Pro mixing tips (compressor, reverb etc...)

[ilwoody]

Hi guys,

I was wondering this. When I use my Keyscape patches (but this is related to any kind of similar VST), it also offers EQ editing, compression editing, reverb etc... all kind of effects.

Now I'm wondering. In mixing, do you use only external plugins for effects, or both?

I mean, if you own FabFilter Pro C and Pro R (to name a few, but anything is fine) would you carefully avoid and (if possible) deactivate any kind of effetct that a certain VST might offer?

Hope I was able to be clear, thanks for your insight.

[thecontrolcentre]

I use what works ... there's no right or wrong way here. If it sounds good, its good.

[hannesmenzel]

Like the previous post stated, everything that sounds nice and fits your personal workflow is fine. If using (additional) effect keep in mind: Phase shifts (the more IIR filters, the more the phase shifts), distortion (fast dynamics), automation solidity and usability (internal filters of VSTi, Midi learn compatibility, parameter smoothing). If using patches the used effects might be reasonable changes of the current sound. Decent VSTis should have decent internal effects and everything that fastens the workflow is good. I personally often end using internal effects for making the intrument sound good for itself and external effects for making it sound good in the mixing context.

[dark_virus]

Not a pro here, but, in my case, it depends. I usually prefer to use external effects, because I feel they're better to gel the track together. But if the built-in effect fits well in a mixing context and doesn't clash with other effects, there's no problem using it.

[xbitz]

for ex. eqs, there at least four different eq types

Corrective. Sometimes a sound will have part of it that will feel aggressive and annoying. I will do corrective by spotting where where it looks like it’s an issue and then cut. Corrective cuts are usually not too narrow (Ex. Q of 3)

Surgical. A resonance in a sound makes your ears hurt and that will need a very narrow cut. (Q of 6-8+).
Tonal adjustments. An EQ can be used to make tonal changes such as deciding if you want your track more beefy or more light by either boosting lows or highs.

Coloring. Some EQs aren’t transparent and will have a musical touch to the changes it makes. This will add some personality.

Valley cuts. The opposite of surgical, where the Q will be make the curve really wide. It makes very subtle changes, somewhat tonal, a bit colored and sometimes a bit corrective.

Try it at different points on a sound and see it change without being able to really know what’s happening.

and all of them have a different position/purpose in the fx chains/mixes, the inbuilt ones just good for selling the product(demoing the different presets) try to not use them >> https://audioservices.studio/sound-desi ... -them-pt-i

if u have limited experience in mixing I would say try to use some mixing framework like Nathan Nyquist's one : https://www.amazon.com/Nathan-Nyquist/e ... scns_share
it's a quite good starter, it gives specific advises about the what/when/where things

[simon.a.billington]

I have a teensy to turn off any "non-essential" effects in plugins.

I think this stems from habits in the earlier, pre track freezing days, where DPS was a premium. I'd turn off any effect that wasn't essential to the tonal quality fo the sound. Reverbs and compressors, for one, delays, eq, modulation for another. But there are times that turning them off alters to sound to drastically, in which case I'd turn it back on again.

I found that doing this also simplified the production, no over use of reverbs or delays clouding everything up. Then if I felt it really needed it, I might set up an external buss effect that can be shared amongst a few sounds.

Not only does it help keep the mix uncluttered, but it helped reshape the sounds to something a bit more custom sounding. Especially after tweaking the envelopes or some of the other parameters.

Or maybe you have third party effect you want to use instead, say a chorus, just copy the chorus settings of the instrument to the newly inserted effect, deactivate the chorus on the instrument and tweak to taste. More flexibility can be certainly be had here. If it's not working, you can always revert back.

That's the benefits of working in these modern, non-destructive environments. You can be try brash, bold, extreme things without having to commit to them.