Mixbus as a composition tool : MIDI loops

[Frank]

I was referring to the amount of tracks..

Obviously. Have you ever mixed anything with more than 20 tracks ? With more than 35 tracks ?

Cheers.

Sure

Life when mixers had knobs an no presets. And one had to from one end.
No soundcheck (Just no time, or on festivals next).
With soundchecks
Who are those blokes on stage? They are the artists

48, 96 channels . 24 Channel drum sub-mixer. what was needed, or what bands asked.
eleborate keyboard setups complicated background vocals, strings.

also with modern equipment . With distracting spectrum analysers , so people can see what they hear.

My aim live was true stereo CD sound quality. when we had room for play quadro
let them fly through space.

But always critical . do we need a bottom top snare ? Overheads ? who lives on the ceiling.
The singer record mono ?

a violin ensemble each violin its own pickup ? where is the ensemble than..

and the main instrument : ears ears ears.
Imagination, be critical, inventive, innovation ..

keywords

for fun

regards

[jonetsu]

48, 96 channels . 24 Channel drum sub-mixer. what was needed, or what bands asked. eleborate keyboard setups complicated background vocals, strings. also with modern equipment . With distracting spectrum analysers , so people can see what they hear.

Neat. Have you also worked with the same number of tracks in a recording studio ?

Cheers.

[Frank]

48, 96 channels . 24 Channel drum sub-mixer. what was needed, or what bands asked. elaborate keyboard setups complicated background vocals, strings. also with modern equipment . With distracting spectrum analyzers , so people can see what they hear.

Neat. Have you also worked with the same number of tracks in a recording studio ?

Cheers.

I love clarity and localization. so i use few mikes : and hence few tracks.
To help overcome insecurity with artists, i use dummy mikes. Mikes which are at a kit for instance, but i do not use.
Just to beat the : You forgot the kick, Now the overheads remarks.

I use more mikes on vocals. How can you make a stereo recording with one mike ?

I let key-players work to get the right sound out of their synth, before they play. At low levels and High levels. How does it sound when you play ppp , now forte. Not in post production.

acoustic guitar always stereo miked ( X-Y, used to call it Blumlein, till i discovered he advised double figure of eight, but never used that)

Just try for your self. Put your guitar in a stereo space : add a mono mike for reference, you will hear.

I am very low on EQ sometimes just the second stage on the Mixbusses. Very low on plugins..

=-=-

Being minimal has it disadvantages.
I remember i did a life recording of an acoustic group: Flute, pan flutes, guitars.
I used a hidden X-Y at he right spot. No visual intrusions.
Another company recorded too: a radio station.
They brought lots of mikes and stands, and stuff.
I watched with amusement.

We recorded straight to two track, We had the same recorder.
Management of the group was very impressed with the radio guys.

I was called, and had to listen to the better recording.
I thanked them: it was my tape. Lost the job, because i was expensive for so little work.

Maybe it gives you ideaś
regards

[jonetsu]

I love clarity and localization. so i use few mikes : and hence few tracks.

So in other words no such thing as maybe even 20 tracks when recording. Do you have commercial releases out there on the market ?

Just try for your self. Put your guitar in a stereo space : add a mono mike for reference, you will hear.

I'm not sure what you mean. For 2.5 years now I use two mics, each one going to a stereo tube preamp (regular 12AX7, haven't upgraded yet) which in turn goes to a stereo tube compressor (12AX7 again) then into Bitwig (now Mixbus32C) with the signals being received by a pair of Pulltec emulations. What is the stereo you are talking about ?

I am very low on EQ sometimes just the second stage on the Mixbusses. Very low on plugins..

I must say I use a fair bit of EQ, one per track right at the top, for subtractive purposes to gain focus. Once this is done, there's only a touch here and there with the 32C EQ. The guitar sound is set apart from this.

My last, Summer Theme (also in the "Made with Mixbus" section) has 3 different reverb units and 2 compressors (did not use the Mixbus built-in for those two specific tracks) at the mixing stage, subtractive EQ aside. That's it.

Being minimal has it disadvantages. ....

Yes, people are most often impressed by the presence of technology. And they are much pleased when there's a lot of technology showing and the price is cheap ! They feel they have a very good deal.

Cheers.

[Frank]

I love clarity and localization. so i use few mikes : and hence few tracks.

So in other words no such thing as maybe even 20 tracks when recording.

There is no rule about the amount of tracks. That would be silly. But true, from the old days, where two tracks or four tracks 24 ? wow, come the careful planning, which is not a disadvantage.

what is a rule , or maybe should be a rule is avoid multiple paths for a signal. And being sparse with the amount of tracks, one is automatically helped.

So when you put a mike for say you guitar, and you add a second mike, and the path is different, the second mike should be put in such a way the the path is the same. Or omit it.
double paths create double images, double wave fronts, which blurr the image.
You get cancellations : which appears as less bright. people add high frequency levels : which seem to correct, but never do.
[/quote]

Do you have commercial releases out there on the market ?

