Dealing with fx on various VI's and Mixing

[EGS]

Originally Posted by DonaldM

So, what makes one a "Pro"? Is the amount of money earned? Do you have to be full time? I've often wondered where the line is between Pro and not-Pro. (perhaps this is for another thread!)

Pros make a living at it - AND have fun!!!

Re VI processing: use whatever tool works, whenever you want to. Similar age-old questions: EQ/comp on the way in, or record flat? Print elec gtr with stompboxes and amps or not? Commit now or wait for later? If a patch or processor or effect is essential to the inspiration, then print it whenever/however you get it.

Personally, I like to leave most (not all) processing for the final mix, although I setup sounds constantly while tracking. If the tracking sounds work in the mix, I leave it. If not, I like to be able to tweak it. If you plan to send tracks out for mixing, you might want to send un-processed tracks AND processed tracks and let the mixer choose. No rules, whatever works. My 2 cents!!!

[amagras]

Originally Posted by EGS

Re VI processing: use whatever tool works, whenever you want to. Similar age-old questions: EQ/comp on the way in, or record flat? Print elec gtr with stompboxes and amps or not? Commit now or wait for later? If a patch or processor or effect is essential to the inspiration, then print it whenever/however you get it.

No rules, whatever works. My 2 cents!!!

This is my opinion as well ^

[DonaldM]

Originally Posted by EGS

Pros make a living at it - AND have fun!!!

Re VI processing: use whatever tool works, whenever you want to. Similar age-old questions: EQ/comp on the way in, or record flat? Print elec gtr with stompboxes and amps or not? Commit now or wait for later? If a patch or processor or effect is essential to the inspiration, then print it whenever/however you get it.

Personally, I like to leave most (not all) processing for the final mix, although I setup sounds constantly while tracking. If the tracking sounds work in the mix, I leave it. If not, I like to be able to tweak it. If you plan to send tracks out for mixing, you might want to send un-processed tracks AND processed tracks and let the mixer choose. No rules, whatever works. My 2 cents!!!

I tend to like to leave all fx processing for the final mix, too. But the reality is that some patches on some VI's just sound so good with the VI's built in fx, especially delay and reverbs. But then I'm always freezing, unfreezing, tweaking, re-freezing. But I guess you're probably right...whatever works. As our friend Dave (Albee) always likes to say: "If it sounds good, it IS good!"

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by DonaldM

I tend to like to leave all fx processing for the final mix, too. But the reality is that some patches on some VI's just sound so good with the VI's built in fx, especially delay and reverbs. But then I'm always freezing, unfreezing, tweaking, re-freezing. But I guess you're probably right...whatever works. As our friend Dave (Albee) always likes to say: "If it sounds good, it IS good!"

Well, being as old as I am, I have no aversion to committing stuff early on. But, since I also embrace the tech we have now, I am not stuck in any particular method or routine. The great thing about digital is; there's 4 ways to do everything. The bad thing about digital is; there's 4 ways to do everything As for "if it sounds good, it IS good", that's stolen from Joe Meek(must give credit where credit is due)

My own favorite meme is: "the better I drink, the more I mix"

[amagras]

Originally Posted by albee1952

My own favorite meme is: "the better I drink, the more I mix"

Also known as cocktails

[drumdude21]

Originally Posted by DonaldM

This is a question I've had for a while and wanted to get some insights from some of you pros as to how you deal with it. As you all know, nearly every VI, especially the higher end ones, come with their onboard fx of all sorts. The issue I want to address is how do you deal with all those fx when you commit to audio for final mixing? I'm especially thinking more of reverbs and delays than other stuff. Most of the other fx are more for shaping the patch the way you want it to sound.



So, if I have a patch in, say, Dune 2, and I have some Dune 2 delay and/or reverb, I really don't like to commit to audio with that as I would have to keep re-doing it as I tweak the mix with that patch and its fx. On the other hand, its not always a simple matter of adding another reverb and/or delay either, because quite often the built in fx on the VI sound really great.



A couple VI's (ie, Serum) have provided their FX as an FX only option, so you can easily duplicate just the fx to any patch committed to audio. But not many VI's do that.



So, what the pro tips here?



Thanks

It's become second nature that I'm usually turning off ALL or most effects inside a virtual instrument's interface.

It's not that I think they sound bad (some in Serum are incredible), but as I'm producing music, having too many of these effects going at once on different instruments introduces so much mud and clouds my head while working.

If I end up wanting them, I can go back and hit the button in the plugin to turn em back on.

Also, I can't commit to save my life.

[DonOnGuitar]

Hi. I hope it’s not too late to ask question here. I enjoyed reading through this thread and getting a sense of “community“. I’m very new to PT (less than a month) so your discussion prompted me to ask this.

As I read I noticed a few terms being used that I hope you can clarify. Is there any difference between commit, print and freeze? Or are these just different ways of saying the same thing?

I’m guessing that “committing” is when you do a final mix. Am I close?

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[albee1952]

is there any difference between commit, print and freeze?


These days, there is a difference. FREEZE is a way to render a temporary audio file so you can free up system resources(by disabling plugins). Downside is the frozen audio file cannot be edited. PRINT(and COMMIT) will create a new audio file that has processing embedded(IOW, if you commit a track with Melodyne, EQ with cuts or boosts, and heavy compression, the resulting audio file includes all that processing(so its never a bad idea to save the original, even if you think you may not need to revisit it).


Another thing about FREEZE, sometimes, the frozen(temporary) audio doesn't get included if you take a session and move/copy to another system(like if you send a session via Dropbox to a friend in another state to have the add something). Just something to be aware of. Having used both here, I prefer using COMMIT over FREEZE(though I almost always COMMIT up to a certain plugin as opposed to using COMMIT on the entire track(including VOLUME and PAN settings and/or automation)

[DonOnGuitar]

Originally Posted by albee1952

is there any difference between commit, print and freeze?

Thanks, Dave!

So I looked in PT and found Freeze, Commit and Bounce under the Tracks menu. From my first take on this thread I thought you guys were using these terms to describe various "techniques" that you've adopted. I didn't realize that they are actual "functions" offered by the software.

Thanks for your very helpful explanation!

[DonaldM]

Originally Posted by drumdude21

It's become second nature that I'm usually turning off ALL or most effects inside a virtual instrument's interface.

It's not that I think they sound bad (some in Serum are incredible), but as I'm producing music, having too many of these effects going at once on different instruments introduces so much mud and clouds my head while working.

If I end up wanting them, I can go back and hit the button in the plugin to turn em back on.

Also, I can't commit to save my life.

Nice thing about Serum is you can have the Serum FX rack as just FX too!! So not only use them on the Serum patches, but on anything else like any other fx! Brilliant option on Xfer's part to allow that! I wish Synapse Audio would do the same with their Dune 3 FX options! Some of them are quite nice!