of salt might be in order. imo, it's probably best to be both 'new' AND 'good'. why make arbitrary choices between desirable qualities?


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[bckid]

haha. i love this forum!
thanks for all your replies!

let me point some things out:

first of all this release happend to be quite accidentally.
i was just giving a demo cd with crappy 128 k mp3´s to a friend of mine just to listen to what i do besides dancefloor shit.

the songs were never meant to be released in this condition. but how things go, the demo was making its rounds and i got offers from a couple of labels to buy the complete "album" as heard (128 k mp3 in very rough mixes).

from this point i started to talk to people involved in the music industry/music press and did some research on how to put this piece out and got quite different answers. everybody thought to hear some very different references (from moby to the knife or super collider )
but in the end everybody stated, that there are some "hits" on the record (whatever a "hit" means these days..)

so i thought, ok, if people think there is some substance in these recordings i´ll have to give my best to give the songs the shape they deserved. and my FIRST idea was, to hire an external mix engineer, so he can work on the material without beeing emotionally involved.

BUT: as i am located in berlin i realized quite fast, that there is only one person i would trust to lay my stuff in his hands. (berlin is full of decent minimal techno dudes and some rock guys but smooth pop producers are hard to find.)

unfortunately his schedule was too busy to fit the mixjob in. he then sent me to some colleagues he thought they´d do a good job on this one. but while listening to their showreels i realized, that their approach on music would not fit my/the music´s needs. plus the money they wanted for this job would have killed the budget. (music biz is a bitch these days and you never know...)

so i finally decided to do the mix myself. i did some research and found this nice studio just around my corner with exactly the specs i always dreamed of when thinking about producing my first artist album. plus i will have an experienced engineer by my side, who is familiar with that particular studio.

so here i am. beeing a bit nervous because of the responsibility .
but in the end i think the sound can just benefit and get better than these mp3´s (remember: its all rendered in live) when putting the stuff on a neve via protools hd and tweaking with some slutty outboard .

i asked for tips and got some really helpful answers so far.
thank you all for this. i will keep you updated on the process and will post some before/after examples.

and now i have to get back to the studio as the mastering for the first single will be on tuesday and there is still some stuff i have to fix.

cheers ya all.

b.c.