Music Lesson: Mixing Techniques

So what I've done here now, I've loaded up the same queue again, but I've actually loaded it up with all the mixing that I've done on it.

Overview of the Mixing Process

I'm just going to go through it quickly. What I actually did do when I mixed this queue properly with a composer present:

• First Group of String Players (Soloists):
  • Added some DBX low end to the cello.
  • Added some reverb.
  • Split them out onto their stems.
  • Not a huge amount of EQing, just a little bit more bottom end here.

As we can see on one of my favorite plugins, the SSL emulation from Waves, I added a bit of bottom end onto the cello, and that was it.

Orchestra

Like I say, usually this stuff is quite nicely recorded. Similarly, with the orchestra, all I did was:

• Added reverb onto the solo mics (the spot mics).
• A bit of string DBX, and a bit of extra low end onto our double basses.

String Overdub

There is actually a string overdub as well. So that's like another group of tracks here from the orchestra:

• These are basically copies of what's up here, but there's separate audio in there.
• When we reach the end here, I'm going to play it, and you'll hear the strings become extra big.

So when it hits this spot, all of a sudden, it gets a lot bigger.

Additional Mixing Techniques

I'll explain a little bit more about what I've done down here.

• I thought these sequence tracks all sounded a bit clean, so I put a Kramer tape emulation there and added quite a lot of wow and flutter noise just to crunch them up a bit and to make them sit in with the live instruments.
• Just a little bit of EQ here and there; I pulled out some bottom end from that gong sound, along with little touches where I felt they were needed.

Automation

I'm just going to quickly demonstrate here as well. If we put the automation on that:

• There is quite a bit of riding going on, especially on the strings.
• The solo instruments have been raised here at the end.

If I just play this little section, you'll hear that we've really turned up that violin. There are also bits and pieces of rides here.

Working with Composers

If you're not sure about how to ride stuff, sometimes, with a composer present, or if you are the composer yourself, you know, just have a discussion and try a few things to ensure it's nice and musical and also fits the dialogue.

Conclusion

So this concludes this chapter, really.

• We've finished our mix of this cue. The only thing left to do is actually hit record, which I've already done earlier.
• Once that's been recorded, we will end up with our separate 5.1 stems here (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), our full mix, and a stereo mix, all nicely lined up within the arrangement here, timestamped.

They're basically ready to go, and we can send them off to the dub.

Final Checks

Once the files are recorded here, they'll end up in the audio files folder within your session. To ensure they are recorded in the right place:

• Always worth checking your disk allocation to confirm it does end up in your session folder.
• This should normally do so automatically, but it's worth double-checking.

So, that's the end of this chapter.