When recording a band how do you decide when to track the whole band live or when it's best to track them one by one with a demo track as an orientation? Is it rather about philosophy or are there actual "parameters" that tell you how to record the band?
Did 3 albums worth of material in about 6 mo's after a break of 17 years. Had so much fun laying tracks down, learning Studio One and experimenting with all the instrument and effect plug ins and applying all that I have learned from Produce like a Pro! Thought material would just keep pouring out of me with no end. However, now I just can't motivate to write and record, its like a switch has been turned off. Have you had bouts of lack of motivation like this and what to do about it? Thanks!
A counterintuitive thought - distortion can entail clarity. By distorting some of the sound, we bring the music into relief. Rather like stepping up very close to an oils painting to look at the brush strokes. The detail renders the image obscured. By backing away, the details blur and fade from our perception, but this allows the image, the art, the idea, to present itself with clarity. And so it is with sound. By blurring the details with saturation, we bring the music into the foreground. The sonic "brushstrokes" blur together with saturation to form an image. Digital recording shows us wonderful detail, more brushstrokes that we could have ever imagined, but we do not always want that. Sometimes yes, but not always : )
Very interesting comment! Reminds me of the definition of impressionism and the abstract meaning inherent within that form of work. The whole idea in and of itself is also just as important as the individual components. But I like to express the same thing in a simpler way so that everyone understands the mechanics. It's about thickness. The finely detailed strokes are great at perfectly drawing what we want. But not every sound has the same presence or thickness in a composition. So the choice to use saturation really comes down to how thin or thick the sound should be in that arrangement. And the particular harmonic series of saturation is similar to the angle of the brush when doing this upon canvas. Each angle leaves a different geometry of spread.
Thanks a lot !! Could you please talk about Phasing Issues ? When it comes to Music Production, how to perceive it ? how to identify it ? and how to solve or use it for creative purposes ?
I've NEVER seen a Vox Typhoon with those pickups and finish, beautiful. I just got a Vox Bossman and its my current favorite guitar, those Vox guitars got some mojo, they sound like nothing else and look beautiful. I'm obsessed with yours, so cool.
I'd love to see more of Warren's playing in some videos, maybe throw some songs in on acoustic or shred a lick here and there on any of those nice electrics... Seeing that level of playing always makes me go practice my guitar :-)
Wow! The point about Little Wing and Hendrix's guitar being maybe 3 or 4 year old when recorded really clicked with me. Never thought about that. Always thought of it being very old because it was decades since it was recorded. Such a great point!
It was new, in a specific era that was better. The answer here overall is 1.maybe, it depends. followed by ... 2. the player decides and 3. hands are the most important part of the sound, always. So see #1, and #2. Caps get old and lose low end, pots get scratchy, necks and frets can be bad news from age or poor upkeep or never being right even when new. Old wood dries out = good :) Older guitars with lacquer finishes are better than poly on a PRS which is forever plastic. They breathe, PRS does not. EVH and Brian May made their own guitars. So ... that worked out well. I played a 50s Les Paul where a guy was offered $450,000 cash for it in 2005 from a Japanese dealer and turned it down. I could not play it for 20 seconds. Horrible guitar. Bad decision too, as the 2008 crash cut that number WAY down :)
I've thought about that sort of thing for a long time. Hendrix's guitars were disposable, not things he cherished as fantastic instruments. He used to burn them, and then get a new one! Hendrix also had big hands so the longer scale length of a Strat was good for him. And he played it enough to become acclimatised to the peculiarities of Strats, e.g.: the volume knob so close to the strings, the ubiquity of whammy bars. Personally I don't like Strats at all, nice noise, but for a long time the bridges commonly had sharp edges on the screws and I often palm damp right over the bridge - nasty; the volume knob used to get in the way of my right hand. Horrible. I learned on acoustics and Gibson style instruments always felt more like a real guitar, but their quality control is suspect - or maybe they only ship rubbish to the UK? But Leo fender left Fender and made even better guitars! And the guitars designed by EVH are terrific. I have Music Man Axis Sport which, when I bought it, I compared with every guitar in the secondhand guitar shop I was in. It sounded at least as good as any of them, but was better set up and much better made than all the other instruments, many of which were Gibsons and Fenders - oh, and the neck profile was incredible. Those old Fenders and Gibbos were indeed great designs ... back in the 50s. Some of the Gibsons maybe compare to old Ferraris, gorgeous handmade and top of their class in their day; something like, say, an L5 or a Johnny Smith. Fenders are more like Mini Coopers, churned out cheaply like cookies, but with some winning manners and widely played because they worked and were affordable. There are much much better designs around these days; better electronics is available - and actually used in some of the better guitars and amps - and mass production techniques are often better than hand making even by very good makers. All the guff about vintage stuff is inflated by antiques markets and by millions spent on advertising in guitar mags and product placement by the big, big companies.
@@brianlucey832 I met someone a while ago who was telling me his old strat was worth £24,000 - he'd heard I liked guitars. Looking back I may have been a bit harsh, but I just told it as I saw it, and mentioned that I'd heard when Santana moved from Gibsons to Yamahas it was because his old Gibson was "clapped out". Maybe that's apocryphal, can't remember where I heard it, but I can imagine him saying it.
I've owned (and still own) and play a bunch of really old guitars. They all look wonderful and have nostalgic value, but some are hard to play, have dodgy intonation or dead spots, or dull-sounding or low output pickups. The tuners, frets, bridges and nuts might be worn and need replacement. The electronics might not work properly any more. Then I have also brand new cheap jobs from the Far East that don't look anything spectacular but sound and play great, and everything works perfectly. Most of my guitars are somewhere in the middle. They all get used in the studio from time to time, depending on what colour I want to add to a track. For gigging, I want something reliable with everything in good working order, that stays in tune well and that gives me a variety of sounds. Horses for courses . . .
yesssssss. As a vintage synth guy your commentary on vintage guitars is spot on. My 1975 Oberheim Two Voice was always needing something and the two voices were never matching timbre after replacing old failing transistors. Sometimes it's just unicorn hair..
Love the comments on vintage gear. I've been saying it for years: Old instruments are old... not necessarily better. Tolerances were looser back then and on average, you get a better made instrument today than you did 50 years ago. That being said, you are bang-on with unobtanium. Wood nowadays isn't the same as previous, even in terms of old-growth wood versus new-growth. Vintage instruments are cool, but I find newer instruments play better in a lot of cases simply because they are made to a much tighter tolerance. This is the same for anything, cars, houses, etc.
The tecnology was made posible. Now on the instruments factories use cnc machines and plek machines for a better results on the freetboard and the thing with the wood it's maybe not so much on the instruments performance. I think that its more important all the enviroment around the guitar. ( cables, good electric from the place were we play the instruments, and sometimes a better cable management inside the instruments make a huve diference.)
Regarding the last question about vintage gear - I see that a LOT with the vintage wahs sent to me for repairs. The original 100k pot will have drifted upward to 200k...300k...I've seen some even higher. That drifted part drastically changes the tone and it depends on the taste of the player as to whether that's a good thing or not. (usually not) To me it just sounds like it needs a new pot so it can sound like 1968 again.
Alrighty! Something I can actually comment on with some knowledge. New guitars are consistently built better and have better quality control from the wood to the components. In the 50's and 60's and even the 70's, one set of pickups could sound different from guitar to guitar. No two were the same. Today, you can go get a set of Texas Specials and buy another set a year later, and they'll sound identical. The only real difference is the older guitars were made of old growth trees. Is that a big difference? I honestly can't tell, just like I couldn't tell you if a guitar has a poly or nitro finish just by listening to it and listening to the resonance and sustain. I've owned 70's les pauls, 50's and 60's Fenders, and I've owned the reissues of them from road worn to custom shop, and aside from the pickups, the new guitars get super close. Espcially the road worn by Fender. Also, with a new guitar, it doesn't have any of the finicky details that would otherwise make you sell a guitar if it was new. I've owned vintage amps and my tip for those is to own two because one will always be in the shop. They're cool and a conversation piece, but not reliable. Save some bones and buy a handwired version if it bothers you too much.
I love how every video starts with a blast of genuine positive energy! It says a lot about a person, because Warren obviously has good and bad days like the rest of us... but you can just feel that once he's donned his trademark shirt, and stepped into the studio (perhaps with mug of tea/coffee in hand)... he's truly happy to be there, he's absolutely in his zone, and he's earned it. Gives people like me a reminder that yeah, music is seriously hard work... but it IS worth it. Once you get a certain level of competence, I imagine there's much more enjoyment to be had! Not to ramble too much, but I was an EMT in a past life. I walked into the ambulance station every day with a massive grin on my face, because I loved the job, and patients really do notice when you're clearly enthusiastic about what you do.
