Recording - August 2018 - 40

STUDIO 101

PART 8

Mixing, Part 1-Signal Flow

have an editing function for selection portions of each take, then
the whole thing is presented as a single track during mixdown
(Figure 6 shows what it looks like in Logic). Get familiar with the
comping mechanism provided by your choice in DAW software,
and use it for creating easy-to-manage multi-take management.

Sends and returns

3

4
grouping, but we can talk about the general concept, then look
at a few approaches.
For example, you may have five different drum channels,
individually recording five microphones into their own audio
tracks. This gives you a lot of flexibility with cleaning up each
track's audio issues, but it can be a pain to have to change
the overall drumkit volume if you have to constantly change
all five volume sliders. However, if you group the five channels
together, you can adjust a single volume and have all the
track volumes adjust accordingly. It's the easiest way to
control several channels with minimal adjustment.
The implementation of groups varies with the software in
use. Some software, like Ableton Live, collapses the individual
tracks into a Group Track (Figure 5); this group track is used
to control features like overall volume and overall panning, but
still allows you to control the individual channel settings as well.
Other software, like Pro Tools, gives you the ability to link
channels; thereafter, when you move one of the channel faders,
all of the other linked channels follow the movement of the
one you are moving. This gives you group control without
obscuring the individual channels, but can be less flexible in
tweaking those channels as well. Interestingly, some software
will have several different ways to group channels-dig into
your DAW's manual, find the grouping functions, and see
what system seems most comfortable to you.
Another organizational device that we mentioned last month
was the use of comp tracks to groups multiple takes together,
then select the best portions of each performance. Each DAW
has its own implementation of this, but the result is that you
40

RECORDING August 2018

There is a second useful way of handling effects-one that
is especially effective for effects, like reverbs, that could be
shared among many of the tracks. This is the send effect, which
uses the concept of channel sends to create a submix that is
used to drive the effects processor.
Why would you need to create a separate mix for a reverb
effect? Well, it makes sense to share a reverb among many
tracks, if you want them to sound like they are all in the same
room. But you might not want all of the tracks set the same-
you might want the drums sounding closer (i.e., less reverb),
while a flute solo might need to sound further back in the mix
(with lots of reverb). Using sends to create your shared effects
landscape gives you a lot of flexibility during mixes.
The submix necessary for a send effect is generally something that is configured for the session, and is made available
on each channel. You will need to add a special kind of channel-
called either a bus or a return channel-for each shared effect
that you will manage. You place your shared effect on this
new channel, which will make it available to the entire session.
Now you are ready to send it some sound. (Figure 7 shows two
tracks in Ableton Live with Send knobs for A and B, followed by
the A and B return tracks.)
Each channel will have a way to dial in that channel's sound
into the submix; generally, it is a single-knob mix interface that
sends audio to the return channel. You need to make sure that
it is sending the signal after the fader setting (this is called
"post-fader"), because this will allow the reverb send to fade
out as the channel fades.
This is a challenging process to understand-in fact, many
sessions that I've seen from beginning recording students will
have 40 channels, each with its own reverb, and all with the
exact same settings! It's more efficient for your system-and for
your wrists-if you learn to use the send effects on your DAW.
This is another case where cracking the manual, spending time
tracking down tutorial videos and scouring old editions of
Recording will come in handy!

Master effects
There's one final locale for mixing setup-and for further
effects processing. It's across the master outputs, and it's your last
chance to affect the sound before it heads to your audio interface
and/or final file. While any effect could conceivably work here, the
most common master effects are compression and limiting.
Compression and limiting 'pull back' on the sound if it gets
too loud, preventing distortion from overdriving the outputs. A



