Logic Templates for Tracking vs Mixing

[mrhudson]

Good morning,

 

I am trying to get better at using templates to improve my workflow. For tracking, I built something great with my metric halo interface. Covers most of my bases.

I am trying to think through the best way to handle subsequent mixing tasks off that initial tracking template. Some options:

 

(1) Create a separate mixing template as a copy of the tracking template, set to include all the various CPU intensive plugins. Would have to export audio from tracking to mixing template. Would allow me to upsample to 96k eventually to test out the sonic value of doing that. Seems kind of clunky though.

(2) I researched the “copy audio configuration” feature – I could have a mixing template and then copy that into/over the tracking template once ready. Have never tried this one – work well or tricky? That is, does this require having EXACTLY the same track arrangement, count, order, etc.?

(3) Set up one template for both tracking and mixing, bypassing all plugins while tracking – have seen custom workarounds in the environment that facilitate this but never tried.

(4) As a workaround to (3), could I use Low Latency mode with the max delay set to 0ms to effectively turn off most plugins? Any side effects?

(5) Have channel strips saved and just load those track by track when ready to mix.

 

Are there other options I haven’t considered? Thanks for any guidance.

[karp47]

Good morning,

 

I am trying to get better at using templates to improve my workflow. For tracking, I built something great with my metric halo interface. Covers most of my bases.

I am trying to think through the best way to handle subsequent mixing tasks off that initial tracking template. Some options:

 

(1) Create a separate mixing template as a copy of the tracking template, set to include all the various CPU intensive plugins. Would have to export audio from tracking to mixing template. Would allow me to upsample to 96k eventually to test out the sonic value of doing that. Seems kind of clunky though.

(2) I researched the “copy audio configuration” feature – I could have a mixing template and then copy that into/over the tracking template once ready. Have never tried this one – work well or tricky? That is, does this require having EXACTLY the same track arrangement, count, order, etc.?

(3) Set up one template for both tracking and mixing, bypassing all plugins while tracking – have seen custom workarounds in the environment that facilitate this but never tried.

(4) As a workaround to (3), could I use Low Latency mode with the max delay set to 0ms to effectively turn off most plugins? Any side effects?

(5) Have channel strips saved and just load those track by track when ready to mix.

 

Are there other options I haven’t considered? Thanks for any guidance.

 

The whole idea of a template is to save time, you really have to take a step back and see if any of these ideas will actually save you time.

 

While the idea of templates is alluring I generally don't use them. If I do use a template it will have a specific environment window layout or something similar. I find that each session differs too much to justify creating a template. And when recording more than one song for a band/artist it's simple enough to just import the sessions data (minus the audio obviously) from the first session in order to start off with a 'template' like setting.

 

in regards to mixing I don't think using a template is a good idea at all, the truth of the matter is that every mix needs a different approach. There's no way to know exactly what your mix needs until you have finished recording, if you already have decided all your plugins before tracking you are really shutting off a lot of possibilities and getting into a consistently boring (and music is not consistent) pattern.

 

It's also important to try to mix as you go, this means that the vocalist and other musicians will get a better idea of the track and probably churn out a better performance.

 

Anyway, these are just my opinions, I'm sure there are others that would totally disagree with me.

[Rev. Juda Sleaze]

I'm sure there are others that would totally disagree with me.

 

Not me.

 

A hearty +1

[David Nahmani]

Karp got it right. I, also, rarely use templates.

 

I like the freedom of starting with an empty project and creating tracks as I need them. If I need something (hyper sets, groove templates, staff styles, environment etc...) I can always import what I need from a template.

 

I like the security of starting every single project from a factory empty template, that eliminates a lot of potential issues due to potential project file corruption. I also don't want to start working with bloated template full of things I probably don't need for that particular project.

 

There's also an artistic element to it: templates are like a box you're in, once you open a project that already has tracks set up for drums, bass, guitars, vocals, then chances are your mind will not be open to the possibility of a harp/viola/organ orchestration. An empty project template leaves my mind open to many possibilities and gives me back my creativity.

