Hello Dave...
Thanks very much for your post on gain-staging. I read and was understanding your method up to the point where you added the mixtool.

I am often rather thick so probably missed something in your explanation but it seems to me that you suggest adding a mixtool to each channel, make sure that they are not affecting the sound in any way and then render the audio tracks, which makes them disappear!

So, if you add a mixtool - effectively turn it off (not affecting the sound) and then cause it to get removed - begs the question why bother to add it in the first place? What have I missed? Presumably the mixtool is used for either gain or attenuation prior to rendering but this step/explanation eludes me or maybe this is where the automation you allude to comes in.

Regards ... Steve

Hi Steve,

Great question, sorry I didn't explain that step further. Here goes . . .

The menu option 'Transform to Rendered Audio' is intended for use in circumstances such as mix engineers or producers collaborating over different machines when they don't own or use the same plugins or even the same DAW. For instance, you write a great song, you need a hand with some ideas, you send it to me but I don't own your plugins so before you do you transform either all channels or just the necessary ones out to rendered audio. You send me the files, I do my stuff with my plugins and I can send it back to you as rendered audio.

Transform to rendered audio basically does for mix channels what 'Transform to Audio Track' does for VSTi instrument tracks in the arrangement. It renders out the entire channel complete with all effects as they would sound in the final mix. Some people use this quite often to save processor power on laptops etc. It's a great move and there's even an option to keep embedded plugin data so the move can be reversed later.

Here's the killer blow . . . The option to 'Transform to Rendered Audio' is only available when a plugin, any plugin, appears on the mix channel. No plugin = no Transform to Rendered Audio option when you right click the track.

That's the reason for adding the mixtool (or anything), just to ensure you get the option.

As a side effect of using the Transform to Rendered Audio option the fader for each selected channel is automatically reset to '0'. It's just beautiful to watch when you've just balanced 40, 50 tracks!!

I used to simply use the 'mixtool' for gain staging, leaving the faders alone and using the mixtool gain control to get a rough level mix. It's not as quick or easy, not as intuitive, and that visual feedback you get from seeing a line of faders at different levels just isn't there.

The whole thing took me ages sometimes. I'd use the faders, get a rough volume mix for a star point, then I'd have to read each faders value, type it into the gain box in the 'inspector', then reset the fader myself. That was for each channel! Not a job I ever looked forward to. Using the method I've outlined above I can take a 50 track mix and do a simple initial gain stage in a few minutes. Lovely.

I've just done a remix for a group. I did the original in Studio One about a year ago. Because I'd had my old trained in habit of starting with all faders at '0' I could instantly see across the entire mix where and what I'd automated for volume and what bit's I'd wanted to emphasize. Without going through that initial process it would have taken me hours of going through the mix again just to see what was going on.

Note:

Even a plugin that is turned off will give you the menu option, but only on mix channels where a plugin appears.

To get to the menu option just select all tracks in the arrangement window and right click any one of them. 'Transform to Rendered Audio' will appear as an option. Select what options you want in the pop up dialogue box (I uncheck them all when going through this for an initial gain stage) and "voila"!!

Not having this facility was driving me nuts in S1. It's a standard feature in ProTools and Reaper (I believe) and many other.

Don't want to go on too much and bore anyone, but I once worked in a sound studio for a major UK TV company (years ago, I'm ancient now!). I was doing a mix for a TV theme tune along with a very experienced and well known engineer who was my mentor. We started the tracks and I reached for the faders on the very large desk we were at. He looked at me and said "what the hell are you doing?"

"Getting a rough balance" I said indignantly.

He said "Show me the signal path for this desk?"

I pointed out that the signal went in at the top, though the gain control, into the dynamics followed by built in EQ, then out to sends and inserts before (finally) reaching the faders and out to the master bus.

He said "Exactly. The faders are the last port of call, not the first. Use the gain control at the input for initial balanced volumes, that's what it's for. Reach for the faders last just to emphasize or take down certain areas. You need a visual reference on the faders to know where you are through the song. Do it your way and we'll end up with a complete mess by the time we're halfway done"

I never forgot that.

Hi Dave,

I enjoyed your story about being an assistant - sounds like a wonderful way to learn!

My workflow has kinda settled down to something similar to what you're describing. I first get a rough mix with the faders, then I put a mixtool on each track and transfer the fader level to each of the mixtools, then set the fader to zero. That has really helped when I've accidentally budged the faders - it's easy to see what has been messed up. And, then as I mix, I adjust levels on faders and if I prefer the new settings, I just transfer the new settings to the mixtool and then zero out the fader.

I rename those mixtools on each track as "Final Gain" and put another mixtool just before that and rename it as "Automate Gain" - (which I automate).

I know it's a bit of a variation on your style of mixing, but I really like this way of mixing, and I'm glad to hear that you've found it so effective too, Dave!

Cheers!

Another Dave

Thanks Dave (Hartley)....

Your expanded explanation was most enlightening as I hadn't realised that you couldn't 'render to audio' without a plugin on the track - makes sense now and I'll give that method an outing next time I load up a new re-mix.

Thanks and a HNY...
Steve (another oldie - UK expat currently)

Steve,

You're more than welcome, I hope it helps you out.

Dave,

I eventually settled on a method I'd seen Johnny Geib using - simply dragging the actual level of the wav files up and down on the track (Home Studio Trainer - he's superb). Basically, anything so I didn't have to adjust the faders! Now I just use the 'trasform' method after using the faders initially because it's just so intuitive and natural for me. It's also far quicker and less laborious. Getting the initial mix for me is really, really seriously important as it tells me which tracks to leave alone and which will need processing. Now I can concentrate on hearing the tracks without constantly thinking "Uh ooohh, I've now got to transfer all these levels onto a mixtool or adjust the wav files"

Anyway, Happy New Year to all. I'm deeply grateful for all the helpful advice and assistance I've had just by trawling around these forums so hopefully I've managed to help someone else.

Hi again Dave...
Funny enough Johnny Geib's method is what I've been using too lately, so the enhancement you've detailed should meld nicely.
On the subject of Johnny's tutorials, I don't have the new Faderport and didn't think that it would provide a significant return for the outlay but Johnny's tutorials have whetted my interest - thanks Johnny.
Regards....