Andrew Scheps Reveals His Mix Process
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2021
- Andrew Scheps on his intuitive mix process, his skepticism about 'gain staging' and why mix engineers shouldn't make arbitrary mix moves as a habit.
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GAS™ Music is a music production agency in Manchester, UK. We compose and produce original music, create awe inspiring sound design and have a fully integrated audio post-production studio. We also have a great record collection, and welcome any additions, recommendations or criticisms.
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¨take care of problems when the problems exist. Dont go looking for problems¨ This is a so powerful advice and not only for music purposes !!
This hit home for me too, was gonna comment the same thing
That’s essentially Taoism.
A solution looking for a problem
Except when you realize there was a problem and you can't re record the parts
He just said if it ain’t broke don’t fix it in a different way and he’s right. It’s basic common sense.
"take care of problems when the problems exist. Dont go looking for problems"
great advice!
Those 2 sentences alone were worth the view.
It's so validating to hear this advice from someone as good as Andrew. So many mediocre mixing engineers do exactly what he says he doesn't do and swear that it's the one true way to do things. These 8 minutes are honestly very inspiring for me.
@@pocket1684 Thanks for sharing your experience. Workflows can definitely vary since there's no correct way to do things and everything in music is subjective. I feel like sometimes I'm nervous to show other producers how I do things out of fear that they'll judge me or write me off as amateurish. So it's good to hear from people like you breaking the mold.
{As good as..]... A master like.. FTFY
Yeah but he also clarified that if it works for you then by all means do it in a reference to gain staging. He's right there's so many ways to affect gain on a DAW it's kind of ridiculous to act like gain staging is the only way to affect gain level's. You may have a good vocal track moderately with naturally good staging minus a few spikes. To lower the gain stage on that whole track would be ridiculous. Why not just adjust the volume curve in those few sections or slap a limiter on it?
@@gerimayawhyte154 It's of course not the only way to affect the gain, but it's a really really good starting point. Especially with digital equipment you can run into some serious problem if your levels are off the chart. I really see no reason why you should not gain stage. It does not mean your mix will magically be great, but it will probably save you from some headache later on while mixing. When you know the rules, then feel free to break them if it suits you. But, then you will know about the pit falls. To just follow your intuition is the worst advice you can give someone without experience. Some might be that talented that they can just follow their gut feeling, but most people are not...
Thats when you know a mix is done - when you go through it and there is nothing you want to change anymore - so simple. so great. Thank you!
Kind of bad advice for perfectionists though lol
@@Christopher-md7tf Trust me 🤣
Yeah until you play it in your car 😂 you practice that and see how depressed you get
@@jzilla_grudgegang I feel you! I made peace with this when I realized most car stereos just suck and even high-level mixes sound like crap on them.
I just started and i guess im going through a weird stage cause everything sounds better on other speakers.
I am only mixing my own music though
“Stuff feels different depending on how much level you’re putting through it.” So freaking true man. As someone now mixing through a solid analog 2bus with lots of potential sweet spots that can be gained into I couldn’t agree more.
I love Andrew because he is so practical about mixing.
I think the word is: pragmatic.
@@PendelSteven Oxford English Dictionary: "pragmatic: dealing with things on practical rather than theoretical considerations." First synonym listed: "practical."
@@PendelSteven this video was made for you :)
First thing I learned in recording student: There are NO RULES, only guidelines. Love this guy - he totally gets it- Its that simple!
Exactly. Especially in music, everything is subjective to the ears listening to it. Every engineer has their preferences as to what they want to hear in the end product. You just have to balance what sounds good with volume, as opposed to maxing everything and making it sound essentially mono coming out of two speakers. Which is, unfortunately, the way a lot of modern producers do things. Essentially, listen to what has been forwarded and find a way to bring the best out of it. I think the biggest issue facing modern music is the true lack of care for each product. Where studios are now dealing in volume and not quality. Which is what separates the great producers from the not so great.
The best thing any new producer can do is take advice from both present and past producers and find your way in between all of that information. Because the best of what you were going to do is going to come from experience and your own ears. Essentially, your end goal is always going to be to reproduced the best of what you’ve ever done. Which is very tough, because the sound coming from every musicians instrument is going to be different from the one before. The same thing with vocals. Which is where the experience of knowing what to do in different situation becomes very apparent.