I have been out of business for some time : traffic accident. The ones i have are under embargo.
But what use would they be to you?
without full explanation how i did and why i did it in this way, is of little use.
Better discuss a way to record , and try it for yourself.
The method is relevant.
Many recordings cannot be copied, because one does not have the same equipment, the same room, the exact same setup.

Just try for your self. Put your guitar in a stereo space : add a mono mike for reference, you will hear.

I'm not sure what you mean. For 2.5 years now I use two mics,

Now you skip the most important part:
which mikes, and where do you put them?

each one going to a stereo tube preamp (regular 12AX7, haven't upgraded yet) which in turn goes to a stereo tube compressor (12AX7 again)

quite a chain: what are the settings?

What is the reason of compression , which settings?

then into Bitwig (now Mixbus32C) with the signals being received by a pair of Pulltec emulations.

ehh Pultec what ? I am Pultec aware: Preamps ? why do you use them there?

What is the stereo you are talking about ?

a signal is stereo because of the mike placement, mike choice, and the fact that it has more then one mike.

I am very low on EQ sometimes just the second stage on the Mixbusses. Very low on plugins..

I must say I use a fair bit of EQ, one per track right at the top, for subtractive purposes to gain focus. Once this is done, there's only a touch here and there with the 32C EQ. The guitar sound is set apart from this.

do you use a standard procedure ? You give me the feeling that you start each channel with ...
I do not: almost. Since i use Mixbus

I do use a standard . I listen full bandwith, meaning no filters no EQ. Estimate the level in the mix.

My last, Summer Theme (also in the "Made with Mixbus" section) has 3 different reverb units and 2 compressors (did not use the Mixbus built-in for those two specific tracks) at the mixing stage, subtractive EQ aside. That's it.

Being minimal has it disadvantages. ....

Yes, people are most often impressed by the presence of technology. And they are much pleased when there's a lot of technology showing and the price is cheap ! They feel they have a very good deal.

Cheers.

Dancing meters and so. I use a DDX3216 which has lots of dancing meters an flying faders
people are impressed and come and make pictures..

I should listen to your track: with unexposed ears.

regards

frank

[jonetsu]

So when you put a mike for say you guitar, and you add a second mike, and the path is different, ...

The mics are put in such a way that they are pretty close to the same distance.

I have been out of business for some time : traffic accident. The ones i have are under embargo.

North Korea is seemingly out of problems, Iran for the time being is still embargo free, I don't think there's any embargo on Syria ... what country would that be for them to be targeted by an embargo ?

Now you skip the most important part:
which mikes, and where do you put them?

I omitted voluntarily the brand of mcs becaue I do not have the money to buy super-duper ones. So I do with what I have.

each one going to a stereo tube preamp (regular 12AX7, haven't upgraded yet) which in turn goes to a stereo tube compressor (12AX7 again)

quite a chain: what are the settings? What is the reason of compression , which settings?

Well, I will not describe the preamp settings. This is an Art MPA2. Let's say that it does not drive much. The adjustable impedance is adjusted by ear. A bit of a low cut filter. The plate voltage is regular. Phase are normal on both channel, not inverted. The compression is there to smooth out a tiny bit the playing with a 2:1 ratio at a -2 dB threshold, not an agressive attack, a longish release.

then into Bitwig (now Mixbus32C) with the signals being received by a pair of Pulltec emulations.

ehh Pultec what ? I am Pultec aware: Preamps ? why do you use them there?

Pulltec makes EQs. They might have done preamps, but they ar eknown in the plugin world for the emulations of their EQs. So I use a midrange EQ in addition to a high/low pass. I have several settings stored in pair as part of Bitwig FX containers.

do you use a standard procedure ? You give me the feeling that you start each channel with ... I do not: almost. Since i use Mixbus

As standard as Michael White (Whitney Hosuton, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, David Byrne, James Taylor, etc...) can be. Which is to focus each track. Of course when the EQs are added to the tracks in batch mode they're not already configured. OF COURSE.

I do use a standard . I listen full bandwith, meaning no filters no EQ. Estimate the level in the mix.

Good. I do the same. The I add focus.

My last, Summer Theme (also in the "Made with Mixbus" section) has 3 different reverb units and 2 compressors (did not use the Mixbus built-in for those two specific tracks) at the mixing stage, subtractive EQ aside. That's it.

[quote='Frank' pid='36110' dateline='1525944847'] I should listen to your track: with unexposed ears.

You mean with ear plugs or is it just mistake in phrasing the intent of the expression ?

Cheers.

[BruceGA]

I think I record and mix in a sparse manner. I like a mix to sound as if the musicians a playing live, and individual tracks are recorded that way. When playing the ba k I find I have to change very little. Perhaps panning, reverb, very slight eq changes.

It comes across as a more cohesive pie e that way. Mybe that is why I like watching live percormances of acoustic music groups who only use one or two microphones on stage.Wat hing them work the mics to vet the necessary balance all on their own. T an help learn how instruments can fit into a mix.

BRUCE