Discussion: Recording, DAWs, and Mixing

LiveeviL2000

LiveeviL2000

Ambassador of Pentagonal Pentatonics
Country flag
I wanted to open a thread where we can discuss the art of recording.

Lately I’ve been noticing posts here and there about recording frustrations and not knowing how to edit, mix, and just generally take your musical ideas and capture it properly.

There are plenty of members here who know more than others and sharing knowledge is how we evolve. There are tips and tricks scattered all over this forum and I’ve read a good bit over my time here, but good luck finding it all.

Let’s make this a thread where we can ask “how do you ____?” and share what we know.

Also, I know this is a big ask, try to stay on point and not derail, otherwise this becomes an unwieldy mess.
 
I've experimented with making a Mix Bus. I don't have the finesse or know how to use it effectively but I did experiment with it. Here is what I did in Reaper.
I created a new track, by selecting all the tracks I want in the bus. Then right click and select route tracks to new bus. and title it whatever type of bus you want it to be to avoid confusion. For example "EQ Bus" or "Reverb Bus" or whatever that bus is supposed to do. Then select whatever effects you want it to do.

I'm sure every DAW has it's process. I am sure its all the same. It will involve linking your channels to a new channel that will give an overall effect to each channel in your mix.
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
I've experimented with making a Mix Bus. I don't have the finesse or know how to use it effectively but I did experiment with it. Here is what I did in Reaper.
I created a new track, by selecting all the tracks I want in the bus. Then right click and select route tracks to new bus. and title it whatever type of bus you want it to be to avoid confusion. For example "EQ Bus" or "Reverb Bus" or whatever that bus is supposed to do. Then select whatever effects you want it to do.

I'm sure every DAW has it's process. I am sure its all the same. It will involve linking your channels to a new channel that will give an overall effect to each channel in your mix.
Click to expand...
Well said, I peaked (google)
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
I wanted to open a thread where we can discuss the art of recording.

Lately I’ve been noticing posts here and there about recording frustrations and not knowing how to edit, mix, and just generally take your musical ideas and capture it properly.

There are plenty of members here who know more than others and sharing knowledge is how we evolve. There are tips and tricks scattered all over this forum and I’ve read a good bit over my time here, but good luck finding it all.

Let’s make this a thread where we can ask “how do you ____?” and share what we know.

Also, I know this is a big ask, try to stay on point and not derail, otherwise this becomes an unwieldy mess.
Click to expand...
Most excellent idea. Thanks for starting this thread.
 
Creating a bus and using it is not that difficult. I just had a PM with Don a couple days ago going over buss options and such. He was helpful. I'll throw in my .02.

First of all drop the word buss in Reaper to simplify things. You're just sending the output from one track to another ...the "another" the one that you plan to share with reverb or delay, etc. with other tracks. In Reaper:

1 - Create 2 tracks.
2 - With track 1, for example, you will see an area on the very top of the track that shows your effects. Under that should be your "drag" area to drag a "Send" to track 2. Do that. You are now "Bussing" track 1 to track 2. It doesn't mean much until you put, say, a Reverb onto track 2:
3 - Put a reverb effect onto track 2.
4 - Go into the reverb effect (plug) and make it 100% wet then close the plug.
5 - Now you adjust the track 2 slider to control the wet/dry signal instead of on the effect itself.
6 - You will notice that since track 1 is "Bussing" to track 2 it is now getting reverb.
7 - Now if you create another track, say, drums, you can do the "Send" step again to track 2 and it will get the reverb as well.
8 - Now track 2 is your "Buss" track that other tracks "Buss" to to get reverb.
9 - Now you are "Bussing" like a byatch!!

Remember step 5 - this is how you will control the reverb level for the incoming tracks. This is because the tracks sending in are also sending a dry signal to the master track at the same time they are sending (bussing) the signal to track 2. This combines with track 2 sending "Wet" to the master ...you just control how much with the track 2 slider.
 
