# Hans Zimmer Mixes



## sourcefor (Jul 9, 2014)

Does anyone here know if hans Zimmer does his mixes in the box or on a console with outboard..it's just so amazing the sound field and density of his mixes..I know Alan meyerson does alot of them but just curious! Thanks!


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## valexnerfarious (Jul 9, 2014)

I posted the same thing a few years back
http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24544


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## sourcefor (Jul 9, 2014)

Yeah I was just curious of his current set up and how much he does in the box versus outboard gear summing console etc. which I'm sure Allan Meyerson takes care of.


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## Rctec (Jul 10, 2014)

Everything usually goes through a big Euphonix console. It really does make a difference, the summing is just a lot better once you split it all out and don't put the whole load on A pair of Protools outputs. And since we always work in stems, we don't have to worry all that much about crunching a mix bus. But we use less and less analog outboard gear in the mix these days. The UAD plug-ins are a big part of that for me. And all engineers I work with seem to automatically reach for the Massenberg EQ, but I noticed that we are using less and less EQ these days. But reverb is still mainly hardware. Lex 480 and 960, plus Alan has far too many Bricasti reverbs, and they really sound great. And no, a convolution of it is just not the same.
On the other hand, when I work with Steve Lipson on 'Rush' or 'Spiderman', it's all in the box. He just has to handle the gain structure slightly more carefully. But I and the engineers really try to get the recording right in the first place. Most pieces play back just fine with the faders in a straight line.
I'm a fairly (!) competent recording engineer, but Alan, Geoff Foster and Steve Lipson are so in a different league from me. If I had to define one quality that they bring to the mix, it's about making things have more perceived width, depth and detail.
Of course, that weird black magic called "mastering" has a lot to do with making the stereo fold-down even remotely listenable to.
So the answer to the question is...yes and no. The real difference, in my opinion, is the art of the mix engineers, not the tools. Large chunks of "Dark Knight Rises" where mixed in Cubase in my flat in London. I was bored, so I was just playing around at night, no faders, just a mouse. But that's what ended up in the film.


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## sourcefor (Jul 10, 2014)

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to give us some more insight! I really respect your innovation and production value as well as your painstaking detail to make the music fit the picture in a very unobtrusive way ok I'll stop kissing ass and get on with it thanks again!


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## Dan Drebing (Jul 10, 2014)

I don't want to hijack the thread, but since Hans mentioned it, does anyone have a resource for learning about gain structure/staging/whatever else you want to call it. This is something I have read almost nothing about but seems to be important (and I assume isn't just balancing levels). Thanks


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## sourcefor (Jul 10, 2014)

Youtube..people like pensado's place and recording revolution have good insight! It is important especially in the box..so to speak!


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## Oliver_Codd (Jul 10, 2014)

Lots of mixers still seem to be using their hardware 480L and 960's. I'm curious what the general consensus is on the relab LX480 and PCM native plugins. They both sound quite good to me, but I haven't had the privilege of working with the hardware versions. 

I've been under the impression that digital vs. analogue summing is more about the analogue coloring from the console than the actually summing process itself, but there seems to be a lot of debate over this topic. I don't have enough experience to say one way or another, but I suppose at the end of the day it doesn't really matter if you're getting the results you want. Just another thing to tap in to my mixing OCD!

Thanks for sharing!


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## Oliver_Codd (Jul 10, 2014)

Oh, on a side note... to all the other Alan Meyerson fan boys lurking around, I believe there are a couple of days left to apply for the mix with the masters seminar he'll be doing at the end of July. I'd go in a heartbeat if I could. Here's a link if you're interesting:

http://mixwiththemasters.com/


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## Gerhard Westphalen (Jul 10, 2014)

Alan Meyerson did a great video on Pensado's Place where he talked about how he mixed including a lot of the specific gear that he uses.


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## dinerdog (Jul 10, 2014)

http://www.pensadosplace.tv/2014/03/20/episode-155-scoring-mixer-alan-meyerson/ (http://www.pensadosplace.tv/2014/03/20/ ... -meyerson/)


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## germancomponist (Jul 10, 2014)

The first most important things are your ears! 

If you have good ears, than the second most important thing is a well treated listening/mixing room.

If you have a well treated mixing room, you also have to have good equipment.

You know it!

o/~


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## sourcefor (Jul 10, 2014)

So true


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## sourcefor (Jul 10, 2014)

Good ears and knowledge of arrangement doesn't hurt either


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## Arksun (Jul 10, 2014)

Rctec @ Thu Jul 10 said:


> Large chunks of "Dark Knight Rises" where mixed in Cubase in my flat in London. I was bored, so I was just playing around at night, no faders, just a mouse. But that's what ended up in the film.



Wonderful. Sometimes thats what it takes,a new location, a different vibe. Been thinking about getting a high powered laptop for on the move stuff so I can compose anywhere.


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