DRUM TECHNIQUES 4 DA MPC

I agree. When you say they don't understand dynamics l can't argue with that.

Oh yes, l have a complete mathematical formula. Headphones are direct listening but in a studio you get direct and spatial listening. So when l mix l emulate the treated room . I know it well. But its fun.

NearTao wrote:
Pretty sure we're on the same page here. Mixing on headphones is absolutely fine... but I see a lot of people trying to mix on them without understanding the dynamics, leading to blasted out muddy ****. Been mixing with the same headphones for twenty years... and I generally know when I am mixing wrong. I imagine you know it like the back of your hand

Here's a video l did a while back of gain staging. You can do it in any DAW that has gain knobs. I do mines a lil different than others. I will update soon with a new vid because l found new techs and want to add bussing plus take you through the entire process.

CharlesRandolph wrote:

Menco wrote:
Temporarliy using a Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD interface. Had a MOTU firewire interface for years, but had to switch because the new Macbooks don’t have firewire ports anymore. Have some Edirol monitors, don’t know the type. Logic as DAW, mostly stock plugins. Don’t record through my interface, I import all my MPC parts and use Logics virtual instruments once the beat is in Logic in case I want to add more instruments.

In that case, your Gain stage is only on the interface. Are you sampling directly into the MPC or importing samples as well?

Sampling straight into the MPC for 95%. Sometimes I import them through USB.

Gain staging vid but l will do another one soon.

Menco wrote:Sampling straight into the MPC for 95%. Sometimes I import them through USB.

I see. Yeah gain stage in digital is strange, because it really depends on what plug ins you use. Because some plug in are modeled after analog gear and they overload similar to the gear they model. When I mix, I mix with emotion over numbers. It's about how it makes you feel and message I want to convey.

In my DAW all gains are at zero and I don't touch them. I mix exclusively with the faders. I don't add eq, compress, or use any other effects until my dry sound good. (Focus on levels and pans) Then I group/bus instruments together, so I'm mixing with at most 8 faders.

After that I slowly add or cut with EQ to sounds that need it. During the Bus Mixing, I steer away from any compression, because all of that was handled during tracking. The last things, I tend to add is reverb and delays effects. I prefer to keep the session simple, that way it's easier to adjust.

I was taugt the faders should not be used to mix but to automate settings. Thats a standard but l actually don't follow that. I gain stage and use the faders. If l need something brought down in quieted parts in the track l go to the clip section and bring it down. Various ways to get to the same goal.

Danoc wrote:I was taugt the faders should not be used to mix but to automate settings. Thats a standard but l actually don't follow that. I gain stage and use the faders. If l need something brought down in quieted parts in the track l go to the clip section and bring it down. Various ways to get to the same goal.

During tracking, I don't use the faders, I adjust the gains. When mixing, I set the gains and use the faders because I know the levels of the recorded source material. When mixing other people music, I always ask for their rough mix and any recording notes they have.

1. Organize
2. Listen

Danoc wrote:Here's a video l did a while back of gain staging.

Damnit... I used to do a lot of this in my DAW... but been trying to learn the MPC better, and have fallen out of all these patterns.

Definitely showing me where I will probably hit the ceiling, and why I will go back to the DAW at some point. You're making me miss working with my DAW...

Man I know you use reason, if I post a link with a reason file for my BB281 that I did can you check out my mix setup? The only plug-ins I used are the free ones from melda prod. I just want to see what you would do differently.

Danoc wrote:I was taugt the faders should not be used to mix but to automate settings. Thats a standard but l actually don't follow that. I gain stage and use the faders. If l need something brought down in quieted parts in the track l go to the clip section and bring it down. Various ways to get to the same goal.

Levulz2it wrote:Man I know you use reason, if I post a link with a reason file for my BB281 that I did can you check out my mix setup? The only plug-ins I used are the free ones from melda prod. I just want to see what you would do differently.

I've heard some examples of your mixes and I will tell you this. The mixes are not good and your trying to do too much. Work on mixing: Kick, Snare, Hi Hat. No compression, no eq, or any other effects. Just levels and pans and get those three things to sound good. If you can't get those things to sound good, it doesn't matter what you do.

The truth is, your mixes are going to suck, until they don't. If you want to improve, keep it as simple as possible.

Hahahaha Sure blame it on me LOL

But Ima do another vid where I get a little deeper so producers can have a very nice mix, then you will see how I get my drums nice! Plus how to do your tracks. There are many methods people use but I get the best out of what I do. But I gotta set it up. I need to get where I can record on my main computer instead of my laptop.

Oh Tao you can fall right back in place using a DAW. I could do some what I wanted in the MPC Live but..... Just wasn't the same. I didn't do entire tracks in it either.

NearTao wrote:

Danoc wrote:Here's a video l did a while back of gain staging.

Damnit... I used to do a lot of this in my DAW... but been trying to learn the MPC better, and have fallen out of all these patterns.

Definitely showing me where I will probably hit the ceiling, and why I will go back to the DAW at some point. You're making me miss working with my DAW...

Oh yeah I could do that, You're talking about a Reason session right? I use studio one also.

Levulz2it wrote:Man I know you use reason, if I post a link with a reason file for my BB281 that I did can you check out my mix setup? The only plug-ins I used are the free ones from melda prod. I just want to see what you would do differently.

Danoc wrote:I was taugt the faders should not be used to mix but to automate settings. Thats a standard but l actually don't follow that. I gain stage and use the faders. If l need something brought down in quieted parts in the track l go to the clip section and bring it down. Various ways to get to the same goal.

Danoc wrote:Oh yeah I could do that, You're talking about a Reason session right? I use studio one also.

I told him what's wrong without the session.

If the drums aren't right the rest of the track won't. The drums are the backbone of the track and if it's not right it's going to flop everything. I hope we can help people get that straight, believe it, if you get those drums right everything will fall in place.

Peace.

That post was obviously before I watched danocs video. Brooo...i definitely don't mix like that lol and its obvious. Im going to mix the 281 battle and see what I come up with.

Also danoc, I couldn't do that anyway. I have reason lite and if you save it in the full version I won't be able to open it. Appreciate you saying yes tho!

CharlesRandolph wrote:

Levulz2it wrote:Man I know you use reason, if I post a link with a reason file for my BB281 that I did can you check out my mix setup? The only plug-ins I used are the free ones from melda prod. I just want to see what you would do differently.

I've heard some examples of your mixes and I will tell you this. The mixes are not good and your trying to do too much. Work on mixing: Kick, Snare, Hi Hat. No compression, no eq, or any other effects. Just levels and pans and get those three things to sound good. If you can't get those things to sound good, it doesn't matter what you do.

The truth is, your mixes are going to suck, until they don't. If you want to improve, keep it as simple as possible.