Stems - how to export?

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easyjoey
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2014/01/04 18:36:29 (permalink)

Stems - how to export?

This is probably a pretty basic question for most of you but I need help on saving a project as stems. I am having some songs mixed by a third party and has asked me to send him the stems. I know what stems are but I don't know how to save a project as stems. Can anyone help me?

Thanks

Joe

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    Stone House Studios
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/04 19:34:06 (permalink)
    Export all of the tracks as separate .wav files.
    If you need fx that you have on the individual tracks, you will need to bounce them down to individual audio tracks before exporting the wav. How you have set up busses can mean sending different things go be mixed - but stems generally means the raw tracks or the collection of  tracks that you have bounced (like 4 drum tracks down to 2) down to tracks.
    You and the person you have mixing should be clear about how the project is set up.
     
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    easyjoey
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/04 19:57:50 (permalink)
    Oh this is not nearly as easy as I expected. I thought here was a simple option to export stems and that would export every track with or without the effects based upon your selections. I am certain an earlier version of sonar (5 possibly) offered that. Seriously, as nice as sonar is, you would think there would be an easier solution. Regardless, Brian i appreciate your response.

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    Stone House Studios
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/04 21:04:39 (permalink)
    Actually, exporting is easy - I was giving you more than what you needed I think. Select the tracks you want to export, select export then choose the options that fit your need. If you already have your tracks set up as stems, ignore my last post!
     
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    easyjoey
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/04 23:27:45 (permalink)
    Brian,

    Maybe I am confused. To me, stems mean each individual track exported as an individual .wav file. Therefore, I was thinking that X3D, just like Sonar 5, could simply take a project and export all of the tracks with a single selection. In other words, in sonar 5, if a project consists of 50 tracks, the user would not have to export 50 individual tracks one at a time.

    Is my definition of stems inaccurate?

    Thanks for your time and help.

    Joe

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    ChewingAluminumFoil
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/04 23:51:26 (permalink)
    I imported a project done in Cubase from another studio in as OMF and it worked flawlessly.  You might try the OMF export (menu item under "export") as an alternative to stems.  Caveat: never tried it myself.
     
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    neirbod
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/05 00:08:50 (permalink)
    This is easily done in every version of Sonar. Go to File, Export, Audio. The dialog box has many options, including exporting a file for each track or each bus, with or without effects.

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    John
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/05 00:13:37 (permalink)
    The term to me means tracks grouped together of like type. If I'm not mistaken its a term that comes from the movie industry for handling dialog, FX and music. In audio you would want the guitars grouped together and the drums and the vocals and so forth. The way to do this is use buses. You just export the buses as independent wave files. 

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    Philip
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/05 00:24:53 (permalink)
    Usually when I transport stems (for Danny or whoever):
    1) Vocals
    2) Instruments
    3) Guitars
    4) Bass Guitar
    5) Drums
     
    Stems are whatever group you/I like to make.
     
    For me, personally, its easier to group them within the project as 'folders' and "S" [Solo] the folder out (which keeps their respective busses solo'd) ... to export it as a stem
     
    Of course, the 'master' (top-final) buss has no *mastering effects in the fx bin during export.  Your third party probably prefers some headroom in each, like -3 dBs, I dunno.

    Philip  
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    dubdisciple
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/05 00:57:11 (permalink)
    John
    The term to me means tracks grouped together of like type. If I'm not mistaken its a term that comes from the movie industry for handling dialog, FX and music. In audio you would want the guitars grouped together and the drums and the vocals and so forth. The way to do this is use buses. You just export the buses as independent wave files. 


    +1  Like a lot of terms, there is some variation, but most of the time I hear it, this is what it refers to.
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    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/05 05:58:59 (permalink)
    John
    The term to me means tracks grouped together of like type. If I'm not mistaken its a term that comes from the movie industry for handling dialog, FX and music. In audio you would want the guitars grouped together and the drums and the vocals and so forth. The way to do this is use buses. You just export the buses as independent wave files. 


    +1
     
    Stems to me have always meant to be a unique collection of tracks based on their grouping, i.e. busses
    If you have your projects organised so that EVERY track directs it's output to a sub-bus (not the master) then sll you need to do is export your project using busses in the source category.
    Make a separate pass for each buss

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    markyzno
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/05 06:07:31 (permalink)
    John
    The term to me means tracks grouped together of like type. If I'm not mistaken its a term that comes from the movie industry for handling dialog, FX and music. In audio you would want the guitars grouped together and the drums and the vocals and so forth. The way to do this is use buses. You just export the buses as independent wave files. 




    You are correct Sir!

    Quite a cool feature for Sonar in the future would be the functionality of exporting "Track Folders as stems" as well as the individual tracks or busses or entire mix.

    I often group various sounds together in the same track folder but they are across different busses...

    Hmmm, I shall scuttle off to the feature request section.

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    cuitlahac
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/05 10:37:32 (permalink)
    I'm a little confused here as the OP states that he is having some mixing done by a third party.  Why would he want to send what has already been summed at his busses?  I would think in this case that what is required would be to Export each individual track in the project in order for the "mixer" to be able to have the most flexibility?

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    markyzno
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/05 10:40:48 (permalink)
    cuitlahac
    I'm a little confused here as the OP states that he is having some mixing done by a third party.  Why would he want to send what has already been summed at his busses?  I would think in this case that what is required would be to Export each individual track in the project in order for the "mixer" to be able to have the most flexibility?




    Stems get outputted to your Dubbing Mixer or Engineer for the final process of mixing before delivery.

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    jimkleban
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/05 10:49:39 (permalink)
    I understood the same thing Dave.... I think that the thread got hung up on what is considered a "Stem", which I agree is the summed busses or individual tracks that are not bussed.
     
    So, to me, the DRUM MIX goes to a buss (that would be the drum stem).  Vocals go to a buss (another stem).  The guitars aren't bussed (each track would be a stem), etc. etc.
     
    Technically speaking, with stems you could re mix the track but be limited in what processing you could add (control of the mix).  I agree with you, if I was to send me work for someone else to mix, I would send each individual track (un processed) and let them have a go at it.
     
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    markyzno
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    Re: Stems - how to export? 2014/01/05 11:45:14 (permalink)
    jkleban
    I understood the same thing Dave.... I think that the thread got hung up on what is considered a "Stem", which I agree is the summed busses or individual tracks that are not bussed.
     
    So, to me, the DRUM MIX goes to a buss (that would be the drum stem).  Vocals go to a buss (another stem).  The guitars aren't bussed (each track would be a stem), etc. etc.
     
    Technically speaking, with stems you could re mix the track but be limited in what processing you could add (control of the mix).  I agree with you, if I was to send me work for someone else to mix, I would send each individual track (un processed) and let them have a go at it.
     
    Jim



    What stems to output to depends on what your Dubbing Mixer / Delivery or Engineer asks for.

    In film its usually Dials/Music and FX

    In Music its usually Drums/Vox/Bass/Keys

    But this can be entirely at the Engineers/Dubbing mixers request...I myself have dub mixed a movie and I requested from the score guy that he supply me anything in the strings/design part of his composition that he supply me a separate stem of anything in the 60hz region so I could mix the lower regions in their own stems.

    It can get confusing but it really isnt, just work with whom you are going to supply your stems with and ask them EXACTLY what they need as their vision of how they mix is their call.

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