Mixing With Split Tracks vs Mixing in The Original Project?

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RobbyOnTheTrack

New member
I do all my music in FL Studio and my computer specs are far from decent.

When I get to the mixing stage I normally put the track all together from start to end and then I export it all using the split mixer tracks options. Once I have all the .wav files into a folder I open a new project in FL then import all the split tracks and begin mixing that way.

I'm not sure if this is considered 'the right way' but it's the only way I can mix down without any CPU overloads. But my question is, is there any advantages/disadvantages to mixing this way or is it better or more correct to do the mixing in the original project where the track was made? Not that I have an option right now anyway with the way my computer is but just for future reference once I upgrade.

Also, when I export the split tracks, can someone please list the settings I should be exporting with? Such as bit rate and other quality factors?

Lastly, I have another similar question. When it comes to the mastering process, should that be done with the final track exported into just 1 .wav / .mp3 file or should the mastering be done while the split tracks are all separate for each sound/instrument?

Any help here is much appreciated.
 
I always print all my virtual instruments before mixing. I might rough mix it with the virtual instruments, but when I do the real mix I will print them first. I don't load them into a different session (I'm using Cubase); I just print them and then disable the instruments so they aren't using any CPU and I move the old midi track to a folder where I put all the discarded stuff. From a quality standpoint it doesn't matter if you print virtual instruments to audio first. But there are practical reasons. First, if you wind up placing the beat/song you'll already have everything ready to go. Second, if you need that beat a couple years later the last thing you want is to try and load it and something goes wrong because of some update, or you are on a new machine and some instrument is no longer compatible. If you print them to audio you can always recover it and worst case scenario you might have to run a new mix.
 
chris carter said:
I always print all my virtual instruments before mixing. I might rough mix it with the virtual instruments, but when I do the real mix I will print them first. I don't load them into a different session (I'm using Cubase); I just print them and then disable the instruments so they aren't using any CPU and I move the old midi track to a folder where I put all the discarded stuff. From a quality standpoint it doesn't matter if you print virtual instruments to audio first. But there are practical reasons. First, if you wind up placing the beat/song you'll already have everything ready to go. Second, if you need that beat a couple years later the last thing you want is to try and load it and something goes wrong because of some update, or you are on a new machine and some instrument is no longer compatible. If you print them to audio you can always recover it and worst case scenario you might have to run a new mix.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response.
So is 'printing' practically the same as exporting and splitting all the instrument tracks? And by any chance do you know if there is a way to do that in FL? Would be nice if I could keep it all in the same project.
 
printing bouncing exporting freezing are the names for this option
- printing = bouncing = exporting = rendering the instrument channel to audio. you can then create a new version of the project or just import into your existing project
- freezing is where you bounce the instrument to audio and have that audio replace the instrument in the signal stream without having to import it after. You can unfreeze the track to make adjustments and then refreeze as often as you need

saving an audio version of the instrument tracks at linear pcm wav with 16 or 24 bit depth and a sample rate of 44.1 or what ever other sample rate you use for you r projects is important

the only additional advice I would give you is do not print your eq/dynamics/fx chains for each instrument
- this is because you want to be able to mix the audio now and later
- if later on you are a better engineer you may decide that the eq/fx/compression you applied today may not be right
- you cannot undo those mix decisions if you have printed them to the audio track
 
bandcoach said:
printing bouncing exporting freezing are the names for this option
- printing = bouncing = exporting = rendering the instrument channel to audio. you can then create a new version of the project or just import into your existing project
- freezing is where you bounce the instrument to audio and have that audio replace the instrument in the signal stream without having to import it after. You can unfreeze the track to make adjustments and then refreeze as often as you need

saving an audio version of the instrument tracks at linear pcm wav with 16 or 24 bit depth and a sample rate of 44.1 or what ever other sample rate you use for you r projects is important

the only additional advice I would give you is do not print your eq/dynamics/fx chains for each instrument
- this is because you want to be able to mix the audio now and later
- if later on you are a better engineer you may decide that the eq/fx/compression you applied today may not be right
- you cannot undo those mix decisions if you have printed them to the audio track
Click to expand...

Thanks man, answered everything I needed to know.
 
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