When I hear a very large Stereophonics soundstage in a recording, it makes me all giddy inside. Because it’s almost like listening to surroundsound out of two speakers. As opposed to listening to something that’s loud and has a very limited almost mono sounding feel. For which, my ears get tired really quick listening to them. The best songs I’ve ever heard are those that hide little nuances, that you’ve never heard before even though you’ve been listening to it for 20+ years. Essentially sounds that we’re waiting for technology to catch up to them, for your ears be able to hear them. And when you do, it’s like find a gold at the end of a rainbow. Which never gets old.
There isn't rules, but we are dealing with physics, and due to that certain things do matter.
If you ignore certain rules it won't cut to vinyl very well, and in some cases not in a way that is even playable.
Or phase issues might cause cancellation via summing to mono, which then won't work right for radio broadcast etc
Many other things that could be listed. By all means break rules, but the physics matter
Andrew mixes more like a musician and less like an engineer - probably one of the things that makes him so good! And the "don't fix what ain't broke" approach is solid advice for anyone
Spot-on!
"I don't do anything all the time." Terrific perspective.
One thing for me to remember hearing his process, is that it's obvious that he's dealing with already excellent stuff. The musicians and recording engineers, already have a great sound before they ever send it to him. So, he wouldn't need to gain stage, do a lot of editing, or eq sweeps.
exactly
Wow you made a great point, and he has so much work to do, that there is no need to go through certain helpful routines, like bring down ever fader and start there, that is good for someone doing their own project or someone who doesn't have 100 mix to do each week.
We need to be careful, some of those rules are good......
This was really encouraging. I’m very much a beginner but I’m starting to work this way more as my skills develop. I’m less formulaic and just do what my ears tell me. I know a lot of the rules and they help me quickly fix problems. But I’m starting to get a feel for when I can skip a step (something like hi-passing guitars) or when I can solve a problem creatively rather than using a tried-and-true method. It makes for a more interesting, unique finished product
Andrew how are they supposed to sell endless unnecessary plugins with such practical advice! Legend.
That said...for any job in life, you need the right tools to do it right. Sometimes that means a plug-in you didn't have before.
@@SixPieceSuits Agreed!
I love this guy. I noticed him and other masters don't stress meticulously gain staging every track. I intuitively knew this was a overboard youtube hype. It's necessary when you have an issue but a complete waste of time if you're constantly looking and applying it IMO
"Take care of problems when problems exist. Don't go looking for problems." Great advice for mixing and for your life too! Respect.
This has been the most truthful and directly applicable video I have ever seen. Thank you! I don't follow "rules" (anymore). I did the "sweep" of frequencies (in context, not solo) but still felt that, that was routine instead of useful. Great insight!
It's weird that 30+ years ago I would build my mixes similarly, but only from a songwriting need/requirement with drums first (typically a drum machine looped beat or programmed out with all changes), then guitar, then bass, then keys and finally vocals. I like how Andrew approaches the mix like that, like a songwriter would. The man is a genius and a legend. Always new stuff to learn from these videos.
Andrew Scheps is such a genius!!! I love his mixes and his entire approach and philosophy on the process of mixing!
"Don't go looking for problems."
This was great always love hearing Andrew thx fr the input n output! And thank u for finally relieving my obsessive anxiety about gain staging.
Great video. The reason we see things being hyped are 1. because it’s good for beginners to know, Scheps obviously knows enough to not need to recite his ABC’s, and 2. to make a career out of audio on RUclips you absolutely HAVE to produce a lot of content, thus some of that content may be gratuitous.
After mixing for some time my own tracks -- I 100 percent agree with this approach. I just take a gander at the master mix bus and if I'm slamming it too hard, I selectively pair down and only then. Otherwise, I focus on feel, groove, whatever the song needs to accomplish what it needs to do. Don't limit yourself w/ structure unless absolutely needed!
So glad this channel found me. Many thanks for sharing your techniques. ✌️🎧🎼
Feel so nice listening someone who know perfectly what he's doing. ❤
This is soooo helpful, especially when you just start to learn mixing and need advice from PROs like Andrew
Great conversation, so good to hear different approaches.
Always so insightful to hear Andrew Scheps talk. Impressive modular too.
love his stuff! thanks for the interview
Thankyou thankyou thankyou Andrew. To hear that I'm approaching and mixing with the same mindset has given me a boost.
