I happy to spend around $50 on vids so my question is to those who have already watched these vids below which is the best value 


X2 Explained - by Groove3 $49.95 $29.95

SWA Complete SONAR X2 Video $39.95 $25.95

SWA Mix Clinic | Cakewalk SONAR X2 Video $34.95 $19.95

Also wishing all in the path of Hurricane Sandy the very best outcome 

Stay away from the mix video. Get the groove 3 explained and the SWA complete

for me , the first 2... as the last I didn't buy due to being rather short, and I thought the example episode wasn't great.. it for want of a better word comes across as rushed.. SURE be fast paced , but not at the expense of content / compared to groove3's mix video .. which is errm 4-5 hours

I would certainly recomend the SWA Complete Sonar X2, made by our Forum's very own FastBikerBoy, and have heard good reports of the Groove3 video.
 
I have not heard good things about the SWA MixClinic.

Either of the first 2. SWA's is ace and VERY detailed, the groove 3 one is also brilliant but shorter. 

I have the mix one but didn't enjoy it. 

I have been going through the mix video and I am disappointed. there are no guitars or bass to mix. The drums are just 3 tracks that are basic beat clips. The rest of the song consist of synth and some vocals. The vocals are not really that great.

As he works through the project you discover nothing new and no tips for working other then use an analysis. There should have been a better song to mix in this video.

No guitars no bass and no real drums. The vocal track is very weak. In short the song he mixes is not a good choice for learning

Marcus Curtis


I have been going through the mix video and I am disappointed. there are no guitars or bass to mix. The drums are just 3 tracks that are basic beat clips. The rest of the song consist of synth and some vocals. The vocals are not really that great.

As he works through the project you discover nothing new and no tips for working other then use an analysis. There should have been a better song to mix in this video.

No guitars no bass and no real drums. The vocal track is very weak. In short the song he mixes is not a good choice for learning

 
I've not seen the mix video, but have seen many of his other videos on youtube as MCIHomestudio.  Go take a look.  I have watched him suggest to level a dynamic vocal by turning up the gain using an EQ, then slam it into Boost11.
 
Now, using an EQ to boost gain is not the best solution, and using Boost11 is certainly not.  Most people would suggest using compression.  I really like the PC2A preceded by the PC76.  When I asked him about it on the forum he said that we should experiment, and wouldn't find new sounds if we all did it the same way.
 
All very well, but if I'm teaching a guitar student how to get different sounds out of his Strat, I tell him about different pick up positions, tone, picking positions/styles etc., before I show him Adrian Belew's use of an electric drill or bending the neck of his guitar..

jb101

Marcus Curtis


I have been going through the mix video and I am disappointed. there are no guitars or bass to mix. The drums are just 3 tracks that are basic beat clips. The rest of the song consist of synth and some vocals. The vocals are not really that great.

As he works through the project you discover nothing new and no tips for working other then use an analysis. There should have been a better song to mix in this video.

No guitars no bass and no real drums. The vocal track is very weak. In short the song he mixes is not a good choice for learning

 
I've not seen the mix video, but have seen many of his other videos on youtube as MCIHomestudio.  Go take a look.  I have watched him suggest to level a dynamic vocal by turning up the gain using an EQ, then slam it into Boost11.
 
Now, using an EQ to boost gain is not the best solution, and using Boost11 is certainly not.  Most people would suggest using compression.  I really like the PC2A preceded by the PC76.  When I asked him about it on the forum he said that we should experiment, and wouldn't find new sounds if we all did it the same way.
 
All very well, but if I'm teaching a guitar student how to get different sounds out of his Strat, I tell him about different pick up positions, tone, picking positions/styles etc., before I show him Adrian Belew's use of an electric drill or bending the neck of his guitar..

Agreed....A lot of mixing is prep work so taking clips and just adjusting levels does not a mix make. How about tricks like showing a vocal track that is loud in some areas and soft in other areas and ways to fix the clip itself. All he was doing was using the EQ to boost the gain. very little use of panning


He really ignored things like track folders and the benefits of those in the mixing process ( like using one solo button to solo a whole drum kit) the track folders were already made in the project. He combined the mixing and the mastering into one process. yes it can be done that way, but try that with a real project that contains 20 to 40 tracks and 10 to 15 busses.


I am towards the end of the mix and I am still watching the video. I have yet to see any explanation of the simple things like automation and effects chains. These things are in the groove 3 explained videos and the SWA complete video. They explain mixing a whole lot better too.


I just thought that the mix video would be a specialty video that deals with mixing with more detail. but it does not do that.

@jb101
Too funny....

Omni G’day

Oh! No! This means I have to listen to FastBikerBoy’s pommy accent!

Only Joking Karl… I may live in Oz these days, but I’m still a Geordie born and bread.

Thanks to all responses to date and keep them coming