Schafe
Stupid Question...................How do I insert this into Sonar??

You can drag and drop these stems right into the Track View. Should load fairly quickly.
-DG

Wookiee
Let you know as soon as I can unzip it but the d o w n l o  a  d    i     s   s    l    o       w

Sorry about that, Mike's site must be getting a ton of traffic today. 
-DG

I learnt a lot from that.
 
Firstly, half an hour is not enough - I did stick to the half hour limit, but would normally spend more than that just listening to the song and setting up busses.
 
I haven't used the Sonitus stuff much since Sonar 6, but was impressed with what it can do.  I did miss the PC modules A LOT.
 
I probably use compressors more than I need to.  There was not enough time for me to compress and EQ everything as I would normally do, so I used both less.
 
I will try it again tomorrow, but with the normal plugs that I use - that may be interesting.
 
I did learn a lot about my normal attitude to mixing - the half hour limit was the most illuminating.  When fiddling with an EQ or Compressor interminably is not an option, it does focus the mind somewhat.
 
It also reminded me how good the Sonitus stuff is.
 
Ho hum..
 
Thanks for posting, Dan..

grumbleweed4162
I've done it:
1) I've learnt that I don't really have an affinity with a piece of music unless I made it (or wish that I had made it).

Totally fair!

grumbleweed4162
2) I can't mix a track in 1/2 an hour. I can spend days (weeks?) mixing a track.

It's true, some of the stuff I'm working on at home has been taking me months to get right. I keep switching out guitar tones and drum samples. 

grumbleweed4162
3) The Sonitus FX have been so ignored by me that I have no fun in using them - it wasn't like meeting an old buddy and reminiscing over old times.

Yea, they are definitely looking a bit older in comparison to some of our shiny new stuff. But they do force you to really pay attention to the basics of a plugin - and that's why I think I like using them still.

grumbleweed4162
4) I like using the ProChannel strips and feel lost without them.

Can't agree enough. It's so much smoother than floating plugin windows.

grumbleweed4162
5) The bass gets lost in the mix and the different drums suck!

The different drums are the wrench in gears for me. I had everything working nicely until those showed up.  
 

It also taught me a lot about my shortcomings with multi-track drum parts.  In a hurry, anyway.
 
I kept having to make compromises - Do I get the perfect Snare sound and not work on the OH drum part? , or not EQ the Drum parts and work on A parallel compression bus?  Do I EQ the drum parts nicely, and not EQ the guitar parts?
 
I could have spent half an hour working on the bass part alone, but suddenly had to gloss over it.

cuitlahac
Hey Ryan!
 
Thanks for the Sunday afternoon diversion!  I like the tune, and here's what I learned about myself:

1. I needed to spend way more than a half hour mixing this one but I stuck by your rule.  After a half hour I quit and have to admit that I was not happy with the mix.  I'll go back and finish it to my liking another time though!
2. I don't use the Sonitus FX much anymore.  It was a little difficult to remember how I used to like to set them.  I did get what I was looking for for the most part but I have to admit that I rely heavily on the PC modules and my other third party plugs.  Although I got fairly good quick results, I still found myself wanting to use other processors.
3. I still think that as a basic set of tools they work pretty well and I'm glad that they were included with my first purchase of SONAR.  (I think it was 4?)
4. I was reminded too that it's not so much the piece of software that you use that makes the difference, it's the way that you apply and use the tools that really matters.
5. I already knew this about myself but I also learned that I don't like the pressure of the deadline!  Most of the time my attitude is that the mix will be done when I say it's done!
6. I enjoyed the challenge....keep 'em coming!

Dave

Glad you liked the challenge! It's crazy different when you put a time limit on yourself - especially with a track as expansive as this one. I agree about what you said about "how you apply the tools". Some get into plugins purely for the way they look and not how they sound. We mix with our ears after all, not with our eyes. 
-Dan

I wasted too much time getting the drum machine parts sounding nice, which left me little or no time to work on the "real drum" parts.

jb101
I probably use compressors more than I need to.  There was not enough time for me to compress and EQ everything as I would normally do, so I used both less.

What kind of compressors are you using at home? Plugins (brand/name) or hardware?
-DG

Dan Gonzalez [Cakewalk]

jb101
I probably use compressors more than I need to.  There was not enough time for me to compress and EQ everything as I would normally do, so I used both less.

What kind of compressors are you using at home? Plugins (brand/name) or hardware?
-DG

Plugins - all the PC modules - PC76, Ca2a, PC4K bus, PC4K channel, Softube FET, and the Nomad Fairchild emulation, etc.
 
Hardware - a UA 1176LN.

Dan Gonzalez [Cakewalk]
Glad you liked the challenge! It's crazy different when you put a time limit on yourself - especially with a track as expansive as this one.

I'll tell you what really blew the time for me: the switch back and forth between the drum machine drums and the real (or real-sounding) drums. A consistent kit all the way through is far less of a challenge, and you can kind of set and forget, at least for a rough mix. Making that switch work, mix-wise, demands some time and attention. Especially given that that change is key to what's cool about the track.


I got a not bad sound on the acoustic sounding kit, but I hadn't even really touched the electronic drums when the buzzer went off and I was escorted off the stage.