God damn . As a photographer and aspiring filmmaker I wish we had this level of wisdom with color grading tutorials. Fascinating stuff!
Quality content, my friend. Thanks!
Great interview.. Thanks for letting him speak without interruption most of the time.. was interesting to hear he uses a similar way of doing sessionsv to what I've been doing in more recent years, (getting away from technical approach and into) what sounds right is what's right.. Would love to hear what he'd do with my songs but I've no budget just good songs
In short..... "Have a structure, not a routine" 😉. Great insightful video btw
I’ve been producing and writing music for about 5-6 years, and in that whole time, I’ve never gone about my process in the same way. Each session is always different. Sometimes I start by picking a bpm, sometimes drums, synth etc. same for the mixing process. This is why I love music, it has never gotten stale and it’s great knowing that no matter what I’m going through in life, I’ll always be able to make music. Even if the world falls apart and society re-starts, I’ll be banging a stick on some rocks trying to make a beat. It’s a beautiful expression of the human experience
(Just don't clip!) Andrew, you are so practical and level-headed. I am so happy to hear a seasoned professional talk about the mix and NOT surgical, solo track unnecessary tweaking! You keep things simple - like don't grab an eq if there's no need for one. It refreshing to hear pro talking about how basic mixing really is and should be! If it sounds good, it is. Thank you!
typical jew, Andrew did nothing special, all engineers do the same thing, he is who you know cause he sucked c0ck and got to mix famous bands
The best interview on the subject I've ever saw. Thank you so much.
Hey, great interview and some sage advice from Andrew. To sum it up: Have a loose structure but don't let it get in the way of finishing a great mix!
I need to fully understand this VCA workflow. Sounded interesting, practical and logic. Well, that was Andrew Scheps' advise of course
I do pretty much the same. Never close to overload on the master, that has a lot to do with the routing.
Also, I work on one bit, section, aspect. Then as soon as I am bored, I switch over to another section/aspect of the song, or just another project.
I admire Scheps! I have listened carefully to this genie.
This interview/advice is SOOO beautiful I can’t explain.
Ha! I have the Scheps Omni strip and didn't know about the holding Ctrl..... cool interview!!
One of the best explanations of how to mix from one of the best!
Use your ears not the dials and gauges!
So well explained. Thank you! What a guy! A legend.
Oh man! So many great points here! His common sense approach is really validating for me--some things I'm doing and some things I'm not. This is GOLD!
So much good information in this for me, and happily a fair amount of affirmation. I would add only one thing. Don't work when your ears are tired.
Glad you enjoyed watching Mark
What an incredible interview and what gems!
It’s great to hear hear pure honesty...⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Andrew is THE MAN.love his no nonsense approach ❤️
Great advice. Thanks
wow, great talk! I stay with this two quotes: Mixing is to resolve creative problems with technology and always Be reactive to what we listen!!
Great interview, great talk of Andrew. Wise words. Inspiring. And relieving somehow. :-)
Wow! Excellent Interview with Andrew Scheps. Very information.. So helpful. Thank you for doing this :)
I'm so relieved to hear somebody credible say this!!! thank you sir! 😌
Many producer have OCD about processes and lose feel obsessing about it. Use your ears - great advice here !!!
Awesome!!! Best advice I’ve heard since finishing audio engineering/music production degree back in 08. I feel like this process is the lost way or has become lost in this endless sea of immediate commoditized information.
Loved this, thank you!
Love this, someone who’s out there doing it everyday and seems to be able to shut out all the distractions and bullshit and just get on with it!
Damn that was one amazing interview!
This is GOLD! Thanks for sharing this.
The thing I like most about Andrew's comments here is that while they are about mixing music, the same advice can be applied to nearly every other creative endeavor.
I love this guy's attitude and style. Never realized he cussed so much though. Hehe. And... Now I'm going to have to hunt down which Rival Son's albums he's done. Love that band and their sound.
Inspirational advice from a master! Creativity is the priority.
Just one more shining example of a musical genious who is incredibly down to earth.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I always enjoy listening to Andrew has to say. Met him and his daughter at NAMM last year. Very nice guy❣️
Very good and concise!
Thanks for the tips Andrew!!!!
Andrew always explains it so well. Like warm sunshine!
