Processing individual tracks for mixing

[Everbeatz]

I have to start mixing a jazz hop project. There will be a bunch of rhodes/organ tracks, sax, percs/congas and standard kick/snare/vox tracks, of course. It's all recorded by now but it needs some extra analog squeeze and to add more size to elements as well.

I'm planning to rent a local studio time to process individual tracks to add some analog goodness and I need advice concerning that

What would you recommend as a route to go? Which gear for certain elements?

Any advice will be more than welcome

[bgrotto]

Why not just mix it at the studio? Processing individual tracks is sorta counter-productive, unless you REALLY know what you're doing.

[Everbeatz]

It'll go over the budget quickly, that's the main reason

[bgrotto]

So what's the game plan? How are you gonna process the sounds? Just running them through some analog gear ain't gonna make em sound better. What's your frame of reference? Forgive my bluntness, but I don't see the point...

[nukmusic]

Originally Posted by Everlast

It'll go over the budget quickly, that's the main reason

too late to cry now. Mixing SHOULD have been in the budget from the get go. So many people make this mistake. Don't screw up the recorded tracks. Just save money to do a good mix. You'll be happier in the end.

[chris carter]

Originally Posted by Everlast

I have to start mixing a jazz hop project. There will be a bunch of rhodes/organ tracks, sax, percs/congas and standard kick/snare/vox tracks, of course. It's all recorded by now but it needs some extra analog squeeze and to add more size to elements as well.

I'm planning to rent a local studio time to process individual tracks to add some analog goodness and I need advice concerning that

What would you recommend as a route to go? Which gear for certain elements?

Any advice will be more than welcome

I think you will be largely disapointed with that approach. Just running all the tracks through some magic boxes isn't going to make it all whiz-bang sounding. Besides, what can be done, would best be done during mixdown.

[Everbeatz]

I'm trying to understand above answers..

What I was aiming is to add some warmth, harmonic distortion, character and color to the tracks as they surely lack that.

I'm planning to mix it in the environment I know well and it's gonna be ITB. We're gonna spend considerable amount of time doing that. I planned to start with good sounding elements in a first place

I can't see why is not a good idea to run tracks through some gear to add depth and character and not using plugs for that matter

For instance, I mixed tracks that went through the tape and it was much easier to mix and better sounding than using tape-emu plugs

I'm aware what plugs can and can't do...or maybe I'm wrong

[bgrotto]

Originally Posted by Everlast

I'm trying to understand above answers..

What I was aiming is to add some warmth, harmonic distortion, character and color to the tracks as they surely lack that. g

So you haven't actually heard the tracks yet? I'd suggest you check out what you're working with before you go blowing someone's budget on superfluous studio time (and believe me, I'm like the number 1 advocate of amateur folks getting into pro studios, so it pains me a little bit to say that!).

The point is: the question is what KIND of "warmth, harmonic distortion, character, and color"? Like Chris said above, just adding those things to a signal, without any sort of group context, won't necessarily make it sound good. Also, ask yourself honestly: do you REALLY know what all those things are, and what they sound like, and how they fit together in the context of a mix? Or did you just read about "harmonic distortion" in EQ Magazine or here on Gearslutz?

Originally Posted by Everlast

I'm planning to mix it in the environment I know well and it's gonna be ITB. We're gonna spend considerable amount of time doing that. I planned to start with good sounding elements in a first placeg

Again, define "good sounding". Just running some signals through some analog boxes ain't gonna make em "good sounding". Especially if you don't have the context of a mix-in-progress. If it were that simple, I'd be out of a job!

Originally Posted by Everlast

I can't see why is not a good idea to run tracks through some gear to add depth and character and not using plugs for that matterg

Because it's all about CONTEXT!!! "Gear" does not equal "better". "More gear" actually tends to equal "overworked and thus worse".

Originally Posted by Everlast

For instance, I mixed tracks that went through the tape and it was much easier to mix and better sounding than using tape-emu plugs

I'm aware what plugs can and can't do...or maybe I'm wrong

What do you mean "went through the tape"? Was it tracked to tape and dumped to the computer? How do you know what the tape did? Maybe the tracks sounded great from the get-go. Tape isn't a magic fixer. If the source sucks, the source sucks.

I think you're wasting the dude's money, and your own time. Unless, of course (and be honest nowtutt), you just wanna get yourself into a nice studio to dick around. In that case, you're wasting the clients money, but you'll hopefully have a blast! Just don't **** yourself by overdoing it with the processing and giving away your motives to the client

[Everbeatz]

bgrotto I don't see the point of leading discussion this way....