Parallel compression w/ more saturation on the parallel than the source is a good way to solve that super dynamic snare issue . Also i've learned that a tiny bit of a short room verb w/ select sounds being fed into it is a great glue to add in conjunction w/ putting nice saturation on the master bus early in the mix & maybe a bit more of something else at the end of the mix.
@@TheEndless560 Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis have a retro video showing how & why they do it too. They dont use the word glue neither but the term is more a metaphor of what theyre attempting to do(make everything digital sound more real & together within a virtual space to trick the ears). Remember, the ears are smarter than the mind at times...what the mind doesnt understand in terminology & concept, the ears can discern via years of experience listening to real sounds. The concept gets deeper when you think of the wall of sound technique that came from the Phil Spector & Brian Wilson Beach Boys era. The wall of sound's goal is LITERALLY to glue everything together so much that you cant tell what you are hearing as layered instruments drowned in ambiance created a background stage so that less wet sounds sound more forward & prominent. In the 80s we learned to mix pads like this & filter them to create a similar effect but I mention it all to point out how reverb literally glues everything together covered in the the verb you used as glue. Saturation does it in a subtle musical way w/o as many costs that reverb adds(especially if you arent making the verb as short as possible w/o it sounding bad). I remember learning by accident on Izotope 3's mastering suite how much things came together when I added a sprinkle of inaudible reverb to the master bus. Took me years to mentally understand what my ears discerned hearing the magic of room verb make its case. The ears prefer for music to sound realistic...even notes too quantized to a pattern can trigger the ears long before the mind knows why the song sounds robotic & fake. The original goal of virtual instruments was to sound realistic but the more realistic they got, the less effort we put into understanding how to trick the ears into accepting & enjoying them in mixes. I knew I had work to do when I heard Super NES games mixed better than my own music lol...mixing technique is king when it comes to mixes, not hardware/vstsoftware.
@@TheEndless560 Cool. My bad if i came off the wrong way, Im just obsessive & long winded like a creepy mad scientist who figured out some cool stuff lol. You dint come off argumentative, I just awkwardly type long passionate replies hoping they do someone justice in their hopes to explore the subject lol. Actually I have no clue what IR stands for so I cant intelligently reply to that. We live in the oddest age when it comes to terminology & yet as in my examples, the goals we aim for often remain the same despite being lost at times. My initial ambition in home studio mixing 10 years ago was to debunk the car salesmen politician spirited hustler tongue of the studio mixer saying radio worthy records cant be done at home yet ironically I found the only way to truly effectively debunk them is to glean their insights rather than reinvent the wheel. Their hustles to keep me dependent on them kept me from learning what I wished to learn however the solution to them was only found in the transparency of those analog era mixers who spilled the beans on how things work. It took analog gear minded mixers to teach me that analog gear isnt mandatory for a great mix...I just needed to avoid the lack of transparency found in mixers like CLA of all people lol(though in time he has become more transparent but only AFTER certain secrets became common knowledge among home studio beginner mixers). I still remember back in the 2010s when NOBODY even mentioned saturation let alone analog emulation despite such software existing thanks to more forthright mixers. You pretty much had to go to a school like Full Sail to learn such a thing as even the students kept such knowledge hidden. So many needless hurdles...but it was things like that that gave birth to obsessive minds like my own as I pondered the absolute truth being hidden from me until it made itself known. You still to this day seldom hear people speak on clip gain editing which is most important for most all modern vocal mixes in the box. I sincerely hope to create a mixing channel by next year for that very reason. I may not know all the technical insights as those before me but Im a hell of a lot more transparent & sincere w/o an agenda short of making music sound its best by freely spreading the wealth to those willing to learn to the limit of my ability to teach it.
@@TheEndless560 My bad for late reply. Ok ok yeah I heard of impulse response. I actually am interested in finding some good reverbs that can do that & exploring that cuz yeah that sure does sound like a good idea. I presume the better reverbs have presets already modeled in such a way but its a nice thought to create one from scratch if I can find one w/ an intuitive interface easy to fiddle with. They always intimidated me so I never truly touched one though I probably have a freeware one somewhere in my vst vault lol. yeah we sure did come a long way, Im from class of 03 & got into FL Studio in 04 & after all these years I feel like I just now learned how to be a good mixer in the box(even using the same PC believe it or not lol though I rebuilt it a few times). Heres a random but funny note: I just realized the other month that I think CLA's brother TLA is a better mixer than him lol! CLA really comes off as a powerful mixer among the community but its kinda funny how TLA was getting Grammy's before his bro even though he entered later in the game & doesnt have the big name & passion to teach it like CLA. I went back & compared albums they did around the same year & almost always had to give the W to TLA(best 2 outta 3). Only album I ever heard previously by CLA was City of Evil by A7X & the mix didnt impress me at all, it was just well produced imho. Love the dude's passion though & his plugins lol...but TLA is nicer on them rock & pop punk albums theyre both known for. I def wanna know how to mix all genres w/ a style my own(thats what I focus on...having a mix style that stands out in this wild wild west era of digital mixes...many pros still make mad mistakes doing digital vocals in the box...even that new Kanye Donda record that just dropped had some issues I felt like I couldve fixed if I was there to throw in my opinion lol). Oh & about clip gain editing, its the best way to fix digital vocals to make them sound more like analog era. Digital vocals almost always should be recorded further from the mic (in a super dry recording space blocking ambiance from bouncing back into the mic)so theyre not too bright, then cut clips & gain stage each clip to perfection(cutting the siblance & manually turning it down in just that clip alone individually then rendering the vocal back into a single clip but now w/ so many common errors pre-fixed long before you need to do any automation, compression, de-essing, etc). Vocals have always been my obsession in mixing & Ive sucked for far too long which made me passionate about every tip that solved my common issues.
I understand the 'nostalgia' angle. I've made many purchases of that kind... had my nostalgia fix, and then moved on. I find that I try to find things that make me comfortable now... rather than the shiny new thing that everyone is talking about. That goes for Plugins, gear, live gear, etc... If I am comfortable, then I am inspired.. and that is what it is all about!
If I want to "glue my mix together", I use Hornet Tape in conjunction with MJUC (mk3 setting). It has gives the mix an overcompressed character but in a pleasant way. It's not for every genre but it really shines in aggressive rock/prog tracks.
Man, I needed glue about 20 years ago. I was recording on an external digital multi-track, and using a drum machine. My drums sounded like they were on top of the mix, instead of in the mix. It was as bad as you could possibly get. It sounded fake. Back then, I just accepted it. Now I know how to make it sound real in the mix.
Vintage gear has been the biggest thorn in my side since I started this whole thing. That's why I love emulations of "golden units" in plugin form. I wish I had a question, I just like learning from this channel lol. Keep doing what you do
I’m learning so much from this channel. My hope is that I will be able to be successful at my local level helping people get their ideas and music out to the public.
Oh, your starfire!!! My college roommate in Freshman year had a 1967 starfire 3. Fantastic guitar. It was well loved (worn) , a bit microphonic... but a GEM
The explanation of the relationship between saturation and gluing is absolute gold. I've been using more and more saturation while making dance music where my inputs all start out as sterile, digital sounds, and I noticed that they sounded "better" but didn't really notice until you pointed it out that they also "glue" together better. 🙏
Thanks for all your work Warren. I record in Harrison Mixbus and mix through my Soundcraft Signature 22MTK to get an analog "flow" like what I had learned on. I love it and the "glue" is automatic with Mixbus. Just wanted to say thanks and add my 2 cents, Greetings from the Canadian Rockies. Cheers.
A few years ago I bought a Gibson Custom Shop Collectors Choice Les Paul for over 8000€. Knowing that this would be the closest to a 59' LP I will ever get. It sounded and played great but after a while I figured I had a feeling of playing a fake guitar, artificially aged exactly after another guitar, even though it was handmade and that expensive. So I gave up about the whole 59' thing sold that guitar and got a normal second hand stock Les Paul. And I am happy with it. That whole vintage guitar thing is just in our heads and has value only for collectors and dealers..at least that is my humble opinion.
This video is so on point. Thank you! A favourite analogue channel emulation of mine is the Airwindows console environment. These replace the channel faders in one's DAW. Instant glue, and wonderful glue at that : )
This was great; so many spot-on points, even the guitar stuff, as many points apply to my glorious drums (still the best looking instrument). I appreciate, so much, what you do.
