Stems vs Multitracks

[moonmusic]

Originally Posted by Bill Denton

I have seen "Blue Man Group" as part of their act they used drums that had the space between the batter head and the top of the rim filled with a "paint-like" substance...it makes a great visual effect, but sonically...it makes a great visual effect

That part was cool but I personally enjoyed the 10 foot sideways drum on springs with so much bass you could feel the air move every time he hit it with the 6 foot mallet....Really made me want to go out and buy 30-18inch subs for the living room....moon

[Bill Denton]

Originally Posted by moonmusic

That part was cool but I personally enjoyed the 10 foot sideways drum on springs with so much bass you could feel the air move every time he hit it with the 6 foot mallet....Really made me want to go out and buy 30-18inch subs for the living room....moon

That must have come in since I last saw them...maybe eight years ago.

When I lived in Chicago it was maybe a 6-block walk...we'd hit it at least once a year...

[suicune]

Originally Posted by Drew Mazurek

This came up (yet) again in my dealings with clients so I thought I'd create a thread about it.

I am increasingly hearing people (musicians and "engineers") using the word Stem to refer to files when what they really mean is Multitrack.

So, to be clear, in the music world: (post guys, even though we stole the term from you, make your own thread in the Post section! )

Stem: is a file containing a submix of (usually) "like" elements such as 12 individual drum tracks being sub mixed down to a stereo file, with all the associated processing to make them sound more or less complete. Maybe it's drums and percussion, or even so far as drums and bass being called rhythm section stem. Or all guitar tracks for a song being sub mixed together into a stereo file labeled Gtr Stem. You get the idea.

Multitrack: These are the original tracks from the recording session and they usually have one "element" per track. i.e. Kick In, Kick Out, SnTop, SnBot, Hat, Ride, Bass DI, Bass Mic, Gtr-57, Lead Gtr-R121, etc. Of course it is possible that if multiple mics were bussed to one track that there could be more than one element on a track of a multitrack. I do this with gtrs sometimes... multiple mics bussed to a track to create 1 sound. This is still a multitrack because it was done "live" during the recording session.

Got it?

Please don't tell me your friend told you what stems were or you saw them listed this way on a website... They're wrong. That includes the files referenced here

+1

Thank you Drew! I swear over the last couple of years I'd heard this mistake made by so many people (including my colleague) that I was starting to think it was me who was getting it wrong! My sanity is restored

[guitardom]

My biggest annoyance of the last couple years is kids having no understanding of separate processes such as Tracking, Editing, Mixing, Mastering!!! Cant tell you how many times I get asked how much to master a track for someone then find out they mean MIX!!!! This has happened more than a few times

[Drew Mazurek]

Originally Posted by guitardom

My biggest annoyance of the last couple years is kids having no understanding of separate processes such as Tracking, Editing, Mixing, Mastering!!! Cant tell you how many times I get asked how much to master a track for someone then find out they mean MIX!!!! This has happened more than a few times

That's how this started yesterday. Had a client ask about stem mastering. Fine, I do that all the time. I ask how many stems, he says 30-some. I say.... that ain't stem mastering, that's mixing!!!

[suicune]

My biggest annoyance of the last couple years is kids having no understanding of separate processes such as Tracking, Editing, Mixing, Mastering!!! Cant tell you how many times I get asked how much to master a track for someone then find out they mean MIX!!!! This has happened more than a few times

That's to say nothing of not understanding the difference between production and mixing. That one irks me a lot too. As in 'Can you produce an album for us? We recorded it ourselves on garageband.'

[Drew Mazurek]

bump of the month!!

[YYR123]

Originally Posted by upscaps

Just like every daw in the world from cubase to samplitude being called "pro tools"

yep....

[Drew Mazurek]

another bump.

[Drew Mazurek]

Just watched a video on PTE where these terms were once again misused. Hence, the bump!!