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Author Topic: Who's the best?  (Read 11345 times)

YZ

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Who's the best?
« on: August 14, 2008, 07:54:10 PM »

I'd like to know your opinion about who, in general terms, would be the best choice for mixing an album: the engineer who did the tracking or an outside ear.

I have my own opinion, but I'd like to know the opinion of others or if there's a general consensus.

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regards,

YZ

Adam Miller

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2008, 08:16:25 PM »

Come on! In general terms?. How on earth can you answer that- it entirely depends on the engineers and the project, as I'm sure you know. If you want any useful answers, it'll have to be on a project-by-project basis.
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grantis

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2008, 08:36:57 PM »

Well, I can think of several mix engineers who are at THEIR best when they do the tracking themselves, but would do a fine job on other guys' tracks as well.

I think (speaking in "general terms") the person who tracked it would have a good idea of the direction that was intended upon track conception.

Not to say any decent mix engineer couldn't pick up on the direction...

I guess my conclusion is...no conclusion.
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Grant Craig
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Fibes

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2008, 08:46:50 PM »

I'm an all in guy, other guys aren't and shouldn't be.


Vision from top to tail.




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Fibes
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Tomas Danko

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2008, 08:04:49 AM »

Gosh.

If Terry Manning had engineered the session I'd kindly ask him to mix the project.

If Chris Lord Alge hadn't engineered the session I think I still wouldn't mind him mixing it. I'd say the same for Andy Wallace. Smile
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stevieeastend

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2008, 09:24:21 AM »

Tomas Danko wrote on Fri, 15 August 2008 13:04

Gosh.

If Chris Lord Alge hadn't engineered the session I think I still wouldn't mind him mixing it.Smile


IF..... you would only know what he costs Wink

Although, with the strong Euro it´s not that insane anymore...

cheers
St

j.hall

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2008, 05:32:12 PM »

it all depends on who is driving the bus.

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Fibes

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2008, 08:13:49 PM »

j.hall wrote on Fri, 15 August 2008 17:32

it all depends on who is driving the bus.




Agreed, but more importantly I don't like the pervasive concept of skimping on the tracking and overpaying for mixing. Most of the time the tracking savings isn't invested in getting great performances, it's invested in 002s.

This is where many artists are missing out on decent home gizmos, they spend more time on the craft of recording to get something useable instead of using the technology to get refined and ready to make INSPIRATIONAL WELL ARRANGED PERFORMANCES in an amazing space.

Work the mojo and material not the gear or the gear is working you.


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Fibes
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The Studio

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j.hall

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2008, 09:22:41 PM »

AGREED.

i can only add that my livelihood is serving my clients who put food in front of my kids.  if they want to record themselves on a 002 in their basement, i can't really argue much.

if i'm driving the bus, i think the project greatly benefits me staying on the whole way through.

if i'm just mixing, i'd love to see someone qualified tracking it.

it's not a perfect world, and budgets are shrinking by the minute.
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YZ

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2008, 01:43:20 AM »

Fibes wrote on Fri, 15 August 2008 21:13


Agreed, but more importantly I don't like the pervasive concept of skimping on the tracking and overpaying for mixing.



Aha! now we're getting somewhere.


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regards,

YZ

YZ

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2008, 01:51:27 AM »

j.hall wrote on Fri, 15 August 2008 22:22


if i'm driving the bus, i think the project greatly benefits me staying on the whole way through.

if i'm just mixing, i'd love to see someone qualified tracking it.

it's not a perfect world, and budgets are shrinking by the minute.


Yes.  

If you track with a competent engineer, when you get to the mix everything goes smoother and better; if the mix is done by the same competent guy who tracked it, it goes faster.

What it means is that with shrinking budgets, it makes more sense to have the whole project engineered by one professional, except for the mastering.

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YZ

meverylame

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2008, 03:38:30 AM »

These days I really think that as in ANY classic sense of record making, it depends on the project and it depends on the engineer. I was working on REALLY great R&B record the other day, ala "Song in the key of life", in which each session had no less than 160 track and the producer/engineer had been working on the record for a series of years. In this case do I think the producer should do it? No absolutely not. He had tracked a number of tracks to leave himself an out. He and a set of outside ears needs to make decisions based the tracks from the perspective of someone who had seen the project from start to conclusion or otherwise as a total project-overseer and as an astute listener(hired mixer). Again, as it has been forever, what are you good at? What does the project dictate?
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j.hall

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2008, 06:16:59 PM »

YZ wrote on Sat, 16 August 2008 00:51

j.hall wrote on Fri, 15 August 2008 22:22


if i'm driving the bus, i think the project greatly benefits me staying on the whole way through.

if i'm just mixing, i'd love to see someone qualified tracking it.

it's not a perfect world, and budgets are shrinking by the minute.


Yes.  

If you track with a competent engineer, when you get to the mix everything goes smoother and better; if the mix is done by the same competent guy who tracked it, it goes faster.

What it means is that with shrinking budgets, it makes more sense to have the whole project engineered by one professional, except for the mastering.




um, sometimes would be my reply to all your statements.

faster doesn't mean better.  and it's only good on the budget to keep the tracking guy on board if his rate is lower, and/or he can work faster (and with equal results) then a 3rd party mixer.


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Fibes

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #13 on: August 17, 2008, 10:21:16 AM »

FWIW when I track/produce a project the mix is 90% done by the time the tracking is done.

Vision from top to tail.


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Fibes
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"You can like it, or not like it."
The Studio

  http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist ?id=155759887
http://cdbaby.com/cd/superhorse
http://cdbaby.com/cd/superhorse2

grantis

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Re: Who's the best?
« Reply #14 on: August 17, 2008, 11:00:54 AM »

Fibes wrote on Sun, 17 August 2008 09:21

FWIW when I track/produce a project the mix is 90% done by the time the tracking is done.

Vision from top to tail.





Wow, that's quite a feat.  If a song takes 3-4 hours total to track/edit, I usually have 3+ hours of mix work left.

But then again, my "vision" usually changes mid-mix.  haha
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Grant Craig
Nuovo Music (Me)
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