@Ray Miller try this. Get your mix nicely balanced. Add a compressor on the entire mix. Just a little. Then add a tiny bit of saturation to taste. Then add another compressor. Play around with the attack and release setting. Also play with the wet/dry balance of the compressor. Now tweek some minor EQ things on the individual tracks to get the overal mix where you wanna go. Little extra hi mids for the guitar? A bit of 2k on the bass for clarity? Maybe a bit less low in the kickdrum? Should get you in the ballpark real quick :) Great free compressors are: Tessla SE, Varimoon, Caelum audio Tape Cassette, and anything from Analog Obsession.
The plugins I named all add both compression and saturation/distortion. Levels out peaks and brings up roomsound and reverbs. Adds tons of life and energy ☺👍
I've played the same 1990 Les Paul standard since I bought it in 1994. It was the best out of all the LPs I tried the day I bought it, and it also beat off competition from other guitars that I've bought and sold over the years. In recent years, it started to become difficult to play. The frets got low, it would choke out in certain spots, and it just didn't inspire me to play when I picked it up. I was always scared to change anything about that guitar as it was already perfect in my mind. I made the decision to have it re-fretted and its now gained a whole new lease of life. It rings better, plays flawlessly and now I'm inspired when I pick it up. I also replaced a few things like the tuners that had worn to the point of not holding tuning well anymore. Its far from being all-original, but its now a much better guitar to play. WRT the new versus vintage debate, I have a CS Strat and its hands down the best Strat I've ever played, including a '62 Strat I played back in the 90s (Sonic Blue I think it was). My CS Strat just has that special vibe that some guitars have that inspire you, and the riffs just seem to write themselves when you pick them up. I tried a bunch of CS Strats the day I bought mine, and the others just didn't have 'it'. Oh, and I can abuse the whammy bar in true Jimi fashion and this thing just stays in tune. It was worth buying for that reason alone. I truly believe that great guitars do not have to be vintage. They were great when they were build, not because they're now vintage. The same holds true with a new guitar - if its not a great guitar now, it never will be.
Many pieces of old equipment were handmade, and the ‘tolerances’ were a lot looser. The end result was that there was a huge variation between instruments, and in fact, back in the 70’s, people would go into a shop, and try 15 or 20 different instruments, be it guitars, or cymbals, or compressors, and they were all different. As they have got older they have worn and changed in ways that sometimes is good, and sometimes is not. Manufacturing tolerances are a lot tighter now, so you can literally order one off the internet, and they will all sound, and feel, almost identical.
Finally, a description of "gluing the mix together" that glues the _idea_ together in my head! Follow-up question: is that a lot of what Neve/API-style mic preamps add when recording bass, beyond "character"? I like a pretty un-glossed hi-fi-sound, and my RME interface does a wonderful job of that, but I've been wondering whether to invest in an HDI, Colour Box v2, TB12 or something of the kind. My quandary has been whether it would add the right amount of polish to be worth the investment.
I love my 70s Japanese Epiphone SG that plays better than any Gibson I've played of the same era and I absolutely love it! Most of my other guitars though are ones I bought brand new after 2000. I I like vintage stuff, but overall the newer stuff I've played has just been overall better, and more consistent. My saturation I tend to use on every track of course starts with pres when I can, but after that, I recently fell in love with Softube Tape, which is just a gorgeous tape emulation!
I use a waves ssl bus compressor on my master bus and try to not hit it any harder than -1 to -2 db. I also use wanes ssl channel strip on every channel. The first time I did that in a mix my mastering engineer said “ Did you get an SSL board? This just sounds more like a record”. I guess it makes a difference.
Glue, to me, isn't about transient control. It's more about taking separately processed sounds that have been mixed together and helping them to sound like they've all be processed uniformly, as though you had just recorded a live band all on the stage at the same time. That's one of the things that the bus compressor does. The saturation you're talking about adds a uniform set of harmonics and peak control. Getting a little more aggressive and taking off more than the typical "maybe a dB or so" and setting your bus compressor to pump, I find does a great job of unifying everything, as long as it is a properly finished mix in the first place. If your mix ain't behavin' right to begin with, no amount of glue is gonna fix it. "Glue" is the spit and polish, not the rough work.
I would also like to add that glue can also mean bring in the low and hi end with compressor so that all the instruments are just as bright or fat. Kind of like creating a ceiling and a floor. They key is to keep it open sounding.
RE: glue - I’m a big proponent of the Pulteq-SSL mixbuss thing (thanks largely to this channel - cheers!) the Waves SSL I love, use it all the time. The Logic stock compressor emulation is also shockingly good, also Cytomic’s ‘The Glue’ which is somehow free in Ableton. I also started putting the Oxford Inflator after the SSL on things, or IK’s Clipper if one has that. Recently grabbed a Tegeler Creme, and it’s amazing too. Many many great options for smoothing things out.
Lovely! Thanks! Vintage is all the same. Guitars, bikes, amplifiers, cars... it's the nostalgia but also the 'crapiness' that can make it great! And for instruments make it sound 'different'! My 1965 Chevy doesn't start the first time, but it does the second... was it like that in the 60's? I don't know? I don't care... it's running, it works, and it drives fine... does it drive the same as back then? I don't know... I'm 37 years old, but I like how it drives! Nostalgia is a funny thing... My Gibson Les Paul Smartwood from 1999 actually still does sound the same (I think), even after 22 years of hard work!
Back in the day gluing your mixed together met after the mix , actually putting it onto Reel To Reels or onto a cassette tape. Running it through a tape saturation machine gives it a uniform feel and warmth you just don’t get from digital
As far as the guitars, the other thing is that Leo said he used Alder and Ash because he could get them easily and they were inexpensive. All the heroes (Page, Beck, Blackmore, etc) were all using guitars not very old or even brand new. Thanks as always, Warren.
Hi Warren, hope your marvelously well. As an old schooler bassist from NJ I love analog so I went to McDSP. I had a few "points" on a CC and McDSP has a sale on. I purchased Analog Channel Native v6 for a whopping $10 very much looking forward to trying it.
Cool distortion trick. So right about analog adding coloration. I suppose you could send the snare also into a mic pre out board (like a series 500), or even add any distortion simulator onto the digital track - I wonder how a guitar distortion pedal would make that snare sound.
Great video. Regarding snare transients, Logic has a plugin called Enveloper. It lets you shape the transient attack and release. I use it like a secret weapon on snare drums. Lets you fine tune the initial hit in relation to the rest of the sound. $0.02
Thanks for the video, Warren. I agree on Analog Channel, still does the job perfectly. As far as glue goes, this can be achieved with Air Windows as well. A one man company, that makes amazing tape, channel and console plugins. In my opinion, one of the best, if not THE best. It's a pity the developer's (Chris) plugins don't get that much attention. He really deserves it. An interview with Chris would be awesome (nudge nudge, wink wink...).
Airwindows plugins can add some "analog glueing" magic, it was the biggest finding in "summing saturation" for me. Using "Channel9" VST on tracks with "Console7" VST on a bus made a huge difference that I didn't expect at all. The only downside is that you have to use VST faders instead of DAW faders - that can get too messy very soon. But anyways, that was the most "analog" plugin I've heard.
The raw T-Racks British Channel inserted in every track produces the biggest change in sound I’ve heard from a channel strip with settings all set to flat (actually, the comp is active by default). Definitely glue but definitely not subtle.
Hi Warren, Great FAQ Friday, even budget guitars sound good these days, they have better intonation and the action is not like playing on a trampoline, unlike some of the guitars i have played, have a fantastic day, all the best.
I'm a big fan of the bx_console N channel strip. It's pricey, but regularly goes on sale. Across an entire session, it really makes the whole song breath in amazing ways. I've always assumed that it had at least something to do with using the same compressor across all tracks, if all at different settings.
Not a comp... but TRS-5 One... by IK MULTIMEDIA is an amazing analog modeled mastering processor that i use on everything.... the push knob, when used properly can literally be pushed all the way and still sound good.... and saturator x goes beautifully paired with it... as well as the brikwall limiter... makes a great mixing /mastering chain
I just put the TUBA from Analog Obsession and the Waves SSL E-Channel (AO would have that one, too) on all Tracks I want to analogify and boom there it is.
These videos are always amazing! Could you possibly cover mixing vocals for someone who vocals are quite low and filled with bass? I've quite recently started mixing my music and my voice is kind of a bit of a hassle for me to deal with right now.
