rwheeler

Anderton
Week 122: Clean Up Your Console View
 
... You can do that with Folder Tracks in Track View, but you can't do the same thing in Console view...or can you?
 
For example, once an instrument's MIDI track is done (I use synth Track Folders with separate audio and MIDI tracks), the attention shifts to the audio track when you're mixing - so you don't want to see the MIDI track. ...

Extra thanks for your work from me too, and looking forward to the book and to future tips. Meanwhile, back to this tip of the week:
 
Due to recent retirement from my day job, I'm finding it rewarding to dig around in Sonar more. This time, I'm not able to duplicate your tip functionality (at least not yet). When I set up a track folder and populate it with MIDI and audio tracks, clicking on the folder indicator numbers under each type hides and shows the tracks just as you describe. But for me, the change in visibility is only happening in the track view with no corresponding change in the console view track visibility. I'm still on a learning curve with track folders, but I'm wondering if there are any preference settings or specific docking choices that would cause this disconnect between track and console.
 
Then, when poking around for pertinent settings, I noticed at the top of my console view a series of drop down selectors (Modules, Strips, Track, Bus, Options). Under the "Strips" drop down, there is an option to select or deselect "MIDI." Deselecting "MIDI" instantly makes all the MIDI tracks go away from the console view whether they are in folders or not. Seems very handy exactly for the reasons you mention. Re-selecting "MIDI" brings them back into the console view.
 
The strips menu does not offer a way to easily show/hide user-unique kinds of track groupings (different bands, etc.) the way your tip apparently works, but the vast number of Sonar controls made it easy for me to not know about the built in solution for showing/hiding MIDI tracks in console view, at least until now. Thanks for stimulating me to learn more.

You probably need to set Console view to follow Track view within the Track Manager dialog.

Week 131: SONAR's Dr. QuadraREX File Player
 
Those of you familiar with the original version of Reason probably remember Dr. REX, the REX file player. This was later upgraded to Dr. OctaREX, which could play back eight REX files at a time. I believe that Cakewalk actually did that first with Cyclone, but the point of today’s tip is to check out SONAR’s Dr. QuadraRex virtual instrument, a/k/a Dimension Pro.
 
Start with Options, and choose "Set Program As Multitimbral." Now each element will respond to MIDI data on its own channel (Element 1 = Channel 1, Element 2 = Channel 2, and so on).
 
Drag a REX file into the Load Multisample field (not the Program field). A note symbol will appear to the field’s right if you’ve dragged in a valid REX file. Drag this note to a track, and you’ll create the MIDI data needed to drive the sound you loaded, and it will sync to the host tempo automatically.
 

 
You can do this for each of the four elements, but more importantly, you can use Dim Pro’s processing on the individual elements. Also note that you can play individual REX file “slices” from the keyboard with the first slice starting at C4, as well as transposable loops from B3 on down.
 
The drag and drop simplicity, and ability to play and generate files for MIDI loops, makes Dr. QuadraREX useful for those who like to play around with loops. Remember—it’s not just about sample playback!
 

Yes, thanks for mentioning that. It also works with the original Rapture as well as Rapture Pro. I used Dimension Pro because I felt it needed some luv  

Question about patch points (my first time) - Though I sent a mono track to a patchpoint, when I use the patch point as an input I am still asked L, R, or stereo. I'm assuming L & R are exactly the same and stereo just two of the same? Also - has Sonitus multiband EQ been discontinued? I upgraded to splat last year.
New band name The Circular Squares
 

Hey! That was one of my presets...glad you found a use for it!

Gonna give this a go - thanks Craig.
 
Experimented this weekend with a way to fatten vocals (because I am nasaly thin....)
 
1) So, I took an Anderton prescribed prepped vocal mono track (prepped = initial vol automation fix, Compressed, EQ, etc), and froze it.
 
2) Make two tracks with the frozen audio clip (mute the original track).  Pan as desired.
Create region effects (Melodyne) on both, and use the auto pitch, auto vibrato, and auto timing on each one, but do so sparingly, and more importantly, slightly different for each track.  Slip one ever so carefully to taste.....not too many millisecs.  The Melodyne adjustments provide variances in timing and freq which I like. 
 
I then create sends for both to a bus for other vocals effects (mainly reverb and slight delay).  Have a lot of fun with iZotopes DDlay, but unless the vocs are standing out the rev and dly can quickly muddy.
 
 
 

Week 133: Console Emulator Workflow Tip
 
I’ve been falling in love all over again with the Console Emulator. It started in the process of mixing the first songs for my next album. When I added the Console Emulator to every track and used quick grouping so I could bypass them, the sonic improvement was unmistakable and welcome.
 
But before doing that comparison, I found out that I hadn’t been too diligent about the Console Emulators. Many were turned on, some were turned off, some ProChannels didn’t have them, the settings weren’t always the same, and so on. So, this tip is about making it easy to do a “ProChannel Review” during the mixing process.
 
In Console view, there’s a show/hide ProChannel button above the FX Rack. Ctrl+click on this button in an unselected track to open all the ProChannels for all the mixer strips. (This is also very impressive to clients, and has been known to hypnotize cats.)
 

