Chef Mike: Email sent with the color thing. :)
redbarchetta: I look at it this way, not everyone is using top grade plugs in Sonar. So I stick to those when showing people things unless I have a reason to show something that isn't. These videos you see, are a lot like the ones I make for my clients that contact me.
They have a mix they want done and want to see me mix the entire thing. So we go over what plugs they have (most times I have the majority) or we keep things strictly Sonar/Cakewalk. I think this is important on all fronts because not only do they see me mix THEIR song in full instrument at a time, they see it being done on the software they use with the plugs they use. So this makes the lesson plan hit 100 times harder.
I think that's the problem with a lot of books and audio examples. Though we can sort of borrow the techniques of one DAW and implement them into another, isn't it better when you see it all happening in the daw you use with the plugs you use? This is one of the reasons I hate books. When you read an audio book, the dude doesn't say "and for you Sonar and Reaper users". It's always "well, I use this SSL and I have all this pricey hardware that you will never own anyway kid...so here's how I do this that and this" IF you are even lucky enough to have them share an actual step by step procedure!!! I just think they suck....and I don't care who writes them.
I'll put one of my lesson videos up against any book or class anyone can take for way less than you'd pay for an entire semester of classes. You can't fail when you learn how YOUR song was mixed using plugs you use everyday and Sonar. It shows you how to mix and control YOUR instruments. Not someone else's that were printed in a million dollar facility on gear you may never own. To me, that whole process is just ludicrous which is why I offer this stuff.
Each vid is done custom for each client, so it's pretty fool-proof and you'll learn more in one full mix lesson than stuff in those books...that's a promise. I had a guy just come to me from Full Sail. He knew lots of stuff and I felt a little intimidated to be honest. I mean we're talking Full Sail here....that's a pretty killer school. But in all honesty....if he had an SSL or a NEVE in his house, he'd be able to dance on it. But what happens when you don't? He doesn't even have Pro Tools...strike two. He told me he learned more in one of my videos about mixes and techniques than all the stuff he learned about mixing and sound at FS. And the dude spent like 50k and was unhappy. Granted, yeah, he learned killer mic techniques and other aesthetics, science and loads of other things that are priceless....but when it came to mixing and being taught what to listen for...I really felt bad for the guy that he got ripped off in some aspects.
I mixed one of his songs in full while running video, and he had a better grasp on everything because we used what HE uses. He learned when and why he should have reprinted a sound....what was wrong with the sound. What I did to fix it....when to replace a sound with a sample, when to do surgery and when to just reprint and what to look for when you track. All that stuff is important and if we're not told how to listen or what to listen for, what good is a book or even a class? Most guys are bedroom hobby guys that just want to get the best out of their gear. Their gear isn't the best and neither are their tracking methods. So how does a book or class help? It doesn't other than little bits of information that are common practice. When you learn on what you have as well as the music YOU have recorded, you are 1000 steps ahead in my opinion. So this is why I keep it simple or cater to someone and do something custom. It's fool-proof that way. :)
I know this may sound like a plug for what I do here, but honest it's not. I just wanted to explain the method to my madness. I love giving these things out if they can help someone...I have no other motives really. I also love talking about this stuff and getting into people's heads because with the right mentor/teacher, you can really make a difference in the way you deal with the audio field. :)
-Danny