Hey Bijon, I just finished mixing a song with a low, deep tone voice. Here's what I did to help it cut through and hope it helps while you're still waiting for a new video from Warren. 1. A boost around the 1k range helped with the clarity of the lyrics. A boost around 3k range helped with the presence. 2. The air-band boost on the MAAG EQ4 added some sheen and air. 3. I used a compressor with a tone shaper to make the compression sound bright. 4. The reverb has a shelf boost in the top end and a cut in the lower midrange to reduce mud. 5. Saturation, this really helped the vocal pop and cut through. Obviously there's more processing that was done on the vocals but hope that gives you a good starting point. All the best.
I don’t understand the thing about old gear. I also don’t understand why guitar manufacturers keep coming out with new copies of guitars from 70 years ago.
I can answer the second question: because that's what people keep buying. They keep buying it because guitarists are generally very conservative, and because there's a lot of nostalgia for the "good old days."
wood dries out, and that lacquer is mostly illegal. and some guitars from the past are magic. some, are not. old guitars have more variety, that makes some of them very special. uniformity is boring.
Old gear is purely analog, with tubes which produce varying harmonics. The brain can pick up on that, and because the inaudible harmonics are slightly random, the brain doesn’t lock into a pattern. With digital gear, everything is sample accurate and we perceive that as cold and predictable. That’s one of the reasons that modern software and interfaces try to emulate that tube sound. Hope that clears it up. It’s a really complicated subject
Found your comments on old guitars interesting. In an episode of TPS both Dan and Mick were shocked that their respective guitars sounded worse than vintage versions of them, even after they'd tried to upgrade them. Maybe the fact old guitars are 'faulty' is the reason they sound good? Guthrie Trapp's old guitar had Mexican Fender pickups in it and in his hands it sounded amazing, tone comes from the person playing it at least to some extent imho.
Which episode? I assume they were comparing like with like? A modern American Strat made to the exact same spec as vintage one? Or are you talking about trying to take a cheaper guitar and upgrade them? I’ve seen both results with that, depending on how good the construction and quality of the wood of the instrument is.
I know what you mean about your Starfire Decades later, I still regret selling my Gibson Melody Maker (the two-pickup model) and my Mosrite (never mind that the Mosrite neck is ridiculously narrow). But I would be happy to buy new ones if they were still being made. Still have my childhood pre-CBS Super Reverb, which, I have read, does sound better than the present-day reissues. And I was shocked, recently, to read how much my 1973 Tele,which I still have, is worth. But, though I've never played any, I'm sure that the Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster reissues sound and play as well as the originals did when they were new. Personally, I don't think old vs. new matters so much for solid body guitars; if you want a "vintage sound," there are vintage pickups, even hand wound ones, available. Acoustic guitars, on the other hand, where there are no electronics, may be a different story, as I believe that wood does change over time. But the best advice is to play before you buy and if you think that the playability and sound justify paying more than for a modern instrument, go for it. And finally, a point I think you missed: My pre-CBS Super Reverb and 1973 Tele were new when I bought them, are now "vintage," via the simple passage of time. So, to anyone who wants to own a vintage guitar at a bargain price: But a new guitar today, and for the next 30, 40, 50 years, hang on to it, eat your vegetables, take your vitamins and do all you can to stay healthy and live long enough for the guitar - and you - to become "vintage."
Appreciate the thoughts, Warren! An amaaaaaaazing bang for buck “glue” type plugin that you should try: Reamp from Klevgrand. It is under the radar, but for me has so much of the mojo and vibe that many go to Decapitator for. Great vintage hardware emulations, harmonics, etc. It’s fantastic! Would love to hear your thoughts on this brilliant plugin at some point.
I used to work at a pro shop in Los Angeles, A guy brought in a 1958(?) 3 pickup black les paul, one of only a few and worth 10s of thousands, and I could not wait to play it. He handed me the guitar a started telling me all about it... As I played it instantly I could not believe how absolutely horrible it was, One of the worse guitars I have ever played, I just smiled and nodded as I played... Sometimes Vintage just means old. Sometimes amazing, sometimes, horrible...
I would recommend using analyzers along with some reference tracks, that might help a bit. If you can't hear certain frequencies, the 2nd best option is to use your eyes.
Lately I have been running every track through a free Neve console emulation, then into the (also free) Ferric TDS, where I add a tiny bit of saturation and light, light compression, then print those tracks to free up DSP. On the "return" I use Waves SSL G Channel and any other plugins I might need, then mild API2500 buss compression for the various subgroups, and finally SSL bus compressor on the 2 buss an into Waves J37. All of this helps emulate the analog signal path, and by doing this I find the various compression and saturation steps along the way make the actual act of mixing much easier.
Hi, good video as always. I would like to know more about tape machines, especially the differences between the different types of tape. I've been using an old Akai tape machine since January of this year and have had it overhauled and measured for a specific type of tape. Unfortunately, the original is only available on the used market. What exactly happens in terms of the frequency range if I buy a new, modern tape instead that the machine has not been calibrated to? Does that really make a relevant difference ?
What other questions would you like me to answer? Comment your FAQ Friday question below to be featured in our next video!
Warren Huart. You haven’t put a book out (yet?) all filled up with interesting stories and studio wisdom and such, because…?
When recording a band how do you decide when to track the whole band live or when it's best to track them one by one with a demo track as an orientation? Is it rather about philosophy or are there actual "parameters" that tell you how to record the band?
Do you use songs in the key of life as a reference mix as there always seems to be a copy hanging around somewhere in the background? 😎
If Marc does one, I’d like him to expound on why he doesn’t like Waves NLS
Did 3 albums worth of material in about 6 mo's after a break of 17 years. Had so much fun laying tracks down, learning Studio One and experimenting with all the instrument and effect plug ins and applying all that I have learned from Produce like a Pro! Thought material would just keep pouring out of me with no end. However, now I just can't motivate to write and record, its like a switch has been turned off. Have you had bouts of lack of motivation like this and what to do about it? Thanks!
A counterintuitive thought - distortion can entail clarity. By distorting some of the sound, we bring the music into relief. Rather like stepping up very close to an oils painting to look at the brush strokes. The detail renders the image obscured. By backing away, the details blur and fade from our perception, but this allows the image, the art, the idea, to present itself with clarity. And so it is with sound. By blurring the details with saturation, we bring the music into the foreground. The sonic "brushstrokes" blur together with saturation to form an image. Digital recording shows us wonderful detail, more brushstrokes that we could have ever imagined, but we do not always want that. Sometimes yes, but not always : )
That’s a beautiful analogy
Very interesting comment! Reminds me of the definition of impressionism and the abstract meaning inherent within that form of work. The whole idea in and of itself is also just as important as the individual components.
But I like to express the same thing in a simpler way so that everyone understands the mechanics. It's about thickness. The finely detailed strokes are great at perfectly drawing what we want. But not every sound has the same presence or thickness in a composition. So the choice to use saturation really comes down to how thin or thick the sound should be in that arrangement. And the particular harmonic series of saturation is similar to the angle of the brush when doing this upon canvas. Each angle leaves a different geometry of spread.
@@rhemaman This is a great way of putting it!
genius
Thanks a lot !!
Could you please talk about Phasing Issues ?
When it comes to Music Production, how to perceive it ? how to identify it ?
and how to solve or use it for creative purposes ?
Yes, marvellous question!
I always feel good watching those videos, he's so humble and likeable
You’re very kind my friend! Happy to be able to help in any way I can!
"Fantastic questions, Marvellous answers" Friday :)
Aw shucks! Thanks Ady!
Man your answers are so to the point and helpful.
And then you even bring up a track and demonstrate it, awesome!!
Thanks ever so much! Glad to be able to help!
I've NEVER seen a Vox Typhoon with those pickups and finish, beautiful. I just got a Vox Bossman and its my current favorite guitar, those Vox guitars got some mojo, they sound like nothing else and look beautiful. I'm obsessed with yours, so cool.
Warren is a guitar virtuoso
You're far too kind! Thanks ever so much!
Yeah, I was like "whaaat??". I didn't know Marvelous Warren played like that!
I'd love to see more of Warren's playing in some videos, maybe throw some songs in on acoustic or shred a lick here and there on any of those nice electrics... Seeing that level of playing always makes me go practice my guitar :-)
Soaking up the transients with saturation!!! explained superb!
Thanks ever so much! Glad to be able to help!
