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How do you like to have your mixing projects sent to you?


ifta2004

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Hi there,

 

As I prepare my songs to be mixed I am wanting to make sure I present the mixing engineer with the easiest workflow possible.

 

What are some things you love to see when someone sends you there project from Logic pro X?

 

What are common mistakes that people make when they send exported files?

 

Best

J

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Generally a good guidebook, the "Information Sheet" Brownsound posted above. 

 

Common mistakes: 

- Audio files are not named properly

- Exported audio files are not checked for volume, clipping, etc. So some tracks are delivered very low in volume (probably due to the fact they left the fader way down). Even worse, tracks have very bad clipping. Or something else is wrong, like filter automation not properly bounced. Check your files properly for quality and volume. Peak should be between -18 to -6dB. 

- Audio files in unnecessary big, lossy or "strange" formats, like 32bit @ 32kHz (!!?? That happened really to me  :shock:), or MP3 (!! uhm, no thanks?!) and so on. Deliver 24bit WAV/AIF at the sample rate your session is. Usually it's minimum 44.1kHz. 

- Bounced tracks do NOT start at the same bar. 

- A lot of bounced tracks are empty. Derives probably from that automatic "Export all..." function. Please clean up before you send. Especially Ableton-users seem to be prone to that. 

- Tracks bounced with effects mixed. Better to just send dry signals. If an effect is part of the sound, send dry and 100% wet versions of that track. 

- Volume and pan automation not turned off. It's better to tell the mix engineer where you want those exactly. 

- Mono tracks are bounce stereo. It's not a mistake, but unnecessary. And for me as a mix engineer, it's cool to see in one glance which sounds are mono, and which are stereo. 

 

I'm happy to do all of the above for the customer, until......... they find out I bill them 100 bigbangbucks per hour for that work  8-) They are suddenly very eager to learn how to bounce properly  :D :D

 

About one thing in the "Information Sheet": 

"Tuning, comping and editing must all be complete before sending your multitrack. However, if during the mix I find something that needs tweaking, I am happy to do so without extra charge."

Wow... that's very kind. I would charge extra for that as well. Or the fixed price is so high, it covers all kind of such situations. But then, why should a well prepared customer pay too much? For services he never receives? I'd rather give a "low" price as a starting point and declare what I expect from the customer. THis way he can help himself to keep the costs low. Or we discuss his needs and his budget. And if he wants me to do certain things, we'll find a way that fits his budget. Together, transparent and honest. 

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Generally a good guidebook, the "Information Sheet" Brownsound posted above. 

 

Common mistakes: 

- Audio files are not named properly

- Exported audio files are not checked for volume, clipping, etc. So some tracks are delivered very low in volume (probably due to the fact they left the fader way down). Even worse, tracks have very bad clipping. Or something else is wrong, like filter automation not properly bounced. Check your files properly for quality and volume. Peak should be between -18 to -6dB. 

- Audio files in unnecessary big, lossy or "strange" formats, like 32bit @ 32kHz (!!?? That happened really to me  :shock:), or MP3 (!! uhm, no thanks?!) and so on. Deliver 24bit WAV/AIF at the sample rate your session is. Usually it's minimum 44.1kHz. 

- Bounced tracks do NOT start at the same bar. 

- A lot of bounced tracks are empty. Derives probably from that automatic "Export all..." function. Please clean up before you send. Especially Ableton-users seem to be prone to that. 

- Tracks bounced with effects mixed. Better to just send dry signals. If an effect is part of the sound, send dry and 100% wet versions of that track. 

- Volume and pan automation not turned off. It's better to tell the mix engineer where you want those exactly. 

- Mono tracks are bounce stereo. It's not a mistake, but unnecessary. And for me as a mix engineer, it's cool to see in one glance which sounds are mono, and which are stereo. 

 

I'm happy to do all of the above for the customer, until......... they find out I bill them 100 bigbangbucks per hour for that work  8-) They are suddenly very eager to learn how to bounce properly  :D :D

 

About one thing in the "Information Sheet": 

"Tuning, comping and editing must all be complete before sending your multitrack. However, if during the mix I find something that needs tweaking, I am happy to do so without extra charge."

Wow... that's very kind. I would charge extra for that as well. Or the fixed price is so high, it covers all kind of such situations. But then, why should a well prepared customer pay too much? For services he never receives? I'd rather give a "low" price as a starting point and declare what I expect from the customer. THis way he can help himself to keep the costs low. Or we discuss his needs and his budget. And if he wants me to do certain things, we'll find a way that fits his budget. Together, transparent and honest. 

You had me laughing out loud with your comment about a client being suddenly motivated to learn how to bounce properly.  I am going to be following this list point by point.

I have to admit that I didn't understand the comment about the bounced tracks not starting at the same bar.  I am sending both dry and 100% wet tracks and will be bouncing the tracks with the effects.  Could you please elaborate?  

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You had me laughing out loud with your comment about a client being suddenly motivated to learn how to bounce properly.  I am going to be following this list point by point.

I have to admit that I didn't understand the comment about the bounced tracks not starting at the same bar.  I am sending both dry and 100% wet tracks and will be bouncing the tracks with the effects.  Could you please elaborate?  

