Question about mixing Songs for a project

G

GFunkEra408

HipHop
I have an artist that I’m working with and we’ve recorded multiple verse on different beats, but we have not completed any of the songs just yet. As of right now I’m not going to mix these verses till the songs are completed. I like to get a lot down because the artist and I are pressed for time, and it give us stuff to listen to ... I must mention that I don’t have monitors and I’m mixing only on decent headphones (I’m getting some very soon).

So is it a good idea to just start mixing what I have or wait until the song(s) are completed before doing anything? Also, does anyone record a whole album and then go back and mix all the songs?

Essentially I just want to create a good work flow/habits for this project (and for future projects) and want to see what y’all might suggest.
 
This is just my Experience, and many other would disagreee, while many would agree, but mixing pretty much starts with the creation of the music. you must adjust your levels to hear the bass, drums, instruments, no?

I prefer to do a rough mixing session once i have a concept down, to get me started and save some time in the final process.

While you don't have to mix before the time for mixing, mastering and production is ready to begin.... i like to get it in right away.

Albeit i am new to production, but have made giant steps in the learning curve due to YouTube videos like from " SeamlessR "'s videos on how to use a compression to balance the sound which is notable in my track found here:
Ol Sku - Michael McKeon (DJ LFD) by DJ LFD | Free Listening on SoundCloud

It's a low-rider West Coast Trip-Hop jam inspired by West Coast rappers and the Lowrider culture, and feel free to check my signature for tracks i've created, for inspiration.
 
ya, nowadays you'll probably want to mix throughout the project, and maybe go back and re-record something if it's not fitting the way it should be. but if the recordings are good from the start, you can work in parts w/ recording first and mixing after, ...but I would think you'll be going back and forth, doing some new recording and doing some mixing. Your goal is to make the best sounding piece of music, so however you think you can get there is probably best for you.
 
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Mike McKeon said:
This is just my Experience, and many other would disagreee, while many would agree, but mixing pretty much starts with the creation of the music. you must adjust your levels to hear the bass, drums, instruments, no?

I prefer to do a rough mixing session once i have a concept down, to get me started and save some time in the final process.

While you don't have to mix before the time for mixing, mastering and production is ready to begin.... i like to get it in right away.

Albeit i am new to production, but have made giant steps in the learning curve due to YouTube videos like from " SeamlessR "'s videos on how to use a compression to balance the sound which is notable in my track found here:
Ol Sku - Michael McKeon (DJ LFD) by DJ LFD | Free Listening on SoundCloud

It's a low-rider West Coast Trip-Hop jam inspired by West Coast rappers and the Lowrider culture, and feel free to check my signature for tracks i've created, for inspiration.
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I agree- I probably should have noted that I do a very rough mix on these verses. I add a bit of reverb and compression to the vocals to get a better feel of the music but thats about it.

I think i'll start editing these vocals then, I guess I can't go wrong getting it started on my down time.

Btw I'm following you now on SoundCloud I love everything WestCoast (especially the Gfunk Era) Nice work man.
 
Epsilon-144 said:
ya, nowadays you'll probably want to mix throughout the project, and maybe go back and re-record something if it's not fitting the way it should be. but if the recordings are good from the start, you can work in parts w/ recording first and mixing after, ...but I would think you'll be going back and forth, doing some new recording and doing some mixing. Your goal is to make the best sounding piece of music, so however you think you can get there is probably best for you.
Click to expand...

So If I'm satisfied with the recording then I should just dig right in and start mixing that one verse? Then record everything later and continue the mix?

I'm just concerned that if I mix down one verse, and then a month later come back to the same song and record the second verse the levels are all off on the vocals and don't sound cohesive (another question I have about recording vocals).
 
ya, but doesn't have to only be one verse, lol i guess it helps to have the vocalist there while the song is being produced, even if they're just listening. Really good songs are crafted in unison with the producer and vocalist working together in the same room. but ya, mixing and recording is kind of a back and forth and back again process. The only thing thats saved for the very end is mastering.

my homie just produced this and he's always in the same room with rappers: Never Had Shit / Feels [Prod. Mike Gao / Kyle Betty] by Rexx Life Raj | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Now i dont know forsure, but some of the backing vocals, like hums and shit, could have been recorded at a different time than the main lyrics. And maybe the main lyrics were recorded in different sessions too, who knows.
 
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Everyone develops their own style as they go along, but if you are trying to give a unified presentation of the final result- yes wait to mix until it is all complete. You can complex the music as a first stage in mixing and leave the sessions open to tune the levels with the vocals, but until you are really comfortable with your professional mixing style, hitting pieces as you go is likely going to be REALLY frustrating once you get to the final stages and find lack of consistency all over the place. This is especially true if you try to homebrew master each track as you go. The balance and frequencies end up being all over the place. That's my experience from mixes sent to me over the years. I personally like to work session by session song by song and listen to pre-mixes in context and then bring it all together over a few days on the same project. I also create listening reference folders for myself to keep tuning my ears to what sounds good for the project.
 
BeatsByMichaelAngel said:
Everyone develops their own style as they go along, but if you are trying to give a unified presentation of the final result- yes wait to mix until it is all complete. You can complex the music as a first stage in mixing and leave the sessions open to tune the levels with the vocals, but until you are really comfortable with your professional mixing style, hitting pieces as you go is likely going to be REALLY frustrating once you get to the final stages and find lack of consistency all over the place. This is especially true if you try to homebrew master each track as you go. The balance and frequencies end up being all over the place. That's my experience from mixes sent to me over the years. I personally like to work session by session song by song and listen to pre-mixes in context and then bring it all together over a few days on the same project. I also create listening reference folders for myself to keep tuning my ears to what sounds good for the project.
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Yup, i've mixed and mastered verses by themselves, then a couple days later go back to the project and mix and master a verse or two, and the levels, the overall sound and feel were completely off.

If you have multiple Dry Verses and Choruses, Why not just drop them into the same .FLAC or .Wav file in your DAW and mix and Master there? that is a little sketchy if your vocalist is new but if he agrees with you that the consistency is strong, that is what i would do ;). GL.
 
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