Wow! The point about Little Wing and Hendrix's guitar being maybe 3 or 4 year old when recorded really clicked with me. Never thought about that. Always thought of it being very old because it was decades since it was recorded. Such a great point!
Yes! We forget that all of favourite musicians and producers were using the gear when it was brand new!!
It was new, in a specific era that was better. The answer here overall is 1.maybe, it depends. followed by ... 2. the player decides and 3. hands are the most important part of the sound, always. So see #1, and #2. Caps get old and lose low end, pots get scratchy, necks and frets can be bad news from age or poor upkeep or never being right even when new. Old wood dries out = good :) Older guitars with lacquer finishes are better than poly on a PRS which is forever plastic. They breathe, PRS does not. EVH and Brian May made their own guitars. So ... that worked out well. I played a 50s Les Paul where a guy was offered $450,000 cash for it in 2005 from a Japanese dealer and turned it down. I could not play it for 20 seconds. Horrible guitar. Bad decision too, as the 2008 crash cut that number WAY down :)
I've thought about that sort of thing for a long time. Hendrix's guitars were disposable, not things he cherished as fantastic instruments. He used to burn them, and then get a new one!
Hendrix also had big hands so the longer scale length of a Strat was good for him. And he played it enough to become acclimatised to the peculiarities of Strats, e.g.: the volume knob so close to the strings, the ubiquity of whammy bars.
Personally I don't like Strats at all, nice noise, but for a long time the bridges commonly had sharp edges on the screws and I often palm damp right over the bridge - nasty; the volume knob used to get in the way of my right hand. Horrible. I learned on acoustics and Gibson style instruments always felt more like a real guitar, but their quality control is suspect - or maybe they only ship rubbish to the UK? But Leo fender left Fender and made even better guitars!
And the guitars designed by EVH are terrific. I have Music Man Axis Sport which, when I bought it, I compared with every guitar in the secondhand guitar shop I was in. It sounded at least as good as any of them, but was better set up and much better made than all the other instruments, many of which were Gibsons and Fenders - oh, and the neck profile was incredible.
Those old Fenders and Gibbos were indeed great designs ... back in the 50s. Some of the Gibsons maybe compare to old Ferraris, gorgeous handmade and top of their class in their day; something like, say, an L5 or a Johnny Smith. Fenders are more like Mini Coopers, churned out cheaply like cookies, but with some winning manners and widely played because they worked and were affordable. There are much much better designs around these days; better electronics is available - and actually used in some of the better guitars and amps - and mass production techniques are often better than hand making even by very good makers.
All the guff about vintage stuff is inflated by antiques markets and by millions spent on advertising in guitar mags and product placement by the big, big companies.
@@brianlucey832 I met someone a while ago who was telling me his old strat was worth £24,000 - he'd heard I liked guitars. Looking back I may have been a bit harsh, but I just told it as I saw it, and mentioned that I'd heard when Santana moved from Gibsons to Yamahas it was because his old Gibson was "clapped out". Maybe that's apocryphal, can't remember where I heard it, but I can imagine him saying it.
I've owned (and still own) and play a bunch of really old guitars. They all look wonderful and have nostalgic value, but some are hard to play, have dodgy intonation or dead spots, or dull-sounding or low output pickups. The tuners, frets, bridges and nuts might be worn and need replacement. The electronics might not work properly any more. Then I have also brand new cheap jobs from the Far East that don't look anything spectacular but sound and play great, and everything works perfectly. Most of my guitars are somewhere in the middle. They all get used in the studio from time to time, depending on what colour I want to add to a track. For gigging, I want something reliable with everything in good working order, that stays in tune well and that gives me a variety of sounds. Horses for courses . . .
Thanks ever so much Willem! I really appreciate your insight!
I watched a bunch of these videos, but I never knew he was a guitar player! Man, he can really play!
Aw shucks! Thanks ever so much
thank you for your willingness to share your knowledge Warren
You're very welcome Mark!
yesssssss. As a vintage synth guy your commentary on vintage guitars is spot on. My 1975 Oberheim Two Voice was always needing something and the two voices were never matching timbre after replacing old failing transistors. Sometimes it's just unicorn hair..
Very true indeed!
Love the comments on vintage gear. I've been saying it for years: Old instruments are old... not necessarily better. Tolerances were looser back then and on average, you get a better made instrument today than you did 50 years ago. That being said, you are bang-on with unobtanium. Wood nowadays isn't the same as previous, even in terms of old-growth wood versus new-growth. Vintage instruments are cool, but I find newer instruments play better in a lot of cases simply because they are made to a much tighter tolerance. This is the same for anything, cars, houses, etc.
The tecnology was made posible. Now on the instruments factories use cnc machines and plek machines for a better results on the freetboard and the thing with the wood it's maybe not so much on the instruments performance. I think that its more important all the enviroment around the guitar. ( cables, good electric from the place were we play the instruments, and sometimes a better cable management inside the instruments make a huve diference.)
Regarding the last question about vintage gear - I see that a LOT with the vintage wahs sent to me for repairs. The original 100k pot will have drifted upward to 200k...300k...I've seen some even higher. That drifted part drastically changes the tone and it depends on the taste of the player as to whether that's a good thing or not. (usually not) To me it just sounds like it needs a new pot so it can sound like 1968 again.
Very well said! Perfect case in point! Thanks for the great comment!
Alrighty! Something I can actually comment on with some knowledge. New guitars are consistently built better and have better quality control from the wood to the components. In the 50's and 60's and even the 70's, one set of pickups could sound different from guitar to guitar. No two were the same. Today, you can go get a set of Texas Specials and buy another set a year later, and they'll sound identical. The only real difference is the older guitars were made of old growth trees. Is that a big difference? I honestly can't tell, just like I couldn't tell you if a guitar has a poly or nitro finish just by listening to it and listening to the resonance and sustain.
I've owned 70's les pauls, 50's and 60's Fenders, and I've owned the reissues of them from road worn to custom shop, and aside from the pickups, the new guitars get super close. Espcially the road worn by Fender. Also, with a new guitar, it doesn't have any of the finicky details that would otherwise make you sell a guitar if it was new.
I've owned vintage amps and my tip for those is to own two because one will always be in the shop. They're cool and a conversation piece, but not reliable. Save some bones and buy a handwired version if it bothers you too much.
You know you are in it for a while when you perfectly get the explanation of "It won't make the tishhhhh into a wommmm".
Thanks so much for addressing my question!
You're very welcome Scott!
the legend himself
I love how every video starts with a blast of genuine positive energy! It says a lot about a person, because Warren obviously has good and bad days like the rest of us... but you can just feel that once he's donned his trademark shirt, and stepped into the studio (perhaps with mug of tea/coffee in hand)... he's truly happy to be there, he's absolutely in his zone, and he's earned it.
Gives people like me a reminder that yeah, music is seriously hard work... but it IS worth it. Once you get a certain level of competence, I imagine there's much more enjoyment to be had! Not to ramble too much, but I was an EMT in a past life. I walked into the ambulance station every day with a massive grin on my face, because I loved the job, and patients really do notice when you're clearly enthusiastic about what you do.
I know what the name of my next band is going to be:
The Shnizzle
Love the video, as usual.
Haha thanks ever so much
Once your new band is up and running I will form a cover band entitled the Schnits and Shnizzles.
Parallel compression w/ more saturation on the parallel than the source is a good way to solve that super dynamic snare issue . Also i've learned that a tiny bit of a short room verb w/ select sounds being fed into it is a great glue to add in conjunction w/ putting nice saturation on the master bus early in the mix & maybe a bit more of something else at the end of the mix.
@@TheEndless560 Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis have a retro video showing how & why they do it too. They dont use the word glue neither but the term is more a metaphor of what theyre attempting to do(make everything digital sound more real & together within a virtual space to trick the ears). Remember, the ears are smarter than the mind at times...what the mind doesnt understand in terminology & concept, the ears can discern via years of experience listening to real sounds.
The concept gets deeper when you think of the wall of sound technique that came from the Phil Spector & Brian Wilson Beach Boys era. The wall of sound's goal is LITERALLY to glue everything together so much that you cant tell what you are hearing as layered instruments drowned in ambiance created a background stage so that less wet sounds sound more forward & prominent.
In the 80s we learned to mix pads like this & filter them to create a similar effect but I mention it all to point out how reverb literally glues everything together covered in the the verb you used as glue. Saturation does it in a subtle musical way w/o as many costs that reverb adds(especially if you arent making the verb as short as possible w/o it sounding bad).