Last edited:
Sapient said:
Creating a bus and using it is not that difficult. I just had a PM with Don a couple days ago going over buss options and such. He was helpful. I'll throw in my .02.

First of all drop the word buss in Reaper to simplify things. You're just sending the output from one track to another ...the "another" the one that you plan to share with reverb or delay, etc. with other tracks. In Reaper:

1 - Create 2 tracks.
2 - With track 1, for example, you will see an area on the very top of the track that shows your effects. Under that should be your "drag" area to drag a "Send" to track 2. Do that. You are now "Bussing" track 1 to track 2. It doesn't mean much until you put, say, a Reverb onto track 2:
3 - Put a reverb effect onto track 2.
4 - Go into the reverb effect (plug) and make it 100% wet then close the plug.
5 - Now you adjust the track 2 slider to control the wet/dry signal instead of on the effect itself.
6 - You will notice that since track 1 is "Bussing" to track 2 it is now getting reverb.
7 - Now if you create another track, say, drums, you can do the "Send" step again to track 2 and it will get the reverb as well.
8 - Now track 2 is your "Buss" track that other tracks "Buss" to to get reverb.
9 - Now you are "Bussing" like a byatch!!

Remember step 5 - this is how you will control the reverb level for the incoming tracks. This is because the tracks sending in are also sending a dry signal to the master track at the same time they are sending (bussing) the signal to track 2. This combines with track 2 sending "Wet" to the master ...you just control how much with the track 2 slider.
Click to expand...
I didn't know you could do it that way too. I would wait until I had all my tracks then create the bus.
I'll have to try that tonight.
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
I didn't know you could do it that way too. I would wait until I had all my tracks then create the bus.
I'll have to try that tonight.
Click to expand...
Yea, you can do that anytime. Remember, all you're doing is sending the output to another track. "Bussing" as a word can confuse matters. The key is, say, in my example is that even though track 1 is sending to track 2, track one is still (as one may not see) is still sending to master, while so is track 2. This is how the wet/dry signal factor comes into play for the reverb.
 
My old cheap windows desktop with reaper is choking after about six or seven tracks with FX. It's only got 4G ram and is not upgradeable for more unfortunately. So I'm looking at best buy for a cheaper reconditioned box ... I know to look for SSD, and the more ram the better, but could I possibly get away with 8GB ram unit or do I need the 16gb? For like 12-15 tracks with fx? I can hardly imagine ever needing more than that
 
Sapient said:
Creating a bus and using it is not that difficult. I just had a PM with Don a couple days ago going over buss options and such. He was helpful. I'll throw in my .02.

First of all drop the word buss in Reaper to simplify things. You're just sending the output from one track to another ...the "another" the one that you plan to share with reverb or delay, etc. with other tracks. In Reaper:

1 - Create 2 tracks.
2 - With track 1, for example, you will see an area on the very top of the track that shows your effects. Under that should be your "drag" area to drag a "Send" to track 2. Do that. You are now "Bussing" track 1 to track 2. It doesn't mean much until you put, say, a Reverb onto track 2:
3 - Put a reverb effect onto track 2.
4 - Go into the reverb effect (plug) and make it 100% wet then close the plug.
5 - Now you adjust the track 2 slider to control the wet/dry signal instead of on the effect itself.
6 - You will notice that since track 1 is "Bussing" to track 2 it is now getting reverb.
7 - Now if you create another track, say, drums, you can do the "Send" step again to track 2 and it will get the reverb as well.
8 - Now track 2 is your "Buss" track that other tracks "Buss" to to get reverb.
9 - Now you are "Bussing" like a byatch!!

Remember step 5 - this is how you will control the reverb level for the incoming tracks. This is because the tracks sending in are also sending a dry signal to the master track at the same time they are sending (bussing) the signal to track 2. This combines with track 2 sending "Wet" to the master ...you just control how much with the track 2 slider.
Click to expand...
So essentially, you could have multiple busses (Receiving Channels) to do different things, ie. Reverb, compression, etc... and each track you create can send to multiple busses (receiving channel) just by dragging the send to the bus (receiving channel.
Is that right?
 
