OTB Summing / Stem Mixing

[JSAudioTN]

Hey all, I wanted to get some input on mixing to stems for OTB summing. I'm mixing a bluegrass album and I'm planning to mix to stems and then sum through a Neve (at unity). I'm mixing in PT with a 002R & Mackie Control (HUI). It's a total of 10 Audio tracks & a few Aux tracks (Verbs & such). I want the mix to be totally recallable (so I can make changes if needed) so I'm planning to use the Neve for summing only (Everything at unity - no fx sends, ect.). I have 8 outs on the 002R and I plan to use them as 4 stereo pairs as everything is panned a bit and all the instruments (except Bass) were recorded stereo. The Stereo Buss out of the Neve will be then patched back into the 002R and recorded so I can do a bit of level matching and fades (as there's bound to be a slight bit of noise from the Neve stereo buss). The mix is about done for the first 2 songs and I'm mixing to stems now. The Neve will be either a V1 or a 8128. I'll also be doing an ITB bounce to compare & will most likely post the results here when the project is done.

- Here's the question... What would you combine to stems? Frequency similar instruments? Instruments of varying frequency range? Group Instruments by purpose (ie. Rhythm, leads, fills)?

Here's the list..... (and how I've grouped them at this point)

STEM 1
Acoustic Guitar
Banjo
Bass

STEM 2
Mandolin
Fiddle
Dobro

STEM 3
Lead Vocal
Verb

STEM 4
BGVs

------- Please keep in mind this is a low budget / little time allocated project ---------

There is no option to buy/rent other gear.

It's just a question of what to combine... If the idea is to reduce the amount of summing in PT - What should you buss (sum?) together?

Any other tips on bluegrass tracking / mixing are welcome also.

[theblue1]

I wonder if perhaps your purposes might be best served by seperating the submixes so as to provide the most 'room' for each set of potentially competing high frequency instruments, perhaps.

Using the same criteria that one might weigh in finding room for different instruments in a mix, you could assign outs to minimize conflicting demands of, say, acoustic guitars competing with acoustic pianos.

If the worry is that digital summing 'inter-munges' the sounds it is summing, then let the analog mixer do the critical work of blending textures like drum cymbals, acoustic guitars, acoustic pianos, and/or vocals.

Since all four of your submix signal chains will be nearly identical and feature no processing, you can assign instruments to outputs strictly based on these considerations.

[Jules]

If it can be assumed that the bass gtr & L vocal will be centrally panned I advise this.

STEM 1
PT Left - (pan into centre on Neve) - Bass
PT Right - (pan into centre on Neve) - L vox

STEM 2
Mandolin
Fiddle
Dobro

STEM 3
Acoustic Guitar
Banjo

STEM 4
BGVs
Reverbs

This configuration reserves stems for stereo information and has important mono signals on their own outputs and desk channels.

So if you are using Neve channels 1-8, channels 1 & 2 will be panned centrally, down the middle or 'mono'

Dont forget to make good use of the Neve studios equipment

It would be a shame if you didn't use any cool stuff like reverbs, the Neve eq itself if required or other stuff only because you were obsessing about 'total recall'

You can recall stuff in the Neve studio with a pen and a pad of paper.

To come away from the session with your PT session saved + 4 sheets of A4 with sketches of outboard & fancy reverb parameters is perfectly 'normal'. The studio should assist you in this regard.

[JSAudioTN]

Guys - thanks for the input. Jules, your idea of the Lead Vocal & Bass was great. That'll help me tons. As far as using some of the outboard gear - the thought did cross my mind... I'll let you know what I come up with..

I'm a little suprised there's not more input on this....

Surely there's more people who have to make decisions about mixing to stems...

Where are you all?

j/k

Thanks Guys,

Jim

[Jules]

if I may venture forth a theory...

Because there are no drums, no bass synths, no percussion....no samples no loops

There seems "not much to it" really....

A simple job...

That could be the reason for so few posts...