A question about really BIG fader rides

[Blast9]

Mixing ITB:

What techniques are you using for this scenario?

What can you realistically get away with and not back yourself into a corner, so to speak?

I've got this crescendo towards the end of a song which I want to be exciting and massive, but not silly... Loads of guitars and drums.

I want it to kick in suddenly.

I don't want the mastering comp/lim to spazz out when it eventually goes to mastering, and I want to retain the attack on the drums, and the clarity of the mix in general.

I'm thinking maybe just treat that section differently to the rest of the song and splice the 2 sections together, then I can control the relative levels.

Any hints?

[alphajerk]

i dunno man... im starting to bag mastering now that im ITB. my stuff always sounds better when i do everything than when i send it off. so i can adjust in real time for exactly what you are talking about. for a while i let people decide for me that their tools were better but a/b-ing the two i think what you know and what you ultimately want is better if you trust yourself and your monitors/room.

dont know if this really helps you, but for something like this.... i automate the 2buss for this along with the faders [usually losing the threshold of the compressor in automation to keep things open when cranked] or just a result of rebalancing with one active on the mix buss.

[Blast9]

OK... So I guess you make sure the peaks won't give you overs when you automate the comp threshold to the "no compression" setting?

[maxim]

i'm not going to bag mastering, and, don't forget, ME's know how your mix is going to translate in the outside world

my advice is to talk to the mastering engineer and discuss your mix in advance

also, the power in the crescendo doesn't have to be totally reliant on voltage

you can create impact with dynamic eq, changing textures, simple addition of instruments, changes in internal balance, reverb levels, compression ratios, distortion etc etc

[Jules]

Start with the end section...

Then go back & make sure the beginning isnt too loud..

That way it WILL have impact..

Work BACKWARDS

Very time consuming these 'two parters' IMHO...

[joeq]

I find the introduction of extra bass helps a section to "kick in"

I don't meant turning up the bass guitar, I mean more left hand on the piano, more E string on the guitars, an extra tom part, etc.

[alphajerk]

Originally posted by maxim
i'm not going to bag mastering, and, don't forget, ME's know how your mix is going to translate in the outside world


also, the power in the crescendo doesn't have to be totally reliant on voltage

you can create impact with dynamic eq, changing textures, simple addition of instruments, changes in internal balance, reverb levels, compression ratios, distortion etc etc

i dont agree with your first part as if we cant figure out how it will translate in the outside world... i know exactly how mine is going to sound and am never suprized anymore with the monitors i use. sounds exactly like i expect it to.


but i do agree on you last part.... in the big parts i cut way boack on verbs, effects.... or add more effects depending. i really automate the crap out of things anymore. pushing things more, pulling other things back. moving things around in the stereo spectrum.... pretty much all you said.