What files/sessions do customers get back after paying someone else to do a mix?

[4 the Max]

I am paying an engineer to mix a ProTools session. He only wants to mix it at his studio not mine. We both own a UAD card and have the same plug-ins (I have a few more than he does.) so getting back a full mix session with plugins is not an issue for me

The mixing engineer only wants to give me the bounced 24bit stereo wav files after it's mixed, not the full ProTools session with the plugins.

Some other engineers that I have used, have given me the full session with the plugins. For various reasons, though, I must only use this engineer who will only give me the stereo files.

I figure that if I'm paying him to do the job, why don't I get the whole session back. I'm not intending to change his mix, but I'd like the whole project for peace of mind, and safe-keeping in case his session is lost or destroyed. If I ever need it again, I'm beholden to this engineer because he has the full mix session. Again, what if he moves, dies, or it's lost or destroyed -- he's got it in his box. I don't have it.

[drBill]

When you pay someone to mix a song for you and they choose analog as their prefered method, what do you get back? The final mixes only. Right?

I see no difference between that and your current situation. Part of the "mystique" of mix engineers is how they do what they do. Many are very secretive - to the point of not allowing anyone there while they mix to see what they are using, and how they are using it. It keeps them in business.

This is really no different.

That said, I usually give back the entire sessions unless I'm sure the client is going to screw up my mixes and put my name on it.

Really, either way is OK and acceptable unless you give the stipulation UP FRONT that you want it mixed ITB, want X,Y,Z plugins used, and want the entire mix session returned to you. At that point, it's up to the mix engineer whether he wants to take the job or not.

[Makinithappen]

This has been gone over a bunch of times around here...

The counter-argument to drBills position is that even in the analogue realm, labels usually get recall sheets from the mixes so that they can be recreated... this is just afaik and I have never worked at any all-analogue places, though. I'm fairly sure drBill has so you may want to listen to him on this matter.

Personally, all of my hardware EQing and compressing is usually done to "tape" and everything else in PT...

After every session, the client gets a DVD with the whole session on it.

If they choose to take it to another studio and get it remixed, it's their prerogative. I'm confident enough with my skills that that is not a major worry to me. I got paid, right? I have considered just giving out "stems" though but that would take more time on my part....

Also, I know that radio-edits, small mix fixes ect... may occasionally need to be done on short notice and if we are all booked up (which is typical) at least the client has the data and we can refer them somewhere else that we know have comparable HD systems and are able to open the files.

I'm not sure there is a "standard" here but maybe you could call the guy and explain you're situation...

[narcoman]

with me you get what you specified in the job agreement. I'd charge a LOT more to hand back the ITB mix as oppose to a stereo mix.

When the multi mixes are required - IE they wan everything as per my mix - I do a printed one. I'm not in the business of teaching unless paid sufficiently to do it !!

[The Byre]

We have one visiting engineer who brings a whole CD of possible session set-ups and loads that up and uses his macros or sessions to edit and mix. A PT session is a type of software. The engineer is bringing in that SW from his collection of sessions. If you view the session as a macro, then you begin to understand what you are asking this engineer to do.

If the client were to get that session, he would be giving away his software that he had written.

If you are genuinely worried about loosing information and-or data (and you don't just want to crib his ideas and methods of work) ask for a print out of the session as 'broadcast' WAV files, i.e. 'spot-on-export.'

[Makinithappen]

Originally Posted by The Byre

ask for a print out of the session as 'broadcast' WAV files, i.e. 'spot-on-export.'

Do you happen to know an easy way to do this in ProTools?

[krs]

Originally Posted by Makinithappen

Do you happen to know an easy way to do this in ProTools?

1 save plugin presets and render w/ Audiosuite (this can sound different than the original)
2 bounce each track to a new one inside the session

1 is faster
2 is sonically more true to the session IMO

[Makinithappen]

Originally Posted by krs

1 save plugin presets and render w/ Audiosuite (this can sound different than the original)
2 bounce each track to a new one inside the session

1 is faster
2 is sonically more true to the session IMO

Yeah.... Those are the only ways I could think of... I'm not a big fan of either. Oh well.

[strewnshank]

I don't ever give PT sessions to anyone. If they want a recall sheet, I'll gladly make one for them, identical to one they'd have if I'm mixing without a DAW.

I do this because:
- If they were to load my PT sessions, they'd be useless renditions of my mixes because of my OTB processing. Keeping my sessions private prevents someone else from judging my work unfairly.
- My tricks are my tricks. I'll explain them if asked, but I'm not going to hand them out.


With that said, if I'm tracking a session, I always let the client copy the files (I actually encourage them to take a backup every day). I don't care about tracking templates, and I'd rather have them feel comfortable with my business practices than thinking I'm trying to rip them off. That's basically the "master reel" as far as I'm concerned, and they can have it.

I've even consolidated the regions in a session and exported them all from a similar point just so my client could practice mixing with his own work. He got a big kick out of it!

[jsmagenta]

drBill must be talking about the low end. I work with world class engineers at the top studios and you always get everything even if the engineer is an indapendant. However may of the top guys bring in a lot of their own gear and some of it has been modified. I think partially because they don't want to become expendable if recalls are needed.

[narcoman]

Originally Posted by jsmagenta

drBill must be talking about the low end. I work with world class engineers at the top studios and you always get everything even if the engineer is an indapendant. However may of the top guys bring in a lot of their own gear and some of it has been modified. I think partially because they don't want to become expendable if recalls are needed.

Never been my experience in commissioning mix engineers. From Blake to Moulder. Never.

I wouldn't give mine away either - prints, yeah - all the time. But never the raw stuff...... as I said above - I'm not here to teach!

[strewnshank]

Originally Posted by jsmagenta

drBill must be talking about the low end. I work with world class engineers at the top studios and you always get everything even if the engineer is an indapendant. However may of the top guys bring in a lot of their own gear and some of it has been modified. I think partially because they don't want to become expendable if recalls are needed.

Yeah bud, its all continent-class engineers around here just shootin the shit. Your world class buddies are too busy working in their top studios to be on an internet forum debating on what the client gets at the end of a session. But that's what we need to discuss here in the low-land.