I remember learning by accident on Izotope 3's mastering suite how much things came together when I added a sprinkle of inaudible reverb to the master bus. Took me years to mentally understand what my ears discerned hearing the magic of room verb make its case. The ears prefer for music to sound realistic...even notes too quantized to a pattern can trigger the ears long before the mind knows why the song sounds robotic & fake.
The original goal of virtual instruments was to sound realistic but the more realistic they got, the less effort we put into understanding how to trick the ears into accepting & enjoying them in mixes. I knew I had work to do when I heard Super NES games mixed better than my own music lol...mixing technique is king when it comes to mixes, not hardware/vstsoftware.
@@TheEndless560 Cool. My bad if i came off the wrong way, Im just obsessive & long winded like a creepy mad scientist who figured out some cool stuff lol. You dint come off argumentative, I just awkwardly type long passionate replies hoping they do someone justice in their hopes to explore the subject lol.
Actually I have no clue what IR stands for so I cant intelligently reply to that. We live in the oddest age when it comes to terminology & yet as in my examples, the goals we aim for often remain the same despite being lost at times.
My initial ambition in home studio mixing 10 years ago was to debunk the car salesmen politician spirited hustler tongue of the studio mixer saying radio worthy records cant be done at home yet ironically I found the only way to truly effectively debunk them is to glean their insights rather than reinvent the wheel.
Their hustles to keep me dependent on them kept me from learning what I wished to learn however the solution to them was only found in the transparency of those analog era mixers who spilled the beans on how things work. It took analog gear minded mixers to teach me that analog gear isnt mandatory for a great mix...I just needed to avoid the lack of transparency found in mixers like CLA of all people lol(though in time he has become more transparent but only AFTER certain secrets became common knowledge among home studio beginner mixers).
I still remember back in the 2010s when NOBODY even mentioned saturation let alone analog emulation despite such software existing thanks to more forthright mixers. You pretty much had to go to a school like Full Sail to learn such a thing as even the students kept such knowledge hidden. So many needless hurdles...but it was things like that that gave birth to obsessive minds like my own as I pondered the absolute truth being hidden from me until it made itself known.
You still to this day seldom hear people speak on clip gain editing which is most important for most all modern vocal mixes in the box. I sincerely hope to create a mixing channel by next year for that very reason. I may not know all the technical insights as those before me but Im a hell of a lot more transparent & sincere w/o an agenda short of making music sound its best by freely spreading the wealth to those willing to learn to the limit of my ability to teach it.
@@TheEndless560 My bad for late reply. Ok ok yeah I heard of impulse response. I actually am interested in finding some good reverbs that can do that & exploring that cuz yeah that sure does sound like a good idea. I presume the better reverbs have presets already modeled in such a way but its a nice thought to create one from scratch if I can find one w/ an intuitive interface easy to fiddle with.
They always intimidated me so I never truly touched one though I probably have a freeware one somewhere in my vst vault lol. yeah we sure did come a long way, Im from class of 03 & got into FL Studio in 04 & after all these years I feel like I just now learned how to be a good mixer in the box(even using the same PC believe it or not lol though I rebuilt it a few times).
Heres a random but funny note: I just realized the other month that I think CLA's brother TLA is a better mixer than him lol! CLA really comes off as a powerful mixer among the community but its kinda funny how TLA was getting Grammy's before his bro even though he entered later in the game & doesnt have the big name & passion to teach it like CLA.
I went back & compared albums they did around the same year & almost always had to give the W to TLA(best 2 outta 3). Only album I ever heard previously by CLA was City of Evil by A7X & the mix didnt impress me at all, it was just well produced imho. Love the dude's passion though & his plugins lol...but TLA is nicer on them rock & pop punk albums theyre both known for.
I def wanna know how to mix all genres w/ a style my own(thats what I focus on...having a mix style that stands out in this wild wild west era of digital mixes...many pros still make mad mistakes doing digital vocals in the box...even that new Kanye Donda record that just dropped had some issues I felt like I couldve fixed if I was there to throw in my opinion lol).
Oh & about clip gain editing, its the best way to fix digital vocals to make them sound more like analog era. Digital vocals almost always should be recorded further from the mic (in a super dry recording space blocking ambiance from bouncing back into the mic)so theyre not too bright, then cut clips & gain stage each clip to perfection(cutting the siblance & manually turning it down in just that clip alone individually then rendering the vocal back into a single clip but now w/ so many common errors pre-fixed long before you need to do any automation, compression, de-essing, etc). Vocals have always been my obsession in mixing & Ive sucked for far too long which made me passionate about every tip that solved my common issues.
I understand the 'nostalgia' angle. I've made many purchases of that kind... had my nostalgia fix, and then moved on. I find that I try to find things that make me comfortable now... rather than the shiny new thing that everyone is talking about.
That goes for Plugins, gear, live gear, etc... If I am comfortable, then I am inspired.. and that is what it is all about!
If I want to "glue my mix together", I use Hornet Tape in conjunction with MJUC (mk3 setting). It has gives the mix an overcompressed character but in a pleasant way. It's not for every genre but it really shines in aggressive rock/prog tracks.
Man, I needed glue about 20 years ago. I was recording on an external digital multi-track, and using a drum machine. My drums sounded like they were on top of the mix, instead of in the mix. It was as bad as you could possibly get. It sounded fake. Back then, I just accepted it. Now I know how to make it sound real in the mix.
Vintage gear has been the biggest thorn in my side since I started this whole thing. That's why I love emulations of "golden units" in plugin form. I wish I had a question, I just like learning from this channel lol. Keep doing what you do
I’m learning so much from this channel. My hope is that I will be able to be successful at my local level helping people get their ideas and music out to the public.
Oh, your starfire!!! My college roommate in Freshman year had a 1967 starfire 3. Fantastic guitar. It was well loved (worn) , a bit microphonic... but a GEM
That sounds like mine as well!
The explanation of the relationship between saturation and gluing is absolute gold. I've been using more and more saturation while making dance music where my inputs all start out as sterile, digital sounds, and I noticed that they sounded "better" but didn't really notice until you pointed it out that they also "glue" together better. 🙏
Thanks for all your work Warren. I record in Harrison Mixbus and mix through my Soundcraft Signature 22MTK to get an analog "flow" like what I had learned on. I love it and the "glue" is automatic with Mixbus. Just wanted to say thanks and add my 2 cents, Greetings from the Canadian Rockies. Cheers.
Cheers from México! Keep up the great work!
I need to buy an Ibanez PL1770 in copper. Bought it in the 80's and it was stolen in the 90's. Best sounding Ibanez I have ever heard.
A few years ago I bought a Gibson Custom Shop Collectors Choice Les Paul for over 8000€. Knowing that this would be the closest to a 59' LP I will ever get. It sounded and played great but after a while I figured I had a feeling of playing a fake guitar, artificially aged exactly after another guitar, even though it was handmade and that expensive. So I gave up about the whole 59' thing sold that guitar and got a normal second hand stock Les Paul. And I am happy with it. That whole vintage guitar thing is just in our heads and has value only for collectors and dealers..at least that is my humble opinion.
Thanks ever so much for sharing Kai! I really appreciate it!
This video is so on point. Thank you! A favourite analogue channel emulation of mine is the Airwindows console environment. These replace the channel faders in one's DAW. Instant glue, and wonderful glue at that : )
The airwindows plugins are amazing and not many people knows about it. And robin the programer its a wonderful guy
I think you mean "Chris", but yes indeed!!
Thanks ever so much Seb! Thanks for the tip!
@@Johnscompany amazing!
@@sebbityseb do you have contact information for them?
Great episode, thank you and keep rockin'
Namaste&Nomaske
Thanks ever so much Thomas!
Really awesome FAQ Friday Warren! Thank you so much for all of your wonderful answers!
Thanks ever so much Alexey
This was great; so many spot-on points, even the guitar stuff, as many points apply to my glorious drums (still the best looking instrument).
I appreciate, so much, what you do.
Wow! Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate it!
FABU Sir Warren!!! You answered my question, very succinctly! So, golden award to my fave, PLAP founder: YOU! URock! (GLUE everywhere)
Thanks ever so much Brian for the great question!
@@Producelikeapro At your service. Tyvm
@@briankingart marvellous!
Thanks Warren. This is exactly the thing I felt my mixes were missing. GLUE! But I didn't know how to express it.
Glad to be able to help Ray!