Really valuable video. Oftentimes it's good to get validation from a pro like Andrew. When I was a beginner, because of RUclips, I thought gain staging was a "thing" that you set out to do. However, it's something you do if you're hitting the mix buss too hard. However I have found it useful, if some tracks were recorded at very high level, to pull down all the tracks to a certain level using clip gain. Or even audiosuite normalise. Having said that, there's a video with CLA saying he gains the tracks up loud to hit the plugins hard. There's few rules in mixing!
I like the way he thinks. I think a lot of us tend to overcomplicate things. Especially those of us who've only been doing this a couple years.
great great one! top notch advices from a legendary mixer
We just uploaded another Andrew Scheps interview that you may be interested in. Thanks for your support!
Thank you for great tips :)
Good advice, go by feel rather than a set in stone process.
too man "experts" online pimping product, 'masterclass' nonsense and blueprint production technique. But this guy is the real 💛. Nice to hear from grounded person.
"Take care of problems when the problems exist. Don't go looking for problems" - actually an advice for life 7:35
Didn’t know we had a similar process on how we approach mixing
Great Information Here!
Dave Pensado, Andrew Scheps, Jaycen Joshua and Derek Ali are my favorite mix engineers
talking about soloing tracks reminded me that, late in the mix, I like to solo tracks and listen them "just to make sure." I found that if the solo tracks sound quite bad, I'm probably getting a pretty good mix. not a rule, but just something I use to gauge how far I am in the process
DAMN THIS HELPED ME A LOT. also just looked this guy up to see what bands he worked with and holy shit!!!
This may be the best audio engineer interview ever recorded.
Love this guy!! Talks soooo much sense! And I mix in the same way! If it sounds good, it is good!
Joe Meek
I smiled at his detailed information. We have a lot in common. I wish we had a lot more 😭.
spot on as always
sweet interview. Cheers.
Thanks, Schep!! #Wisdom💯💯
Man!! I totally relate to what he said about gain staging.
Great interview…..!
that how i mix really, if i cant get something right. i move on to another song and come back to it later. no gain staging at all, but do have to organize my tracks into group and drums are mixed first always and vocals are last.
Simply thank you
It's good to hear that one of the best mixing/mastering engineer doesn't gain stage either. I always hated doing that and felt limited and couldn't get in a creative flow. Good questions you asked 👍
" I always hated doing that and felt limited and couldn't get in a creative flow."
Because it's something to do during the mix PREP, not DURING mixing...
Pretty sure Andrew doesn't need to do it because the tracks he gets are already top notch also...
@djabthrash the only gain staging I feel like I do is to get a quiet noise floor from my analog mic preamp and compressor, then set the levels one time before any processing on the mix and that's it. Then turn things up if too quiet or down in volume if things start to clip.
@@devinkei1469 Nothing i said before contradicts what you just said :)
@djabthrash I know haha, I mean we all gain stage, just very early on as you mentioned and not over thinking it as we go
@@devinkei1469 exactly :)
Great interview! Thank you... funny, when I go looking
for blemishes that aren't real problems, ha! it can quickly
turn into a bottomless rabbit hole of dissatisfaction :)
Awesome content!
My favorite mixer:) Very honest and a mastermind:)
Nice modular synth and cat perch arrangement.
he is such a chill dude
Thank you Andrew.
Loves this bloke….so practical and logical 👊👊👊
I love his reductiveness, taking the process to its essence.
I honestly do not know who he is, but his way is exactly how I decided to do my mixing and production, organically. Im in the game only since October of 2017, but this is how I work efficiently. So I like him. :-)
Check out Andrew Scheps on Discogs or Wikipedia. How did you spend 2013?
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "I'm Beside You" (2013)
Jake Bugg - Shangri La (2013)
AFI - Burials (2013)
Gogol Bordello - Pura Vida Conspiracy (2013)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "This Is the Kitt" / "Brave from Afar" (2013)
Lady Gaga - Artpop (2013)
Black Sabbath - 13 (2013)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "In Love Dying" (2013)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Hanelei" / "Open" / "Close" (2013)
Bon Jovi - What About Now (2013)
Chic Gamine - Closer (2013)
Beyoncé - "Angel" (2013)
Beyoncé - "XO" (2013)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Pink as Floyd" / "Your Eyes Girl" (2013)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Catch My Death" / "How It Ends" (2013)
Special Request - Soul Music (2013)
This guy speaks my language so clearly. Definitely my favorite engineer of the greats.
Love this 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