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Mixdown advice

PostPosted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:49 pm
by Mot Bollox
Hello All

I'm currently working on an recording my bands debut release and as I'm approaching the mixdown stage and intend on getting it mastered would appreciate some advice as to what medium to mixdown to.

The music is noisey pychedelic indie rock. I'd like to think the our recording is on the slicker side of Lo-Fi. Loud bombastic steve albini drums lots of guitar etc.

can hear earlier shitty demos at www.mp3.com.au/thenarcotics

I'm working with DAW equiped with an egosys waveterminal 192M running at 24bit 96k.

The basic tracks drums/bass were recorded on a a teac 1/4" 4 track and feed into the computer. Most of the overdubs have been fed through the otari before hitting the computer. Theres no shortage of analoge "warmth" in the recording and a bit of tape hiss as well (that doesn't bother me)

I have an Otari MX5050 2SHT - no noise reduction, it is in very good condtion however.
The recording will be mixed down outside of the computer through a mixer
Should I
- feed the mix back into the soundcard
- mix to the otari
- pursue other options? Hiring out converters?

Any advice appreciated

Thanks

Tom

PostPosted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 4:20 am
by JulienG
Are you using any outboard processing/mixing, and is there any reason why you can't just use an internal bounce and burn that on to CD (As data files, not Red Book audio) to give to the mastering guy.
However the best person to ask would be the mastering guy, because he's the one who'll have to work with it so should be able to advise on the best method and/or format for the way they work.

PostPosted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:54 am
by rob
do both! simutaneously.

nothing to lose :)

PostPosted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 4:13 pm
by Mot Bollox
[quote]Are you using any outboard processing/mixing, and is there any reason why you can't just use an internal bounce and burn that on to CD (As data files, not Red Book audio) to give to the mastering guy.
[/quote]

I have the following outboard lexicon mpx100 and DBX 266 and a homemade calrec eq clone. I'm using sonar 3 and have a shitty little be!@#$%^& mixer - though I'll probably hire out an Allen and Heath mix wizard when I do the mix.
I definately want to mix it outside the computer - Even with my inexperienced ears I have found the EQ/compression plugins within computers to be very poor subsitutes for real eq and dynamics processors. Even the lowly be!@#$%^& channel EQ works better then anything inside the computer.

PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2005 9:07 pm
by rick
just make it sound as good as you can then stop.

take it to mastering as see what gives.

do it again on the next project , and again , and again

there is a craft being learnt here , mistakes are as important as success.
oh yeah
24 bit 44.1k data files


btw
i am mixing an important project "in the computer" as we speak.

PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2005 10:22 pm
by Henry
Nah, put it thru a 3 channel passive mixer. They're really big here!