Mixing a live album - all in one session or split into multiple sessions?

James Lehmann · 24th March 2007

Any tips on how you guys do this?

I've got 12 songs and about 70 minutes worth of material.

On the one hand it would seem to make sense to try to mix the whole gig as one long session for continuity (using massive amounts of automation obviously) and then add track markers later to the CD, but maybe it's easier to make separate session files for each song.

Advice appreciated.

absrec · 24th March 2007

James,

This is the way I've done it in the past. Work on the main mix with all 12 songs in the session. Especially if/when you do overdubs. This makes it easy to jump from song to song and the performers start to feel like they are back at the show.

Next, get the rythym section happening, get the right compression/eq on the vocals, etc. When you are done getting the basic mix, then you split it up. Copy the main session file 12 times and name the files after the songs. Open up each session, mute all but that particular song and then you can do automation and song specific treatments. Also, make sure to leave ample crowd noise before and after each song. This way, the mastering engineer has plenty of room to crossfade the songs together depending on how much down time you prefer in between.

Good luck,
-Aaron

P.S. Just don't clear and delete unused regions after you've split the session into individual songs. Don't ask me how I know this.

Don't work without a backup, either. Allright, I'll get off of my soapbox!

James Lehmann · 3rd April 2007

Just to follow up my own post, here's what I did...

I mixed the entire concert from start to finish in one Logic session and went nuts with automation - this was a really good solution because it enabled me to get maximum consistency between the songs at the mixing stage rather than trying to fix it all in mastering. Plus all my plug-in settings I only needed to tweak once instead of re-copying them 12 times.

Then I could easily split up the tracks where I wanted, insert or delete pauses and master the whole gig in Waveburner.

24th March 2007	#1
James Lehmann Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2003 Location: Europe Posts: 2,428 Thread Starter	Mixing a live album - all in one session or split into multiple sessions? Any tips on how you guys do this? I've got 12 songs and about 70 minutes worth of material. On the one hand it would seem to make sense to try to mix the whole gig as one long session for continuity (using massive amounts of automation obviously) and then add track markers later to the CD, but maybe it's easier to make separate session files for each song. Advice appreciated. __________________ James Lehmann Voice-Over Artist - Project Studio Jockey www.jameslehmann.net · Use your real name - keep Gearslutz authoritative, accountable and courteous. · Stop the superlatives madness - just say no to gear threads with the word 'best' in the title. · Words or WAVs? The former are interesting, the latter are convincing.

24th March 2007	#2
absrec Lives for gear Joined: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,138	James, This is the way I've done it in the past. Work on the main mix with all 12 songs in the session. Especially if/when you do overdubs. This makes it easy to jump from song to song and the performers start to feel like they are back at the show. Next, get the rythym section happening, get the right compression/eq on the vocals, etc. When you are done getting the basic mix, then you split it up. Copy the main session file 12 times and name the files after the songs. Open up each session, mute all but that particular song and then you can do automation and song specific treatments. Also, make sure to leave ample crowd noise before and after each song. This way, the mastering engineer has plenty of room to crossfade the songs together depending on how much down time you prefer in between. Good luck, -Aaron P.S. Just don't clear and delete unused regions after you've split the session into individual songs. Don't ask me how I know this. Don't work without a backup, either. Allright, I'll get off of my soapbox! __________________ If you don't spank it, you can't crank it!

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3rd April 2007	#3
James Lehmann Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2003 Location: Europe Posts: 2,428 Thread Starter	Just to follow up my own post, here's what I did... I mixed the entire concert from start to finish in one Logic session and went nuts with automation - this was a really good solution because it enabled me to get maximum consistency between the songs at the mixing stage rather than trying to fix it all in mastering. Plus all my plug-in settings I only needed to tweak once instead of re-copying them 12 times. Then I could easily split up the tracks where I wanted, insert or delete pauses and master the whole gig in Waveburner.