What is your approach to adding FX on tracks?

[Kolstad]

I checked out your music, and I thought the mixes sounded great. Hope you don't mind me asking, but what listings do you typically submit to? And have you been forwarded often? I'm curious because I think your music is great. I just recently got into submitting and have yet to be forwarded.

Thanks. I'm not a Taxi member, Michael. Still love the forums and the listings, though. Great way to keep up.

On delays, one thing I use them for is to make tracks "sit" well in a mix, instead of using reverb. Set the plug-in with no feedback, short delay time and mix it in untill you can hear it, and then pull it back till you can't. Helps a lot with vocals, guitars, pianos, synths ect. That way you can thicken up a sound, and make it stand out in the mix, without pulling it back and wash the track out like using a lot of reverb would.

[mpitluk]

Delay can add rhythmic pulse such as how The Edge uses it. A fast delay with short feedback can be used to fatten a sound or voice. Tempo synced delay at 1/8, 1/16 with longer feedback are excellent for creating tension (not necessarily applicable to songs but useful for score/underscore). Complex delays that feedback into themselves or even chains of delays can create amazing soundscapes and textures; again less useful for songs as such but there are styles that use this kind of approach such as post-rock and ambient (think Sigur Ros).

On delays, one thing I use them for is to make tracks "sit" well in a mix, instead of using reverb. Set the plug-in with no feedback, short delay time and mix it in untill you can hear it, and then pull it back till you can't. Helps a lot with vocals, guitars, pianos, synths ect. That way you can thicken up a sound, and make it stand out in the mix, without pulling it back and wash the track out like using a lot of reverb would.

Awesome. You guys have given me plenty of things to try and keep in mind for my next mix. Really appreciate it.

thesongcabinet, is there particular times when you would definitely use a reverb over a delay? When would something "need" a reverb in your opinion? I tend to try and pay attention to the lyrics.

[Kolstad]

thesongcabinet, is there particular times when you would definitely use a reverb over a delay? When would something "need" a reverb in your opinion? I tend to try and pay attention to the lyrics.

I tend to use a little (sparse) reverb after the delay for ambiance, still, but mostly like the delay. Tracks are not quite as dry like they were in the 90'ies and 2000's anymore, so a little experimentation is acceptable. I tweak it so I can hear it, and then pull it back untill I can't. Then a/b with and without so I can audition what it does.

Sometimes I also use reverbs to smoothen out a sound, often on a piano or strings patch that needs to be in the back of a mix. But really there are unlimited ways of using fx. Because of that, I tend to focus on the song, and the vision of it (which often develops while mixing). It's so easy to loose yourself in unlimited options. A little goes a long way, but that rule is also to be broken if the project calls for it.

I use a template with four fx busses set up, 2 delays (one short, one longer), and two reverbs (1 short, 1 long). As a general statement, the short ones I use for tracks I wan't to be featured in the mix, to make them sit, and the longer ones mixed to taste for the rest.

Check out The Recording Revolution 5mins to a better mix video series I, II and II on Youtube (at bottom of page). Graham did a really great job with those, and a lot of what I've written here, I got from there. I think you will find them highly useful

http://www.youtube.com/recordingrevolution

[brentmagstadt]

Great thread, thanks for the initial question...

I also subscribe (generally speaking) to the 'let the mix drive itself' approach. On a track by track level, I go for good solid sounds, and sound levels, and if I'm doubling anything I tend to use subtractive eq to pull back diff frequencies on each track, to create separation on that level (along with panning, sometimes effects); actually I do this with non-doubled stuff a lot too. Usually every track has something on it - for the most part that will mean eq/comp. Sends are dependent on end goals, and I use channel strip effects only if specific to that instrument. Though that's not a hard/fast rule.

Also, my most common template is pretty basic: couple of busses with reverbs/delays, a few selected audio tracks with disabled eq/cmp on them, a few instrument tracks set up; always one with piano and one with kick drum for tempo (I find it bleeds less...). I figure every project is different and I like having a somewhat clean slate to start from, but streamlining it with stuff I know I'll use, song to song.

Once I have a mix that works I then start tweaking out for various other parts (panning, more eq tweaks, or sends to busses, to settle it, or whatever...). I also then send to a master mix bus if I'm A/B'ing anything (I don't always A/B, but no doubt should...). Then I setup a second bus with the imported reference track. At that point, Option-Clicking the solo button on these tracks makes for easy back/forthing in Logic.

And one rule I follow most assuredly with very little variation is... volume automation is the very last thing I might do, and only if needed. If I break that rule it's because whatever is calling for it is an effect of sorts on that specific track. Always, my end goal is to just let the track run as a comprehensive piece. And down the road I don't want to have to dig into tracks figuring out what I did on a project with automation. I've been trapped by that a couple times, and frustratingly so; watching the hour hand spin as I tried to figure out my headspace numerous years ago... Good luck with that, I says to self...

Anyhooz, love reading everyone elses approach to this very interesting topic.
-- b

[mpitluk]

I tend to use a little (sparse) reverb after the delay for ambiance, still, but mostly like the delay. Tracks are not quite as dry like they were in the 90'ies and 2000's anymore, so a little experimentation is acceptable. I tweak it so I can hear it, and then pull it back untill I can't. Then a/b with and without so I can audition what it does.

Sometimes I also use reverbs to smoothen out a sound, often on a piano or strings patch that needs to be in the back of a mix. But really there are unlimited ways of using fx. Because of that, I tend to focus on the song, and the vision of it (which often develops while mixing). It's so easy to loose yourself in unlimited options. A little goes a long way, but that rule is also to be broken if the project calls for it.

I use a template with four fx busses set up, 2 delays (one short, one longer), and two reverbs (1 short, 1 long). As a general statement, the short ones I use for tracks I wan't to be featured in the mix, to make them sit, and the longer ones mixed to taste for the rest.

Check out The Recording Revolution 5mins to a better mix video series I, II and II on Youtube (at bottom of page). Graham did a really great job with those, and a lot of what I've written here, I got from there. I think you will find them highly useful

http://www.youtube.com/recordingrevolution

There's some very helpful stuff there. Thanks. I have watched a few of Graham's videos. I watch them when I have time; that is, when I eat haha. I signed up for his Dueling Mix program, which is very cool. Those guys have a lot of great things to say about mixing as well.

And one rule I follow most assuredly with very little variation is... volume automation is the very last thing I might do, and only if needed. If I break that rule it's because whatever is calling for it is an effect of sorts on that specific track. Always, my end goal is to just let the track run as a comprehensive piece. And down the road I don't want to have to dig into tracks figuring out what I did on a project with automation. I've been trapped by that a couple times, and frustratingly so; watching the hour hand spin as I tried to figure out my headspace numerous years ago... Good luck with that, I says to self...

Thanks for the post! I just started getting into automation and I wasn't sure when I 'should' do it. After reading some previous posts, I thought I might try automating in the gain staging stage. However, your post makes sense and actually conforms to a lot of what we're talking about so far: 1. get a static mix, and 2. add some effects to the static mix to make it a little more interesting and impactful. You're adding a 3. which is try to get 1 and 2 as close as possible, and then do the automating polishes last. If a bass part needs some fader because it's a sweet part, automate it. I like it. I'm definitely going to put this thread's comments and suggestions to use.

Thanks everyone for contributing!