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Bounce the whole lot onto track 8, taking care to get a good balance between the instruments. Then record them all
again, with appropriate timbral or part differences on the first six tracks:
Bounce the individual instruments onto track 7, possibly adding another part as you do it. You now have seven
string instruments on track 7 and seven on track 8, making it possible to have a stereo mix of 14 orchestral
instruments. And you still have six tracks left – either for adding more orchestral parts and creating your first
"classical" piece, or for adding guitars, vocals and other instruments. You could also do this using orchestral
instruments other than strings, following the same process of sub-mixing and repositioning on tracks 7 and 8.
Mixing and the Stereo Image
The choice of instruments and track alignment is also shaped by your sense of where things will go in the final
production. One of the eccentric features of 1960s recordings, to modern ears, is the placing of the drums or vocals
exclusively in one channel, left or right. In 'Don't Worry Baby', for example, a double-tracked lead vocal is on one
side, the vocal harmonies are on the other side, and all the instrumentation is in the middle.
A standard mix puts the main vocal in the middle along with bass and drums. Even though they are in the same
central position, these can be distinguished because they occupy different frequencies. Other instruments can then be
panned left or right. If you have more than one guitar part, put them on opposite sides. If you have instruments
dropping in and out at various points, you need to be careful that you don't make the mix "lop-sided" when one drops
out. Try to avoid a situation where you have either left or right unoccupied for any length of time.
Mixing is too complicated an art to discuss here in any detail. For example, there is no set order in which
instruments are supposed to be balanced. Try setting the level of the bass and drums first and then the lead vocal
against the rhythm section. Then bring in the harmony instruments. Here are some other tips:
- Never mix on headphones. Use them only as a fine detail check or to scrutinize for unwanted background noises,
hum etc. Obviously when you have a mix it's worth listening to it on headphones as well as through speakers. - Sit equidistant between the speakers
- Don't mix at high volume levels. If it sounds balanced and exciting at a domestic listening level then it will sound
great louder. High volume levels fatigue the ears and can fool you into thinking a mix is better than it is. - The prominence of a part in a mix is influenced not only by its volume but by its frequency and the amount of
reverb on it. Instead of pushing the fader up, try altering the e.q. Remember that e.q. can be subtracted as well as
added. - Try mixing in mono first. If the parts sound well defined in a mono mix