while trying to mix shit up. But seriously I HATE THIS PART.
I tracked out another 2 tracks today but what can I say .. I ain't made for that shit. I wonder how you guys get down? I mean my project ended up with like 50 tracks, cause I used a lot of vocals and effects so every single sound gots it's own track. That shit is so confusing and it's killing the performance of my pc. Software compressors are crap, too or I'm just retarded...Anyway I've wasted a complete day for nuthing. All I have is some overdosed weak sounding shit. grrrr

*battle-outta-the-box-time*

Maybe I'm on the wrong side with Cubase? I think I have to try that reaper shit everbody talks about?! Is it realtime performing or does it work like audition on the effects?

yeah man, mixing tracks can be very frustrating. I think you can get great mixes just using the fx on the SP, but then again i have low standards.

Reaper is real time. Add fx to a track or send and u hear em immediately without rendering.

well, the 404 is a software compressor too right?

you have to find a good set of plugs to use...

Google "Stillwell Audio"

they have dope plugs, free to use, or if you like them you can pay $50 per...I like the EQ too

also, fishphones plugins...blockfish, spitfish and a few others are free and dope

live 7 has it all for mac or pc !!!

If if I mix out if the box then I use Reaper, it's free and full featured. I'm definitely an amateur when it comes to multi-tracking but if you check out J.Daniels stuff I'm pretty sure he has a lot of experience in mixing multi-tracks.

Hmm well... yeah the vinyl sim might be a software comp too but it actually doesn't sound like one.. But thanx for the input which comps and eq's are useful; I def look into them so thanx Deta!L!

@Jay
My pc is way to weak for live7.. I tried it several times but it's like jesus fighting satan.. no chance homie... no fucking chance...

But what can I say, cause I've wasted my one-day-weekend with that shit, I didn't went to work today... Ah yeah! 3-days-beat-outta-the-box-holiday! Props to my doc yoa! I don't get paid anyway, so FUCK THE JOB!

what's your job man?

i feel your pain - about a year ago i took some beats i'd made and tracked each part out individually, then dropped those parts into separate channels in Live for 'mastering'....the end result was like turning the "shit" knob all the way up, a sludgy mess of sound
maybe if i kept at it and practiced the technique for every beat i did, i would've gained a better understanding of the process. but what it taught me was that i wasn't that unhappy with the way my beats sounded anyway, certainly not enough to focus my energy on learning mastering techniques when i have so much other music stuff to learn and practice.
when the time is right, i'll get my mastering chops up, until then - the beats come out of the box!

The shit-knob? Man cubase is full of them.
I guess I made the typical beginner mistakes... too much reverbs and eq/comp stuff. It's like you said, drew. I don't want to "waste" time on mixing and shit as well, cause there are only 24 hours per day and that shit isn't really creative stuff. (My job? Inspektor of course! Gotta keep the illusion alive... )

no doubt man
i think a compressor is only effective if you know how to use it. there's so much potential for it to just suck the life out of your mix...
and the only way to learn it is to devote hours to getting hands-on experience, no easy fix! the way i see it; when my music is ready for mastering (ie deserves it), i'll learn the ropes then....for now, i'm just trying to learn music theory/rhythm theory/utilisation of MIDI + Sysex/live techniques etc....not enough hours in the day!

glad you're an inspektor! i'll tell the deutsch cops Wax gave me a license to smoke

tracking out every sound to it's own track is mad tedious... although prolly the "proper" way to go about it. I usually do my drums on 2 tracks, bass on 2 tracks, and then melody on 2 tracks... adding an additional 2 tracks for vocals if I got any in there. That way you can get most things to sound right as far as levels, EQ, and comp.

one way is to bounce tracks, on my 4 track I use 3 tracks then consolidate them to one. That way if I have more stuff to add it gives me more room. In big studios I have seen them use masking tape above the faders to tell them which track is which.

Yeah, you might want to group your tracks into a few buses.. and apply effects to the buses. It'll conserve cpu cos you won't need as many effects, and processing multiple tracks thru a set of effects kinda gels it together many times. You can also bounce instead of routing to buses.

This the problem I have to software, too many options. You have to be mad disciplined. I used to get so hung up with trying to make the mix right... now I just record to the 4 track (or this little 8 track). It forces you to make decisions and live with them. I just shoot for the lo-fi zone and call it a day. It's way less stressful.

AMEN BROTHER!!!

Yes what he^ said up there- create stems (stereo auxes)

Usually you make stereo busses for Vocals, Drums, Bass, Instruments, Reverb, Delay-

then another thing.. low cut everything except (usually) the kick drum-
You usually want the kick (or sometimes the bass) to be the lowest freq, but if everything else is retaining that low end it will rob energy from your entire mix, you don't have to go nuts, but at least kill below 22 on almost everything, even way more on others, with careful attention to the Vox, Kick & bass.

Also comparison listening is helpful. Try loading up CD songs right into Cubase, ones that you like alot, then listen to them directly back to back with your own mixes & hear what's missing (besides million dollar mic pres), and you'll learn alot. Even if you have a frequency meter plugin, put it on & see how the EQ dances on the CD tracks & get yours to dance the same way.

best