@Ray Miller try this. Get your mix nicely balanced. Add a compressor on the entire mix. Just a little. Then add a tiny bit of saturation to taste. Then add another compressor. Play around with the attack and release setting. Also play with the wet/dry balance of the compressor. Now tweek some minor EQ things on the individual tracks to get the overal mix where you wanna go. Little extra hi mids for the guitar? A bit of 2k on the bass for clarity? Maybe a bit less low in the kickdrum?
Should get you in the ballpark real quick :)
Great free compressors are: Tessla SE, Varimoon, Caelum audio Tape Cassette, and anything from Analog Obsession.
The plugins I named all add both compression and saturation/distortion. Levels out peaks and brings up roomsound and reverbs. Adds tons of life and energy ☺👍
@@jorrickthole6505 thanks Jorrick. That’s exactly what I’ve done. Just curious, what saturation plugins are you using?
@@jorrickthole6505 sorry. I didn’t see that there was more to your first comment. Thanks.
I've played the same 1990 Les Paul standard since I bought it in 1994. It was the best out of all the LPs I tried the day I bought it, and it also beat off competition from other guitars that I've bought and sold over the years. In recent years, it started to become difficult to play. The frets got low, it would choke out in certain spots, and it just didn't inspire me to play when I picked it up. I was always scared to change anything about that guitar as it was already perfect in my mind. I made the decision to have it re-fretted and its now gained a whole new lease of life. It rings better, plays flawlessly and now I'm inspired when I pick it up. I also replaced a few things like the tuners that had worn to the point of not holding tuning well anymore. Its far from being all-original, but its now a much better guitar to play.
WRT the new versus vintage debate, I have a CS Strat and its hands down the best Strat I've ever played, including a '62 Strat I played back in the 90s (Sonic Blue I think it was). My CS Strat just has that special vibe that some guitars have that inspire you, and the riffs just seem to write themselves when you pick them up. I tried a bunch of CS Strats the day I bought mine, and the others just didn't have 'it'. Oh, and I can abuse the whammy bar in true Jimi fashion and this thing just stays in tune. It was worth buying for that reason alone. I truly believe that great guitars do not have to be vintage. They were great when they were build, not because they're now vintage. The same holds true with a new guitar - if its not a great guitar now, it never will be.
So much glue... I'm feeling all sticky now! Great video by the way!
Haha thanks ever so much
Many pieces of old equipment were handmade, and the ‘tolerances’ were a lot looser. The end result was that there was a huge variation between instruments, and in fact, back in the 70’s, people would go into a shop, and try 15 or 20 different instruments, be it guitars, or cymbals, or compressors, and they were all different. As they have got older they have worn and changed in ways that sometimes is good, and sometimes is not.
Manufacturing tolerances are a lot tighter now, so you can literally order one off the internet, and they will all sound, and feel, almost identical.
Thanks ever so much for this excellent comment!
Finally, a description of "gluing the mix together" that glues the _idea_ together in my head!
Follow-up question: is that a lot of what Neve/API-style mic preamps add when recording bass, beyond "character"? I like a pretty un-glossed hi-fi-sound, and my RME interface does a wonderful job of that, but I've been wondering whether to invest in an HDI, Colour Box v2, TB12 or something of the kind. My quandary has been whether it would add the right amount of polish to be worth the investment.
I love my 70s Japanese Epiphone SG that plays better than any Gibson I've played of the same era and I absolutely love it! Most of my other guitars though are ones I bought brand new after 2000. I I like vintage stuff, but overall the newer stuff I've played has just been overall better, and more consistent.
My saturation I tend to use on every track of course starts with pres when I can, but after that, I recently fell in love with Softube Tape, which is just a gorgeous tape emulation!
i didn’t even know Warren PLAYS let alone
P L A Y S ! ! ! Mind = blown
You're very kind Addi! Yes, I was a session guitarist in a past life! These days I play on the music I produce!
I use a waves ssl bus compressor on my master bus and try to not hit it any harder than -1 to -2 db. I also use wanes ssl channel strip on every channel. The first time I did that in a mix my mastering engineer said “ Did you get an SSL board? This just sounds more like a record”. I guess it makes a difference.
That's very cool to hear! Thanks for sharing that Bob!
Glue, to me, isn't about transient control. It's more about taking separately processed sounds that have been mixed together and helping them to sound like they've all be processed uniformly, as though you had just recorded a live band all on the stage at the same time. That's one of the things that the bus compressor does. The saturation you're talking about adds a uniform set of harmonics and peak control. Getting a little more aggressive and taking off more than the typical "maybe a dB or so" and setting your bus compressor to pump, I find does a great job of unifying everything, as long as it is a properly finished mix in the first place. If your mix ain't behavin' right to begin with, no amount of glue is gonna fix it. "Glue" is the spit and polish, not the rough work.
Awesome video Warren; thanks!
You’re very welcome
I would also like to add that glue can also mean bring in the low and hi end with compressor so that all the instruments are just as bright or fat. Kind of like creating a ceiling and a floor. They key is to keep it open sounding.
Great, helpful story and guiding inspirations,
Best!
You’re very welcome! Glad to be able to help
Another great help! Thank you! I actually needed this video. Fixing my snares and gluing.
RE: glue - I’m a big proponent of the Pulteq-SSL mixbuss thing (thanks largely to this channel - cheers!) the Waves SSL I love, use it all the time. The Logic stock compressor emulation is also shockingly good, also Cytomic’s ‘The Glue’ which is somehow free in Ableton. I also started putting the Oxford Inflator after the SSL on things, or IK’s Clipper if one has that. Recently grabbed a Tegeler Creme, and it’s amazing too. Many many great options for smoothing things out.
One thing I love about being a Studio One 5 user is that it has plugins you can put on the master channel to emulate analogue gear.
Lovely! Thanks!
Vintage is all the same. Guitars, bikes, amplifiers, cars... it's the nostalgia but also the 'crapiness' that can make it great! And for instruments make it sound 'different'!
My 1965 Chevy doesn't start the first time, but it does the second... was it like that in the 60's? I don't know? I don't care... it's running, it works, and it drives fine... does it drive the same as back then? I don't know... I'm 37 years old, but I like how it drives! Nostalgia is a funny thing...
My Gibson Les Paul Smartwood from 1999 actually still does sound the same (I think), even after 22 years of hard work!
Back in the day gluing your mixed together met after the mix , actually putting it onto Reel To Reels or onto a cassette tape. Running it through a tape saturation machine gives it a uniform feel and warmth you just don’t get from digital
As far as the guitars, the other thing is that Leo said he used Alder and Ash because he could get them easily and they were inexpensive. All the heroes (Page, Beck, Blackmore, etc) were all using guitars not very old or even brand new. Thanks as always, Warren.
Hi Warren, hope your marvelously well. As an old schooler bassist from NJ I love analog so I went to McDSP. I had a few "points" on a CC and McDSP has a sale on. I purchased Analog Channel Native v6 for a whopping $10 very much looking forward to trying it.
Cool distortion trick. So right about analog adding coloration. I suppose you could send the snare also into a mic pre out board (like a series 500), or even add any distortion simulator onto the digital track - I wonder how a guitar distortion pedal would make that snare sound.
Great stuff, Warren. A thoroughly enjoyable view!
Thanks ever so much!
Ferric TDS is a free plugin for anyone wanting a decent plugin for use on snares (just been updated as well).
Glad you also brought up a "THIN" sounding mix... I get accused of that more than often! :)
Great video. Regarding snare transients, Logic has a plugin called Enveloper. It lets you shape the transient attack and release. I use it like a secret weapon on snare drums. Lets you fine tune the initial hit in relation to the rest of the sound. $0.02
Everyone should strive for using "vintage" guitar strings !! :)
Mine were so vintage that they rusted through at the bridge! 😁 Luckily, I'd bought a spare set about 15 years ago, just in case!
I spoke to Duck Dunn after a gig and asked him (naively) 'what stings do you use?', he answered, 'I don't know I only change them when I break them!'
@@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn Haha thanks for sharing!
@@Producelikeapro For that nice, warm, vintage tone. :)
Thanks for the video, Warren. I agree on Analog Channel, still does the job perfectly. As far as glue goes, this can be achieved with Air Windows as well. A one man company, that makes amazing tape, channel and console plugins. In my opinion, one of the best, if not THE best. It's a pity the developer's (Chris) plugins don't get that much attention. He really deserves it. An interview with Chris would be awesome (nudge nudge, wink wink...).
Airwindows plugins can add some "analog glueing" magic, it was the biggest finding in "summing saturation" for me.