 
Once they’re all open, then you can use Quick Grouping to enable/bypass them all at once to hear the difference the Console Emulators. Note that Quick Grouping doesn’t always work as expected on the other controls; sometimes it takes a few tries.
 
Now you can just slide the Console View’s horizontal scroll bar from one end of the console to the other to make sure all the ProChannels are doing what you want. I place mine last in the chain (my ProChannels are often post-FX, too), and use different emulations depending on the music. The N-Type works for me for most material; the S-type is more subtle, and the A-type more aggressive so they have their uses as well, particularly for individual channels.
 
This may not seem like that innovative a tip...and it’s not. But the Console Emulator (which based on what I could measure, also emulates the transformer in a typical analog console) really does add something to the sound. This technique makes it a lot easier to verify that everything is as desired while you’re mixing. And if you haven't gotten into the Console Emulator...give it a try.
 

Thanks Craig, another useful one.


I had not really considered too much the placement of the ProChannel and as you pointed out POST seems like the best option. Telecharge thanks also for your information on the subject. You can also click on the POST button below where it say ProChannel to switch between PRE/POST.
 
 

Craig can do some tip on everbs, delays, compression and EQ?

Tunerman
N=Natural
S=Subtle
A=Agressive

Thanks Tunerman - useful way to remember it!

Anderton

fitzj
Craig can do some tip on reverbs, delays, compression and EQ?

Sure, but can you be a little more specific? What is it you want to know?

Thanks Craig. You have a wealth of  knowledge  on mixing and mastering  and I am sure you have picked up some great tips  over the years in these areas.
1. How do you use re-verbs and delays in the mix to start off with. 
1. Different re-verbs long and short on vocals or maybe delay instead of reverb or even both.
2. How do you determine  the attack and release times on a compressor or what compressor to use.
3. With eq how do you determine what  should be cut as you sweep. For example  do you cut everything that sounds not so good and boost all  the good sounds. Do you use small amounts of reduction and gain?
Once again thanks for your wonderful contributions to this forum. It's well above the call of duty.

I thought Craig asked me the question??
 

Yeah, Craig.
 
Do you ever skip reverb for the bass?
 
Do you do any crazy reverb compression?
 
Flip polarity and cancel reverb sometimes?
 
Do you ever use a different verb on every channel, or prefer a bus?
 
The RME UCX has Reverb and followed by Echo <delay?> in it's only bus FXs. Should Echo be regular considered with reverb? Should it be reserved for vocals? Why does RME presume they go together yet no other verb I own does?
 
Have you ever recorded a track then bounced 100% reverb and used it as a pad?

Week 134: SONAR’s Secret Time-Based Guitar FX
 
If you thought the VX-64 was only good for vocals—well, it’s great for vocals. But for guitar, it’s another “SONAR Secret Weapon” that can produce time-based effects with a character that other plug-ins can’t offer.
 
The Chorus
 

 
The Doubler is more subtle than most guitar chorus effects, but also gives a fine stereo effect from a mono guitar signal—and if you play it back in mono, there’s no funny phasey stuff or loss of quality. My favorite chorus setting with this module is Presence at 3:00 o’clock and Stereo up full, but you can also have mono chorusing if you turn Stereo full counter-clockwise and Presence all the way up. Try the Doubler, and see if it doesn’t become your go-to chorus / mono-to-stereo converter to guitar.
 
The Amp Animator
 

 
Here’s a simple way to make a distorted amp sound more “alive.” Place the VX-64 before the amp, and use the Doubler to create subtle time-domain changes (the settings in the above screen shot work well). This helps emulate what happens when you play through a physical amp in a room: you’re going to be moving around, so you’ll hear waveform cancellations and additions that result from reflections. This effect does something that while not the same, has much of the same psychological effect by creating a more animated amp sound.
 
The Echoplex
 

 
The Delay module has a filter in the feedback loop that can morph from high shelf, to peak, to low shelf, all with a variable cutoff frequency. The screen shot shows the type of response that gives a tape echo-type response where the sound becomes more “midrangey” with each repeat. But another favorite of mine (that I also use with vocals) is setting the Filter Mode full clockwise, bringing the Cutoff down a bit, and adding echo to only the higher frequencies so that the echo doesn’t “step on” other instruments.
 
Doubler Meets Echoplex
 
One of the coolest VX-64 features is you can alter the order of effects. For a more accentuated echo effect, place Delay before the Doubler. For a subtler stereo image on the delay, place the Doubler before the Delay.
 
But Wait—There’s More!
 
The VX-64 also has a compressor, expander, EQ, and Saturation. You may not find these as useful as similar effects dedicated to guitar, but of course they have their own character. The Expander in particular can soften attacks if you turn up the attack time, and the Compressor is good for subtle lifts (don’t expect super-squeezed sustaining sounds).
 
But the stars here are the chorus and delay effects. Try them on guitar, and I suspect you’ll be dragging the VX-64 into more and more guitar tracks.