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - August 2018

REVIEWS
Ears On: Focal Clear Professional.
Reviewed & Revisited: Daking Mic Pre II.
GIK Acoustics Gotham Quadratic Diffuser.
ART RM5 Active Studio Monitor.
IK Multimedia iRig Keys I/O.
Yamaha EAD10.
Soundware Showcase: Spitfire Audio LABS.
Vanatoo Transparent Zero Monitors.
Ears On: beyerdynamic DT 770 STUDIO.
Roland Rubix24.
Kludge Audio 506 Equalizer and 510 Transwarmer.
Once Over—Reviews In Brief.
FEATURES
10 Tips For A Successful Live Recording.
Studio 101. Part 8: Mixing, Part 1—Signal Flow.
“Girl You Know It’s...” A Lot More Than You Realize!
Live Orchestra Recording.
REGULARS
Fade In.
Talkback.
Fast Forward
Readers' Tracks
Fade Out.
Advertiser Index.
Recording - August 2018 - 1
Recording - August 2018 - Cover1
Recording - August 2018 - Cover2
Recording - August 2018 - 1
Recording - August 2018 - 2
Recording - August 2018 - 3
Recording - August 2018 - Fade In.
Recording - August 2018 - 5
Recording - August 2018 - REGULARS
Recording - August 2018 - 7
Recording - August 2018 - Talkback.
Recording - August 2018 - 9
Recording - August 2018 - Fast Forward
Recording - August 2018 - 11
Recording - August 2018 - 12
Recording - August 2018 - 13
Recording - August 2018 - 14
Recording - August 2018 - 15
Recording - August 2018 - 16
Recording - August 2018 - 17
Recording - August 2018 - 18
Recording - August 2018 - 19
Recording - August 2018 - Ears On: Focal Clear Professional.
Recording - August 2018 - 21
Recording - August 2018 - 22
Recording - August 2018 - 23
Recording - August 2018 - Reviewed & Revisited: Daking Mic Pre II.
Recording - August 2018 - 25
Recording - August 2018 - GIK Acoustics Gotham Quadratic Diffuser.
Recording - August 2018 - 27
Recording - August 2018 - 28
Recording - August 2018 - 29
Recording - August 2018 - ART RM5 Active Studio Monitor.
Recording - August 2018 - 31
Recording - August 2018 - IK Multimedia iRig Keys I/O.
Recording - August 2018 - 33
Recording - August 2018 - Yamaha EAD10.
Recording - August 2018 - 35
Recording - August 2018 - Soundware Showcase: Spitfire Audio LABS.
Recording - August 2018 - 37
Recording - August 2018 - Studio 101. Part 8: Mixing, Part 1—Signal Flow.
Recording - August 2018 - 39
Recording - August 2018 - 40
Recording - August 2018 - 41
Recording - August 2018 - Vanatoo Transparent Zero Monitors.
Recording - August 2018 - 43
Recording - August 2018 - 44
Recording - August 2018 - 45
Recording - August 2018 - Ears On: beyerdynamic DT 770 STUDIO.
Recording - August 2018 - 47
Recording - August 2018 - Roland Rubix24.
Recording - August 2018 - 49
Recording - August 2018 - Kludge Audio 506 Equalizer and 510 Transwarmer.
Recording - August 2018 - 51
Recording - August 2018 - 52
Recording - August 2018 - 53
Recording - August 2018 - 54
Recording - August 2018 - 55
Recording - August 2018 - 56
Recording - August 2018 - 57
Recording - August 2018 - “Girl You Know It’s...” A Lot More Than You Realize!
Recording - August 2018 - 59
Recording - August 2018 - Once Over—Reviews In Brief.
Recording - August 2018 - 61
Recording - August 2018 - Live Orchestra Recording.
Recording - August 2018 - 63
Recording - August 2018 - 64
Recording - August 2018 - 65
Recording - August 2018 - Readers' Tracks
Recording - August 2018 - Advertiser Index.
Recording - August 2018 - 68
Recording - August 2018 - 69
Recording - August 2018 - 70
Recording - August 2018 - 71
Recording - August 2018 - Fade Out.
Recording - August 2018 - Cover3
Recording - August 2018 - Cover4
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