 

Having said all of that, I do use templates once in a while when I get involved in a repetitive project. For example I have to work on an album, and all 12 songs are going to have the same orchestration. Or I need to perform always the same kinds of tasks in various project, etc. Then, in that case, it will save me time, and I'm not really concerned with losing creativity in that situation. That template will be very highly specific to the task at hand.

[karp47]

There's also an artistic element to it: templates are like a box you're in, once you open a project that already has tracks set up for drums, bass, guitars, vocals, then chances are your mind will not be open to the possibility of a harp/viola/organ orchestration. An empty project template leaves my mind open to many possibilities and gives me back my creativity.

 

 

That pretty much sums it all up.

[cnse]

The only template that I've been able to use consistently is a blank project that contains a few environment tweaks to accomodate my Novation Remote SL's automap software (basically you have to cable a few inputs to a dummy monitor object so that the automap info doesn't get piped into the Sequence Input, where it will control the wrong things).

 

Other than that I have found that my attempts at building templates often take more time then they save (with some obvious exceptions such as repetitive jobs).

 

So, mrhudson, I'd give templates a shot, but if they are stressing you out, then just go back to starting from a blank slate, and set things up as needed. It will become second nature.

 

To your point #5, I do find channel strips to be super helpful. Remember that you can create folders when saving plugin and channel strip presets. You can separate by job, by artist, by instrument, whatever works. Sometimes I stress out because my organizational structure grows organically (e.g. isn't perfect), but %98 of the time it works very well, and I can find what I need with a few clicks.

[Mr. V]

Screensets on the other hand, can really enhance workflow.

 

Even here, I try to keep the actual number of them low, like 9 or less, using BORF and EKTU as needed.

[mrhudson]

Thanks for all the suggestions and thoughts. I really found my workflow improved by setting up a template to handle my most typical, audio tracking tasks - for example, I have a grand piano with a known tracking approach, so having a tracking template set with routing from interface preset, etc., was a big help. And so on from there, just the backbone tracking basics, and I can delete what is unused. I have an eight channel snake all set from ULN8 interface through into my Logic tracking template. So that absolutely did save time,but mixing.......I figured having some mixing backbone might be helpful, but channel strips are probably just as useful without getting locked in too much. I think part of the motivation for thinking about mixing templates stemmed from something like Slate's new VCC product, where you can group things across channels and treat similarly. Of course, that takes time to set up those groupings, but maybe there are workarounds that don't require templates. Anyway, thanks for the chat all.

[Mr. V]

Here's a useful read:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar09/articles/logicworkshop_0309.htm

 

There's no harm in creating what you think you need. If you find that using a custom template really does support an efficient workflow, then you're on to something.

 

I've made several templates but the only one that gets consistent use is a custom empty template with specific screen sets and Environment set ups. Hence my above reference to some useful key commands.

[Andyreww]

I think there is some merit in having a template set-up for trying out ideas. Since I'm producing EDM tracks many have similar elements so I have a template with kick, snare, clap, perc, ESM (baseline), ES2 etc. The drum channels have a basic beat, the ESM a simple bass line and, the ES2 has no midi regions. I have a 16 bar section (set by locators) with a break/rise to add some variation.

 

Whenever I have an idea/want to try something out I open the template and I have the basis of an EDM track to start with. I've found this let's me get to the idea rather than going through the process of building drums/percent/bass lines each time I start a track.

 

IMHO this is useful for my workflow/getting ideas down etc. It will probably not work for everyone though.

 

Further to the above I also have some apple loops that I use regularly with ideas.

 

I would try templates, see if they work for you - nothing ventured/nothing gained.

 

Andy

[uhdinator]

Where it works well is when recording live.

Load template "onyx1640i" and I've got 16 ch armed and ready with inputs already assigned within a few seconds. just hit record.