Producers: What do you think?

[DJ Hero]

So I was thinking of how I might be able to help out a bit more. Every month I get my issue of Sound On Sound magazine. In each issue is an article called "Mix Rescue" where one of their engineers takes a submission to the magazine, and mixes it down and masters it for the artist. The idea is that the engineer explains every step of the process while he's doing it.

I figured that could be pretty handy for you guys looking to increase your skills.

I would take a submission (in the form of rendered stems), and put the song back together, explaining what I am doing to achieve the warmest, fullest, mixdown possible step by step, from the percussion, to the bassline, to the melodies, vocals, and so on. Perhaps I could do it as a video, or an audio session (those details I haven't worked out yet).

What do you think?

[Disko]

innit

[Disorder]

That would be awesome.

[rolfmonster]

That'd be pretty sick IMO

[107]

please and thank you.

[DJ Hero]

Here's how it would work.

01. Finished a song.
02. Render the song out to its individual stems (preferable dry - no effects)
03. Package up the stems with a rendered version of the whole tune as you have finished it and send it to me.
04. If your song is selected, I will mixdown and master the song going into detail each step of my process from percussion, to bassline, to mixdown techniques, to master.
05. When the track is done, I will host both the original and the re-master and post my article here.

[Erik Mitchell]

Very cool of you to offer that. Wish I still had all my studio equipment... :(

[BeatFreq]

Yeah, that would be way cool of you, and I'd definitely be down for some such feedback. Thanks! :)

[dj vanish]

Right on brotha.

[Steve]

An honorable endeavor, Hero... but it sounds time consuming. Do you ever sleep? ;)

[DJ Hero]

An honorable endeavor, Hero... but it sounds time consuming. Do you ever sleep? ;)


Not really, 5 hours a night maybe. Up at 6am everyday.

[Sureshot]

That would be super sick!! :awesome:

[WAVERUNNER]

I have a few tracks that I don't have time to finish. This is a great way to double my productivity.

[DJ Hero]

I have a few tracks that I don't have time to finish. This is a great way to double my productivity.


I don't want people to think that I'm going to "finish" your music. What ever gets submitted should be a complete song.

My purpose is not help you engineer a song. I purpose is to provide good techniques for giving you the best final product you can get from your work.

My AIM will be to...

01. Maximize your dynamics
02. Provide a proper mixdown, with techniques in warming up synths, percussion, gaining control of frequencies ranges, and creating a space for everything to breathe, and work together.
03. Provide tips for increasing marketability, genre specific production, audience targeting.

...each submission, should be a complete song. That's not to say I won't add to or take away from the song in some degree. I'm not simply an engineer. My job with both labels I am involved with is to provide the best product to a consumeable market.

If you haven't got the stomach to allow room for your music to grow please don't submit your music.

[dj vanish]

Growing good music takes proper cultivation. :)

[Just Ben]

Cool.. I'd be down..

When you say mixdown with no effects, are you talking just mastering effects or do you mean all effects?

For me, sometimes the effects are critical to a sound.. Especially when talking about filters.

[infuzion]

I've got an old track in Buzz that I've never mastered if you're interested...

I can export each track as a .WAV, but taking out all reverb would be hard, since that's part of some sound's patches.

[WAVERUNNER]

I don't want people to think that I'm going to "finish" your music.



aww, come on , you don't need to sleep. Get my tracks done bitch!

[DJ Hero]

aww, come on , you don't need to sleep. Get my tracks done bitch!


Well I know one entry I'm going to over look.

[WAVERUNNER]

Don't worry, I wouldn't submit, I'm just fuckin wid ya. The thing I need most is time. If I have time to submit, I have time to work on it myself. I really don't think that submitting to someone with a completely different style who does not have the same vision in their head would really help me. There is more than one way to correctly finish a track. Besides, I'm working with a mastering engineer once a week who has proper equipment and a treated room. But it will be interesting to see how this goes.

[DJ Hero]

Don't worry, I wouldn't submit, I'm just fuckin wid ya. The thing I need most is time. If I have time to submit, I have time to work on it myself. I really don't think that submitting to someone with a completely different style who does not have the same vision in their head would really help me. There is more than one way to correctly finish a track. Besides, I'm working with a mastering engineer once a week who has proper equipment and a treated room. But it will be interesting to see how this goes.


I too have proper equipment and a fully treated room.

[dj vanish]

Cool.. I'd be down..

When you say mixdown with no effects, are you talking just mastering effects or do you mean all effects?

For me, sometimes the effects are critical to a sound.. Especially when talking about filters.

If the effects shape the dynamic character of the sound then those are to be left on.

You would remove all compressors, bussed reverbs, delays, etc. Things that can better be corrected in a professional space.

[DJ Hero]

and EQ's, unless they are specifically sculpting the sounds and not just helping it sit in the mix.

[Just Ben]

Cool..

Personally I think what I'd do is submit a raw one, then continue on my typical mastering process so I could A/B it..

I'd submit a track if you start doing this..

[Disorder]

Would you consider mixing down a Terror track or no?

[DJ Hero]

Anyone who wants to submit a track can do so. I"ll choose my selection based on how much I can be a benefit, given the material, to all of the artists.

[Sureshot]

I'd submit a track if you start doing this..

same. lmk whats up

[superchibisan]

if i liked the way your music sounded hero, i would consider it, but so far i haven't been impressed. you know what your doing, but the music coming out is not my cup of tea.

[Disorder]

No.
I understand.

[DJ Hero]

if i liked the way your music sounded hero, i would consider it, but so far i haven't been impressed. you know what your doing, but the music coming out is not my cup of tea.


So none of the music on Velcro City Records sounds good?

You don't have to like my (DJ Hero) personal production, but I think you're limiting yourself by thinking that way, I've engineered, mixed down, and mastered the majority of music for Velcro City Records, and Kaleidoscope Music.

And don't forget, I've produced under a hand full of names...

DJ Hero
Bruce Dickinsen
Arch Nemesis
The Headliners
H and H Project

...all of which are different styles (for the most part).

[DJ Hero]

I understand.


I NEVER said no.

[Disorder]

I NEVER said no.
It's true. Just messin around.

That kind of track wouldn't really help out other producers, that's all.

[Just Ben]

IMO there is not a "right" or "wrong" way to produce tracks there is only actions which produce effective results and those that don't. This is why I think there is pretty much always something to learn from another experienced producer even if you are not that in to their creative style..

Chances are they do something different from how you do and maybe seeing it done that way will inspire a new technique of your own..

[DJ Hero]

With all due respect, this thread is not about writing a tune, it's about making a final product that would compare the quality of commercially released and marketed music regardless of genre or style.

[Sureshot]

Bruce Dickinsen


Nice, never knew that was you

[WAVERUNNER]

Yes, before he was hero, he was running to the hills as the leader of Iron Maiden.

[dis=c0!]

yeah good call - hero - please critique the following:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/K7ToNJHgp-w&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/K7ToNJHgp-w&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Math You]

yeah good call - hero - please critique the following:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/K7ToNJHgp-w&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/K7ToNJHgp-w&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Needs more sidechain compression on the vocals and the eq sucks. This track sounds so shitty, it's like they mixed it down in Ableton Live.

Also, that concert looks like it sucks. What kind of band doesn't have a DJ?