I hope you make better music than make friends here

All of a sudden you seem worried about me "wasting the dude's money"

It would be a good point if you knew what kind of arrangement this is..

I think you kinda play a teaching role cos you felt like it...without thoroughly knowing the facts...but it's your right, it's internet, it's forum

And YES, I heard the tracks..pity

Anyway, thanx all posters for helping out

[nukmusic]

Everlast,

you are confusing everyone here on what u are trying to do.

If you have a good recording ALREADY....don't screw it up. The above answers are all on point AS WE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO to the music you have recorded.

[Everbeatz]

Ok, nukmusic, I understand

this somehow went in way I didn't want to..

[rickrock305]

i think you're idea is a waste of time and money


if you're going to bother renting a studio, just mix it there. if its not in your budget, well then you didn't budget properly.


the idea of processing individual tracks is counterproductive IMO. you'd probably end up screwing it up more than you would help it.


if you really feel the need to run it through some nice gear, but still wanna mix at your spot, you could always go the rental route and rent some pieces.

[psycho_monkey]

you'd be better off mixing itb, then bringing your 90% complete tracks to the studio to fine tune over a few days - even if you have to bring your own rig in.

Might as well make use of the superior studio acoustics, which is likely to make more of a difference than any random processing.

[Everbeatz]

Originally Posted by psycho_monkey

you'd be better off mixing itb, then bringing your 90% complete tracks to the studio to fine tune over a few days - even if you have to bring your own rig in.

Might as well make use of the superior studio acoustics, which is likely to make more of a difference than any random processing.

Yeah, that seems rational and it's a good advice

thnx

[bgrotto]

Originally Posted by Everlast

bgrotto I don't see the point of leading discussion this way....

I hope you make better music than make friends here

All of a sudden you seem worried about me "wasting the dude's money"

It would be a good point if you knew what kind of arrangement this is..

I think you kinda play a teaching role cos you felt like it...without thoroughly knowing the facts...but it's your right, it's internet, it's forum

And YES, I heard the tracks..pity

Why is it a pity that you heard the tracks?

Anyway, I'm not leading the discussion at all...I think everyone agrees it's a bad idea for you to process tracks in the way you described. I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's my opinion (and apparently, everyone else's). And you asked.

Anyway, it's your budget, spend it however you want.

I'm not gonna lose any sleep over you wasting the dude's money; I'm thinking of it from the standpoint of how I would approach the situation. As a professional producer, engineer, and mixer, yes, I DO concern myself with the best possible way to allocate the budget. It wasn't meant as a jab at you, just an observation that seemed to be quite relevant, and extremely practical.

If this isn't a client/mixer situation (which the quote above suggests), I apologize for the confusion. Your first post made it seem otherwise.

As for the making friends comment, well...I don't have much to say in response to that.

[Everbeatz]

Originally Posted by bgrotto

As for the making friends comment, well...I don't have much to say in response to that.

Understood all points from your post...

Friends comment was about the way you stood to give me lectures which I didn't ask for

And if I was in mood to "get myself into a nice studio to dick around" I wouldn't made a thread here to ask for advices. I needed some practical, hopefully friendly advices to get the best results I could

[ryst]

Originally Posted by Everlast

Friends comment was about the way you stood to give me lectures which I didn't ask for

How did you take anything he said as a lecture?

[bgrotto]

Originally Posted by Everlast

Friends comment was about the way you stood to give me lectures which I didn't ask for

And if I was in mood to "get myself into a nice studio to dick around" I wouldn't made a thread here to ask for advices. I needed some practical, hopefully friendly advices to get the best results I could

I didn't mean to come off as lecturing.

Anyway, the bit about getting into a studio to dick around was sorta half-joking (hence the smilies and ). I mean, this is Gearslutz; I'm pretty sure everybody here likes going into studios to dick around. Hell, I work in one of the best studios in town, and I still look for excuses to visit some of the other hip joints to do some dicking (ew.).

Regardless, good luck doing whatever you do. Hope it turns out ok.

[djblah]

I see what they're saying man. To put it in better terms... There's no reason to waste money trying to beef up the tracks when it sounds like u don't really know how to beef up the tracks properly. There's a good chance u might go in and make all the individual tracks sound different (not necessarily better) but they won't work well in the context of the mix. The best way to do what u want is to actually just mix it at their studio or don't bother altering the original tracks at all.

The best solution on here in my opinion was to rent some of the gear u want to use.

[filin]

Mix it at your own place ITB, bounce out some group stems and take those into the "real" studio.