u/ConfusedOrg

So I'm trying to be more diligent with level matching whenever I add plugins to a track or master. Trying to to not fool myself with the loudness bias. I feel like some plugins automatically add 0.1 db of level or something whenever you turn then on even though you haven't gained them up or anything. Is there any tool that can objectively and automatically level match when I add a plugins? Something that will let you quickly bypass on and off, so you can change judge whether other not you like what you are adding without the difference in level. This would be very helpful for mixing and expecially mastering!

I find that I am spending to much time on mixing/editing vocals. Most of the is spent aligning doubletracks and harmonies to the lead vocal and a considerable amount of it also spent de-essing vocals. These are imo very tedious and (arguably) not very creative parts of mixing.

Does anyone have any plugins they can recommend for aligning vocals? I’m doing everything by hand right now, and when you get a song with tons of poorly timed BGV tracks it’s so time consuming.

Also at the last stage of every mix I go through the song and manually automate any harsh sibilances on the fader. I try to get rid of most of it with eq, dynamic eq and pro DS, but I always end up doing some of it manually at the end.
Are they any clever plugins that can make this process easier and less time consuming. Is smart deess any good?

To me it’s always been a no brainer to mix into a limiter on the mixbuss. I use FF Pro L-2 at the very end of my mixbuss. My reasoning being that I know the mastering is going the limit the mix and I want to be ahead of of the curve and approximate how that is going to effect my transients and the overall mix. Another plus is that when I send it off to clients the overall loudness isn’t to low. When the mix is approve I export the mix both with and without the limiter and send it off to the mastering engineer, so he has an idea of where we’re going but can opt to use the unlimited mix if he wants more dynamic range.

Is this common practice or do you think I am completely crazy for doing this?

I also have other inserts on the mixbuss: EQ, compression saturation, but I leave that stuff on when I send it out. I only bypass the limiter.

So I’m 26 years old and started playing guitar when I was about 12. I was self taught played every day (6 hours a day or so) throughout my teens. It all came to a halt when I had this hand injury. I couldnt play for months on and off and my fretting hand just got so weak. And still is to this day. I can hardly carry a bag of groceries in my left hand. I still play every day but mostly just strumming or play arpeggios and stuff for my own songs.

I used to play Hendrix and SRV solos note for note and would just jam all day with my friends and improvise solos on the spot.

If I try playing lead stuff now I feel so handicapped. My dexterity and speed and vocabulary just isn’t the same anymore.

Anyone who can share similar experiences? And any tips on how to build up strength and dexterity again?

Listened to ok computer earlier today, and in the “rain down”/ middle 8 part of paranoid android, I couldn’t recognize to voice sings the low harmonies on the left speaker. Doesn’t sound like thom (maybe out of his range too) or ed. Is it some sort of sampling keyboard? Or did they speed up the track, record the vocal and pitch it back down afterwards?

And why is it acoustic guitar??? I can't for the life of seem to ever get it right. No matter what I do, it also sounds like shit. It's either drowned in the mix, or all I can hear is the pick scraping against the strings.