Production & Mixing Notes - Sharing what I've learned

[Greeny]

This came from Holdempok asking for some pointers on song production and mixing. It's what I've learned the hard way, through trial and error, but it might be helpful to anyone trying to get a slightly more 'professional' mix done on their songs. I use that term loosely, because I'm no expert in these things. Anyone who has listened to Hooper's work on here will know the difference between being competent (like me) and making the production an art in itself (like him). Note: this is just the way that I do it – it's not necessarily right, and isn't very complicated. For example, I never tinker with the amp sounds or guitar effect parameters like some people do.

1.The first thing to do is think about the style and speed of the song, then create a guide rhythm track which meets your needs. Try a few 'kit' sounds to see which flavour appeals the most. I keep the metronome as an intro, then just leave the chosen pattern on step 2 to play for the rest of the song.

2.TRACK 1: Start with the rhythm guitar as the backbone of your song. For me, this tends to be acoustic guitar. I often blend the MIC and GTR to record this part, using just enough guitar signal to give the tone some depth, but relying on the MIC to make the guitar sound natural. I use 'BassCrnch' for the GTR effect and 'OnBoard1' for the MIC. I also sometimes add backing vocals 'live' whilst I'm playing. Because it's through the mic, you might have to go back afterwards and record over the start on 'GTR' to remove any noise you don't want.

3.I tend to pan the acoustic part left – usually between L25 and L30. But it seems to sound best panned left. Or maybe that's just what I like. 

4.TRACK 2: I then add some electric guitar embellishment, panned right (usually between R20-35) to give the other guitar layer some balance. It might be the same chords as track 1, but I'll do little turnarounds and have fun with the picking style etc to give it a different feel from the other guitar track. Sometimes I'll play the chords on different parts of the neck or come up with harmonies. I use a lot of the 'Nashville' and 'Twangstr' effects here, plus some 'SQR Tr' tremolo . There are so many options though. The thing here is that adding a layer of electric will make your acoustic layer really come alive – the percussive strum on Track 1 will become more prominent.

5.TRACK THREE: This is where I record the vocal – either through 'OnBoard1' or 'VoDelay1'. I always use the BR like a microphone. Again, you might need to record over unwanted noise, punch–in clicks etc with 'GTR'.

6.TRACK FOUR: Either bass, or lead guitar. Or both if you're going to bounce the tracks. I'll keep the bass panned centrally, but usually shift the lead guitar right a bit. Occasionally I'll pan the lead guitar far right, but if you're a better player than me (not hard), you can keep it central and bring it up in the mix.

7. I've got a song done. Now I'll start playing with individual track levels and panning adjustments to get the sound I'm after. Occasionally I might venture into changing the reverb on the acoustic track to give it some more depth.

8. RHYTHM: I've got my levels right, but now the drums need sorting out. This will take time, but it's worth it. You can really screw a song up if the drums are wrong. First up, for any acoustic based song, the drums are too loud as they are. I drop them to around 85 on the rhythm volume - sometimes less. Just depends what you're after. Then comes the step editing. I'll try all sorts of patterns and fills until I get it right. It takes time to keep going backwards and forwards between the song and the step edit, but it's worth it. Try different patterns for the verse and chorus parts. By doing this at the end, you can hear how the drums interact with the WHOLE song.

9. MASTERING: There is no right or wrong way on this. I've used nearly all of the pre-set effects, because they do different things to different songs. It's a case of listening to how they sound and choosing the best one for THAT song. 'Premaster' is a good catch-all effect, as it's not quite as harsh and bright as 'Mixdown'.

10. You have a song. Live with it for a while and see if you want to remix it. Then post it on the forum 

Hope this helps. It's more about gut instinct and using your ears than technical prowess... 

[Greeny]

Just wanted to add something...

I find recording more productive when the song has been played and honed and fully learned BEFORE you sit down to record it. Just a thought 

[AlchemyMN]

Just wanted to add something...

I find recording more productive when the song has been played and honed and fully learned BEFORE you sit down to record it. Just a thought 

Yes, but what happens when you freak out as the record button is pressed?  I usually have a few rough takes to get the nerves out of the way, then everything is OK.  I have a few collegues who can play any well-rehearsed thing right the first time.  Sick.   

Great step by step guide Greeny.  Thanks!

[Bluesberry]

Thank you Greeny, I am going to read this carefully and see what I can take from it to improve my songs.  Thank you for this effort.

[guitarron]

thanks for the inspiration-some good tips
I have a drummer friend coming over today-plan on recording-we tend go into long jams-those can produce some gems but you got to wade thru a bunch of crap to get it
 i'm gonna try more structured ideas today

[Bro]

Thank you so much!
I've been needing this for so long by now!

[hewhoiscalledj]

Excellent post Greeny. I'd like to add that the beauty of multi-track recording is that you can record each part seperately like you said... and as each new track gets recorded, you can start using Vtracks to re-record the previous tracks using the newer parts as inspiration. Each take gets progressively better (ideally) and can possibly be improved by playing off subsequent other parts.

For instance, you record the original acoustic rythym, then the bass. Perhaps the bass line does something interesting just before the change into the chorus and so you re-record the guitar part to add a little embelishment or maybe just stop playing there to add emphasis to the bass; and vice versa.

The song just gets better and better with each take. The trick becomes knowing when good enough is, well... good enough.

Cheers.

[steveblues50]

thanks greeney!!

[upsetminded]

Thanks Greeny!  I am printing your tips out and hopefully I can improve on some of my songs.

[Greeny]

Thanks Greeny!  I am printing your tips out and hopefully I can improve on some of my songs.

I like your Syd Barrett quote - 'Octopus' is one of my favourite songs 

p.s. I've done somewhere approaching 100 songs on the BR now, and I'm still learning with each new track...