What's your workflow

[Jostein]

Personally, I'm using MB from A-Z, and probably the MIDI part also from the next project where it is involved. MB3 is so far rock stable to me in the studio and laptop, so I'm already using it in production.

For mixing duties, I receive the multi-tracks through the 'Net or from some psychical medium. BTW, the last official album I mixed on is Hope with the US based band Fresh Anointing. I used MB 2.5 in Linux there as allways, they are being more and more tolerate for non PT mixes even in conservative Nashville.

My workflow is very conventional. This is the steps and I will try to keep them short:

• I import the files (if they're not there already from tracking). If some of them are stereo tracks, then I split them to mono, even OH, room mics, pianos is mono (mono, L and R of anything) - no exceptions.
  
• I find the BPM, place the files correctly at the time line and set place markers
  
• Now, I go through every track and sort it and I'm coloring them. The drums get the same colors (for example drums and perc) the same goes for guitars, keys, choir and so on. I use grouping for the top and bottom snare, L & R channel of anything (OH, piano, whatever) and anything where it fits.
  
• Now, I put up the mixbuses, usually drums, guitars, keys, lead vocal(s), choir and reverb. I have realized that one do not to need many mixbuses and I'm getting better every time in keeping it simple for the sake of the sound. This works for me at least. And I still have one or two mixbuses more if needed, but I try to avoid it. As it has been for many decades now: sticking with what I have works beautifully.
  
• I make a snapshot named with the timestamp plus the word: "Imported".
  
• Now, I listen trough every track, make decisions such as not using some of them, making silence between every tom beat (removing bleeding), correcting pitches, phase, sometimes adding instruments, dub vocals and preparing for the mixing process.
  
• I make a snapshot named with the timestamp plus the word: "Edited".
  
• Now I go through every track (normally drums/perc, bass, guitars, keys, orchestra, lead vocals, choir). Doing grouping, HPFing, EQing, compressing and, well doing the mixing.
  
• I make a snapshot named with the timestamp plus: "mix 1".
  
• In addition to the mix, I often make a TV track, backing also if the client accept the mix.
  

That's normally my mixing session. It takes me normally somewhere between 1 and 3 hours to mix a rock/country/jazz song with 15 to 30 tracks (from import to printing of the mix). A project with over 50 tracks does not take much longer.

The reason that I'm that picky about the routines is that then I can fully concentrate 100% of the sound. Hope this is helpful.

[Raven46]

A-Z here too. Only have MB3 since just after the release but ditched LPX after a couple days.

[tinoroho]

Hi Everyone!
I have been sending my ways how I mix in Mixbus for a friend to US, he advised to put them on youtube, I did.

Best wishes
Tassy

Hi Tassy, Thank You for the video.
Regarding the reference track...

was trying to do similar thing in my Logic
but never was happy with,
but then I've found this:

https://www.samplemagic.com/details/184/magic-ab

it works fantastically in MB, without any troubles.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL !!!

Zseroka, how do you use Magic AB in MB3? I have it but because every channel goes to the mixbus doesn't that mean that the signal coming for AB is getting some coloring and processing from the master bus? Which kinda defeats the purpose of that reference. Please advise.

Thanks,


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[Tassy]

I think to use Magic AB as planned for (I do not have) the signal flow in MB, pre and postfader, the built in limiter on/off etc needs a bit more consideration and experiment not to be cheated by accident with the AB.
Which A? and which B? that is the question

I think, maybe mistaken, but if the same track is played in a media player and in Mixbus (bypasing the master) even then can some of Mixbus nicer audio processing take place or just hear the raw signal as in a media player?

There is also the perception plugin for that
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3MvshipsN4

But in MB2.5 I do not need any as in my video the comparison is real time and only one click A/B

[zseroka]

Zseroka, how do you use Magic AB in MB3?

insert AB Magic as a last plugin in Master channel (after fader).
You may want to take off the master bus limiter.

I think, maybe mistaken, but if the same track is played in a media player and in Mixbus (bypasing the master) even then can some of Mixbus nicer audio processing take place or just hear the raw signal as in a media player?

I'm not 100% sure also :) if there is something... only Harrison could say.
But for now... I've checked it.
The master bus limiter (the one with lookahead function) should be off. AB Magic is not affected by other factors (neither volume fader, nor saturation, EQ, compressor)
To my ears, there is no... or almost no difference, even when to activate the master bus limiter. It is marginal. Let's not get crazy.
After all... will the Keb'Mo' or Eric Clapton sounds even better?
...ok it's just a joke :)

There is also the perception plugin for that
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3MvshipsN4

I planned to buy it. I think it's essential.

But in MB2.5 I do not need any as in my video the comparison is real time and only one click A/B:)

The main advantage of using the AB Magic is, that You can load up to 9 songs, You can loop required parts of those songs (!)... and You can instantly switch to this parts (!), regardless of, in which measure of Your song you currently are

[Tassy]

Thanks for your test on Magic AB, helps decide buying.

[tinoroho]

Thanks guys for your assistance.


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[davidestevens]

I've been flip-flopping between Cubase and MB since MB2.5, trying out a project in one, then the other. I usually end up in Cubase, because I find the editing much more fluid and much quicker than in MB. (Possibly because I'm not recording songs, but creating soundscapes. I mostly create sounds in maxmsp, which I then assemble, process further, and mix in my DAW. Cubase is really quick for trimming, moving, copying etc etc.)
(The other issue I have is that I use a Wacom pen & pad (RSI) which works fine in Cubase, but which seems to be the cause of many crashes with MB (i.e. if I use the Wacom MB crashes fairly frequently, if I use a different input device it seems to be fine - but my wrist ends up hurting!))

Having said that, I do believe that my sounds sound much clearer and more defined in MB. So I'm seeing if I can export edited tracks from Cubase (the cheapest version, alas, so getting individual tracks out all in one go doesn't seem to be possible) and then mix them in MB.
That's tomorrow's project.

[retro]

Having said that, I do believe that my sounds sound much clearer and more defined in MB. So I'm seeing if I can export edited tracks from Cubase (the cheapest version, alas, so getting individual tracks out all in one go doesn't seem to be possible) and then mix them in MB.

How does the posh version of Cubase do it all in one go? As a batch of bounced files?

[davidestevens]

Having said that, I do believe that my sounds sound much clearer and more defined in MB. So I'm seeing if I can export edited tracks from Cubase (the cheapest version, alas, so getting individual tracks out all in one go doesn't seem to be possible) and then mix them in MB.

How does the posh version of Cubase do it all in one go? As a batch of bounced files?

It's quite while since I owned the posh version (I got fed up with the cost of updates & features I would never use, part of my reason for moving to MB), but yes, I _think that it was possible to export a range as separate tracks. In the cheap version that I have (Elements), I either have to create an output for each track that I want to export & then do them one by one, or solo each track and export one by one through the main out. At least, that's what I've managed to figure out so far.