Using "Channel9" VST on tracks with "Console7" VST on a bus made a huge difference that I didn't expect at all.
The only downside is that you have to use VST faders instead of DAW faders - that can get too messy very soon. But anyways, that was the most "analog" plugin I've heard.
Such a cool dude this Warren is
The raw T-Racks British Channel inserted in every track produces the biggest change in sound I’ve heard from a channel strip with settings all set to flat (actually, the comp is active by default). Definitely glue but definitely not subtle.
POWERFUL VIDEO!!!!!!
Thanks ever so much! Happy New Year!
Elivis was here 🕺😊🙏
Hi Warren, Great FAQ Friday, even budget guitars sound good these days, they have better intonation and the action is not like playing on a trampoline, unlike some of the guitars i have played, have a fantastic day, all the best.
Agreed 100% Darren!
I'm a big fan of the bx_console N channel strip. It's pricey, but regularly goes on sale. Across an entire session, it really makes the whole song breath in amazing ways. I've always assumed that it had at least something to do with using the same compressor across all tracks, if all at different settings.
I prefer the "E" over the "N" channel and I also have it across all my tracks to emulate analog consoles throughout the entire mix.
And that strat is perfectly color coordinated, even with Stevie.
Marvellous
Unobtainium : great word and probably the title of my new single :-)
Haha yes, such a great descriptive word
@@Producelikeapro :-)
I have been playing with ProTools Heat and been liking what is adds.
Love all your work my g, ty.✌🏽
Not a comp... but TRS-5 One... by IK MULTIMEDIA is an amazing analog modeled mastering processor that i use on everything.... the push knob, when used properly can literally be pushed all the way and still sound good.... and saturator x goes beautifully paired with it... as well as the brikwall limiter... makes a great mixing /mastering chain
NA Lo-Fi Vintage clipper is a really good one
Thanks for the tip!
I liked the answer re old vs new.
Thanks ever so much!
great information warren thank you so much god bless
Thanks! God bless you too!
I just put the TUBA from Analog Obsession and the Waves SSL E-Channel (AO would have that one, too) on all Tracks I want to analogify and boom there it is.
Glue - loving using a transformer. Super smoother :)
These videos are always amazing! Could you possibly cover mixing vocals for someone who vocals are quite low and filled with bass? I've quite recently started mixing my music and my voice is kind of a bit of a hassle for me to deal with right now.
Thanks ever so much Bijon!
Hey Bijon, I just finished mixing a song with a low, deep tone voice. Here's what I did to help it cut through and hope it helps while you're still waiting for a new video from Warren.
1. A boost around the 1k range helped with the clarity of the lyrics. A boost around 3k range helped with the presence.
2. The air-band boost on the MAAG EQ4 added some sheen and air.
3. I used a compressor with a tone shaper to make the compression sound bright.
4. The reverb has a shelf boost in the top end and a cut in the lower midrange to reduce mud.
5. Saturation, this really helped the vocal pop and cut through.
Obviously there's more processing that was done on the vocals but hope that gives you a good starting point. All the best.
@@audiospectra Wow! Thank you so much. I truly appreciate this!
I don’t understand the thing about old gear.
I also don’t understand why guitar manufacturers keep coming out with new copies of guitars from 70 years ago.
I can answer the second question: because that's what people keep buying. They keep buying it because guitarists are generally very conservative, and because there's a lot of nostalgia for the "good old days."
@@imagesofstyle agreed, that's why there's so many 'clones' of vintage recording equipment.
wood dries out, and that lacquer is mostly illegal. and some guitars from the past are magic. some, are not. old guitars have more variety, that makes some of them very special. uniformity is boring.
Old gear is purely analog, with tubes which produce varying harmonics. The brain can pick up on that, and because the inaudible harmonics are slightly random, the brain doesn’t lock into a pattern. With digital gear, everything is sample accurate and we perceive that as cold and predictable. That’s one of the reasons that modern software and interfaces try to emulate that tube sound. Hope that clears it up. It’s a really complicated subject
oh and killer guitar playing
Thanks ever so much
Found your comments on old guitars interesting. In an episode of TPS both Dan and Mick were shocked that their respective guitars sounded worse than vintage versions of them, even after they'd tried to upgrade them. Maybe the fact old guitars are 'faulty' is the reason they sound good? Guthrie Trapp's old guitar had Mexican Fender pickups in it and in his hands it sounded amazing, tone comes from the person playing it at least to some extent imho.
Which episode? I assume they were comparing like with like? A modern American Strat made to the exact same spec as vintage one? Or are you talking about trying to take a cheaper guitar and upgrade them? I’ve seen both results with that, depending on how good the construction and quality of the wood of the instrument is.
I know what you mean about your Starfire Decades later, I still regret selling my Gibson Melody Maker (the two-pickup model) and my Mosrite (never mind that the Mosrite neck is ridiculously narrow). But I would be happy to buy new ones if they were still being made. Still have my childhood pre-CBS Super Reverb, which, I have read, does sound better than the present-day reissues. And I was shocked, recently, to read how much my 1973 Tele,which I still have, is worth. But, though I've never played any, I'm sure that the Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster reissues sound and play as well as the originals did when they were new.
Personally, I don't think old vs. new matters so much for solid body guitars; if you want a "vintage sound," there are vintage pickups, even hand wound ones, available.
Acoustic guitars, on the other hand, where there are no electronics, may be a different story, as I believe that wood does change over time.
But the best advice is to play before you buy and if you think that the playability and sound justify paying more than for a modern instrument, go for it.
And finally, a point I think you missed: My pre-CBS Super Reverb and 1973 Tele were new when I bought them, are now "vintage," via the simple passage of time.
So, to anyone who wants to own a vintage guitar at a bargain price: But a new guitar today, and for the next 30, 40, 50 years, hang on to it, eat your vegetables, take your vitamins and do all you can to stay healthy and live long enough for the guitar - and you - to become "vintage."
Appreciate the thoughts, Warren! An amaaaaaaazing bang for buck “glue” type plugin that you should try: Reamp from Klevgrand. It is under the radar, but for me has so much of the mojo and vibe that many go to Decapitator for. Great vintage hardware emulations, harmonics, etc. It’s fantastic! Would love to hear your thoughts on this brilliant plugin at some point.
Well that was a mythbuster edition if anything (or should I say mixbuster?)
Haha thanks
I used to work at a pro shop in Los Angeles, A guy brought in a 1958(?) 3 pickup black les paul, one of only a few and worth 10s of thousands, and I could not wait to play it. He handed me the guitar a started telling me all about it... As I played it instantly I could not believe how absolutely horrible it was, One of the worse guitars I have ever played, I just smiled and nodded as I played... Sometimes Vintage just means old. Sometimes amazing, sometimes, horrible...
Thanks ever so much for sharing! Yes, I think so many of us have had that experience!
Great info. Thank you.
Nothing comes free with protools :-D
Are those Klark teknik pultec style eq's in the background Warren?
Haha no such thing as a free lunch! Those are real Pultecs made by Pulse Techniques, great sounding!
Could you talk about getting older and ears losing sensitivity to some frequencies ? How to manage that as a composer and a mixer ?
I would recommend using analyzers along with some reference tracks, that might help a bit. If you can't hear certain frequencies, the 2nd best option is to use your eyes.
Marvellous question Jean-Laurent!
fav if OTT is your glue comp 🤪👍
Lately I have been running every track through a free Neve console emulation, then into the (also free) Ferric TDS, where I add a tiny bit of saturation and light, light compression, then print those tracks to free up DSP. On the "return" I use Waves SSL G Channel and any other plugins I might need, then mild API2500 buss compression for the various subgroups, and finally SSL bus compressor on the 2 buss an into Waves J37. All of this helps emulate the analog signal path, and by doing this I find the various compression and saturation steps along the way make the actual act of mixing much easier.
Interesting! Very cool idea indeed Thanks ever so much for sharing! I appreciate it
thanks again mate from Si in Scarborough U,K.
0:50-0:55 reminds me of something Steve Howe would do.
Wow! What an honour! He's a maestro!
Good vid.
Thanks Phillip!
But does it djent?
Put it into a metal amp and try! Haha
Hi, good video as always.
I would like to know more about tape machines, especially the differences between the different types of tape. I've been using an old Akai tape machine since January of this year and have had it overhauled and measured for a specific type of tape. Unfortunately, the original is only available on the used market.
What exactly happens in terms of the frequency range if I buy a new, modern tape instead that the machine has not been calibrated to? Does that really make a relevant difference ?