Poll: Mix with Vox first or Drums/Bass or

[amost]

Generally speaking, I was wondering when you mix do you start with:

1: Drums/Bass first or
2: Vox first or ....


TIA!

[Tousana]

I like to start with the rhythm elements almost always, but that's not set in stone.

[Benmrx]

For me it really depends on the song. For a typical rock tune, I'll start with drums. For more of a singer songwriter piece, I'll start with the vocals

[RCM - Ronan]

I start with everything. Push all the faders up and get to work.

[Nosound]

I agree with the last poster push up all the faders and listen to how the song goes see how it was arranged. Then you'll have and ideal if it's a strong vocal's or heavy riffing guitar's or bass and drum pouding grove'en funk. After I listen to the song then I start mixin'.

[Shandy]

I always start with the drums, but that could be because drums have always given me trouble, so I like to get them out of the way...

[thethrillfactor]

Whatever needs the most help.


If the vocals are suffering its the vocals.


If its the drums its the drums.



If both are suffering i raise my rates on the spot and take a Tylenol.

[djui5]

I can't answer this....it depends on the song and genre'

[AlexLakis]

Like many have all ready said, it all depends.

With rock, however, I'll usually start with drums, then move to bass. Then I'll drop the bass out and work on the vocals.

Guitars are usually last in most things, because they're usually the least important, at least out of drums, bass, and vocals.

[bpatural]

the drums usually come in as 8-16 mics or so and i try to work it into a single instrument...this takes by far the most eq and compression for a modern sound...next throw in the bass and strap on a buss compressor so i have a groovin rhythm section...then bring the rest of the trax in to make a killer instr, then vox and bgv....and the fx...on the other hand the song i'm doing right now is just orchestra and vox so i kind of bounced around to each and started mixing them together....
-brian

[u b k]

i do vox all by themselves, then work on all the music with no vox, then vox+music.

no matter what style, genre, or vibe, this is the only way i can get things to come together.


gregoire
del ubik

[Yoni]

Originally Posted by u b i k

i do vox all by themselves, then work on all the music with no vox, then vox+music.

no matter what style, genre, or vibe, this is the only way i can get things to come together.


gregoire
del ubik

I do the same.

[Eric Dahlberg]

I start getting EQ's & levels together while tracking so it all depends on what's recorded first (usually drums, obviously).

[Drumsound]

I start with all the tracks coming up on the console. I might take things in and out to see how they are relating, but generally I believe that I need to hear how everything reacts to the other things.

[Surfkat]

I like to just get all the tracks roughly balanced without any board eq. This helps me find the "center" of the song. Then I can mute certain parts and focus on the details of individual tracks.

I must say that my approach is beginning to change somewhat with projects I both record and mix. In the pre DAW era the mix was a totally seperate sporting event from the basic tracking and overdubbing sessions. The mix was the championship, the Finals. Now with the instant recall and easy auto mation of the DAW I find myself actually beginning the mix as I track. By making rough, ITB mixes as the overdub process continues I find myself adding eqs and comps, basic verb and delay sounds to put things into perspective. All this may later be changed when the tracks are mixed OTB thru my Trident 80C but it is a starting point. So now due to this amazing DAW technology I can actually start the mix before I start to mix. Go figure.

Now if I can just figure how to get paid before I start to work...