TVvoodoo said:
My old cheap windows desktop with reaper is choking after about six or seven tracks with FX. It's only got 4G ram and is not upgradeable for more unfortunately. So I'm looking at best buy for a cheaper reconditioned box ... I know to look for SSD, and the more ram the better, but could I possibly get away with 8GB ram unit or do I need the 16gb? For like 12-15 tracks with fx? I can hardly imagine ever needing more than that
Click to expand...
I've got 32 gigs and choking comes on pretty quickly. Maybe you should look at it by the numbers and get a close calculation. Memory is cheap - I buy a computer with little memory as possible then buy two 16GB chips to pair in for 32. Not expensive at all. If you buy the memory stock with the computer every company will shaft you.
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
So essentially, you could have multiple busses (Receiving Channels) to do different things, ie. Reverb, compression, etc... and each track you create can send to multiple busses (receiving channel) just by dragging the send to the bus (receiving channel.
Is that right?
Click to expand...
It's mainly for reverb and delay since there is a wet/dry factor. I don't think guys get into it for EQ and other effects that are not "blend" based (that you control with the slider). Yup ...you can send to multiple though.

I should say the upper statement involves a "Blend" buss. You can send signal to another channel then cut off the source channel from sending to master. This passes the full signal to the buss and can be used in a non blend scenario. I do this with delay and reverb and continue to blend with the effect plug itself instead of using the slider method ...if that makes sense.

There is sending from effect to effect in sidechaining too but it's a little different. That's going from effect to effect (that are compatible).
 
Last edited:
Good stuff ^^^

Big question, say i just recorded 2 guitar tracks.

If i drag track 2 to into track 1.

Does track 1 now have both tracks in it together?
 
BFT Gibson said:
Good stuff ^^^

Big question, say i just recorded 2 guitar tracks.

If i drag track 2 to into track 1.

Does track 1 now have both tracks in it together?
Click to expand...
By what we have covered so far, I think whatever you do to track 1 will take effect in track 2. I could be wrong though.
 
BFT Gibson said:
Good stuff ^^^

Big question, say i just recorded 2 guitar tracks.

If i drag track 2 to into track 1.

Does track 1 now have both tracks in it together?
Click to expand...
That would be really unbalanced and unconventional - two mono tracks smooshed together + the existing output of track 2. You can select both tracks and convert them to stereo, which is what I think you're getting at doing?
 
I am actually starting in the recording business. I own a few condensor mics (3 pairs), usually use my Zoom R8 for recording, Audacity for postprcessing and ffmpeg to make a video from it. That has been my toolchain in the recordings i just posted.

That said, all linux based machines (Devuan, Alpine).

I recently have started to set up a new work flow - 4 (or hopefully more) channels into Ardour (on an Alpine Linux box and Jack). But that setup still does not work, and it has less priority than practising and keeping our website up to date.
 
TVvoodoo said:
My old cheap windows desktop with reaper is choking after about six or seven tracks with FX. It's only got 4G ram and is not upgradeable for more unfortunately. So I'm looking at best buy for a cheaper reconditioned box ... I know to look for SSD, and the more ram the better, but could I possibly get away with 8GB ram unit or do I need the 16gb? For like 12-15 tracks with fx? I can hardly imagine ever needing more than that
Click to expand...
Working now…
Do you have the audio assigned to go to an external hard drive? Or are you recording and running reaper all on the single system drive?
 
Last edited:
Sapient said:
That would be really unbalanced and unconventional - two mono tracks smooshed together + the existing output of track 2. You can select both tracks and convert them to stereo, which is what I think you're getting at doing?
Click to expand...
My mix is all mono then Rendered to stereo i think.

I was kinda wondering what happens when you drag a track on another. Use 2 mic's on my guitar cabs. Didn't know if i should be making them into 1 track vs 2 separate in the mix that gets rendered.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top