lydian91
Member
Sorry...a bit long-winded here. Ultimately a concise question, though it also touches on the analog mindset in general. I think it’s worth offering some context.
I’ve done some searching around online and have noticed that there can sometimes be responses to the effect of “you can do whatever you want, just use your ears.” While that is certainly true, for me, this is more about adopting a larger workflow/mindset shift than it is about chasing after the “correct” way of doing things.
I’m a media composer, though for the last few years, I’ve been doing a lot of studio work that is notation-focused. I also do a lot of audio transcription work, which in one sense, has strengthened my ears considerably, though it has also forged a strong relationship between what I hear and what I see. So recently, I’ve been trying to work on different ways of connecting with sound—particularly when it comes to creating music.
One avenue has been Syntorial. I already understood the concepts of synthesis, but I’ve just never really felt empowered with synthesizers. Syntorial has very accurately targeted the underlying issues of that, and I have benefited tremendously. Having only knobs/sliders and your ears (where you could theoretically work blindfolded) is fostering a lot of growth for me.
So I’ve been wondering how I can transfer this to my mixing process. Like synthesis, I understand the concepts mixing and can use them effectively, but I’ve just never felt totally empowered with it. I don’t own lots of plugins: basic Slate VMR (no subscription) for eq, compression etc, Soundtoys for creative stuff, and Valhalla Room for reverb. I don’t really have a desire to go beyond those until I feel like I can use them more deeply and intuitively.
I purchased these particular plugins because (they sound great) and they have analog-influenced GUIs that force you to rely on your ears. No flashy metering, graphics, etc. I know VMR isn’t a legit channel strip like the Waves SSL etc., but it’s close enough. I just like the idea of mixing with the essential items combined into one unit—that seems like the best way for me to get better. So the main question is where do creative effects like Soundtoys fit into the chain?
Another way to phrase this (and please forgive my ignorance here)—back in the analog days, if you recorded a guitar with all of the various pedal board/cabinet effects, that would all have to get printed to tape before going to the console for mixing right?
I’ve done some searching around online and have noticed that there can sometimes be responses to the effect of “you can do whatever you want, just use your ears.” While that is certainly true, for me, this is more about adopting a larger workflow/mindset shift than it is about chasing after the “correct” way of doing things.
I’m a media composer, though for the last few years, I’ve been doing a lot of studio work that is notation-focused. I also do a lot of audio transcription work, which in one sense, has strengthened my ears considerably, though it has also forged a strong relationship between what I hear and what I see. So recently, I’ve been trying to work on different ways of connecting with sound—particularly when it comes to creating music.
One avenue has been Syntorial. I already understood the concepts of synthesis, but I’ve just never really felt empowered with synthesizers. Syntorial has very accurately targeted the underlying issues of that, and I have benefited tremendously. Having only knobs/sliders and your ears (where you could theoretically work blindfolded) is fostering a lot of growth for me.
So I’ve been wondering how I can transfer this to my mixing process. Like synthesis, I understand the concepts mixing and can use them effectively, but I’ve just never felt totally empowered with it. I don’t own lots of plugins: basic Slate VMR (no subscription) for eq, compression etc, Soundtoys for creative stuff, and Valhalla Room for reverb. I don’t really have a desire to go beyond those until I feel like I can use them more deeply and intuitively.
I purchased these particular plugins because (they sound great) and they have analog-influenced GUIs that force you to rely on your ears. No flashy metering, graphics, etc. I know VMR isn’t a legit channel strip like the Waves SSL etc., but it’s close enough. I just like the idea of mixing with the essential items combined into one unit—that seems like the best way for me to get better. So the main question is where do creative effects like Soundtoys fit into the chain?
Another way to phrase this (and please forgive my ignorance here)—back in the analog days, if you recorded a guitar with all of the various pedal board/cabinet effects, that would all have to get printed to tape before going to the console for mixing right?
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