Some customer bounced the tracks where the instrument actually starts in the arrangement. E.g. Drums from bar 1, bass from bar 49, and so on. 

This means for me I have to know where those audio files start. I cannot just align them all at bar 1 and the arrangement is set. 

 

Even worse (though just happend once): A customer didn't bounce the single tracks as one file (from bar 1 to the last bar), but for each part in the arrangement, where the instrument plays, seperately. Kick had 15 files, hihat 7, bass 3, vocal 27, etc. I had absolutely no clue why someone would go thru that amount of work. 

 

By the way, another very common mistake: Tails cut off  :shock:

 

I recommend the following for all tracks: 

- Start 1 bar BEFORE song start (it happens very often, that the first transient get cut off)

- Check exactly where the last sound ends (reverb tail, long releases, delay feedback, etc.), be generous here and round up  :mrgreen:

- Leave 4 bars AFTER that point above

 

- "Mathematical": All files length = (start of first region -1 bar) + (end of last region - start of first region) + (longest tail) + 4 bar

 

If that makes any sense to you... I know for newbies this can be very complicated. Especially the "1 bar before song start". Most people use bar 1 as start. I start arrangements from bar 49, or 65 (that's another topic though)  :wink:

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I have turned off all automation and bounced both 100% wet and 100% dry tracks...what I'm concerned about are my levels.  Should I simply zero everything out and then check to see if the peaks are between (-18 and -6)?  Thanks!

As a producer I keep my levels proper during the whole process, around -14dB. So when I finally bounce the tracks, for whatever reasons, I just put all faders to zero, remove the volume automation and start bouncing. If your levels are between -18 and -6 dB, you're fine. 

In most cases you can bounce all tracks only dry. Only if the effect or processing, you're applying, is essential to the sound and cannot be easily reproduced by someone else, then bounce it only wet. If in doubt, bounce dry and wet. 

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You had me laughing out loud with your comment about a client being suddenly motivated to learn how to bounce properly.  I am going to be following this list point by point.

I have to admit that I didn't understand the comment about the bounced tracks not starting at the same bar.  I am sending both dry and 100% wet tracks and will be bouncing the tracks with the effects.  Could you please elaborate?  

Some customer bounced the tracks where the instrument actually starts in the arrangement. E.g. Drums from bar 1, bass from bar 49, and so on. 

This means for me I have to know where those audio files start. I cannot just align them all at bar 1 and the arrangement is set. 

 

Even worse (though just happend once): A customer didn't bounce the single tracks as one file (from bar 1 to the last bar), but for each part in the arrangement, where the instrument plays, seperately. Kick had 15 files, hihat 7, bass 3, vocal 27, etc. I had absolutely no clue why someone would go thru that amount of work. 

 

By the way, another very common mistake: Tails cut off  :shock:

 

I recommend the following for all tracks: 

- Start 1 bar BEFORE song start (it happens very often, that the first transient get cut off)

- Check exactly where the last sound ends (reverb tail, long releases, delay feedback, etc.), be generous here and round up  :mrgreen:

- Leave 4 bars AFTER that point above

 

- "Mathematical": All files length = (start of first region -1 bar) + (end of last region - start of first region) + (longest tail) + 4 bar

 

If that makes any sense to you... I know for newbies this can be very complicated. Especially the "1 bar before song start". Most people use bar 1 as start. I start arrangements from bar 49, or 65 (that's another topic though)  :wink:

 

This is extremely helpful.  Thank you!

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If I understand correctly, what you mean is that when someone sends a bounced track, that it is not starting at 1 1 1 1, is that correct?

Yes. 

How should another person know, where the tracks have to start? He's not an arranger, nor power ranger, just an engineer :D

That sounds like a song lyric to me: "He's not an arranger, nor a power ranger, just an engineer."

I hear it in a thoughtfully arranged acoustic guitar piece with a cello or three.

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I have turned off all automation and bounced both 100% wet and 100% dry tracks...what I'm concerned about are my levels.  Should I simply zero everything out and then check to see if the peaks are between (-18 and -6)?  Thanks!

As a producer I keep my levels proper during the whole process, around -14dB. So when I finally bounce the tracks, for whatever reasons, I just put all faders to zero, remove the volume automation and start bouncing. If your levels are between -18 and -6 dB, you're fine. 

In most cases you can bounce all tracks only dry. Only if the effect or processing, you're applying, is essential to the sound and cannot be easily reproduced by someone else, then bounce it only wet. If in doubt, bounce dry and wet. 

Excellent, got it...thank you again so very much for taking the time!  I feel a lot better about preparing my tracks now.

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Yes. 

How should another person know, where the tracks have to start? He's not an arranger, nor power ranger, just an engineer :D

That sounds like a song lyric to me: "He's not an arranger, nor a power ranger, just an engineer."

I hear it in a thoughtfully arranged acoustic guitar piece with a cello or three.

hehehe... you do the song writing and recording, I'll do the mixing ;)

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Yes. 

How should another person know, where the tracks have to start? He's not an arranger, nor power ranger, just an engineer :D

That sounds like a song lyric to me: "He's not an arranger, nor a power ranger, just an engineer."

I hear it in a thoughtfully arranged acoustic guitar piece with a cello or three.

Read this to Donavan's 'Mello Yellow' II think it would work :-)

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