Tech Tues.: UAD Reverb tips from the Pros.

   No one will argue that reverb is one of the most important effects in a mix. The illusion of space is very important to our enjoyment of music. Whether you like huge lush reverb tails or small intimate spaces it's good to know what your favorite reverbs are capable of.

   Here are some 5 minute tips videos featuring 4 of the UAD reverbs. I've used the hardware versions of the first 3 reverbs and I think UA did a fantastic job on the plug-in emulations:

1. The EMT 140 Classic Plate Reverberator Plug-In is one of my favorites:





2. I also like the AMS RMX-16 Digital Reverb Plug:





3. The AKG BX 20 Spring Reverb Plug-In is another favorite:





4. The Ocean Way Studios Plug-In is great for easily creating unique spaces for your tracks:




   Also take a look at this great article UA posted featuring 4 top engineers sharing some of their reverb secrets:

RAC, Eric “ET” Thorngren, Kevin Killen, and Tucker Martine Share Their Reverb Secrets

   Even though these tips are geared towards UAD reverbs I think you will find them helpful no matter which reverb you use.

UA is currently having a sale on many of their plugins till April 30th.

http://www.uaudio.com/store.html

Mix Mondays: Ini Kamoze - Here Comes The Hotstepper

   I recorded and mixed Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes The Hotstepper" produced by Salaam Remi. It was recorded with a Trident 65B console onto a Tascam MTR-80 24 Track 2" Tape machine. We used Ampex 456 2" analog tape. Salaam and I then mixed it on a 48 channel SSL SL 6000E with tons of outboard at Soundworks Studios on 54th St. NYC. Sadly the studio fell victim to urban development and no longer exists. It was located beneath the infamous nightclub Studio 54. Many great artists such as Prince (RIP - still can't believe he passed away), Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Teddy Riley and Guy just to name a few, recorded/mixed projects there.

The pics below are not the actual gear that was used on the mix but I wanted you to have a visual.

   The  SL 6000E with 3 stereo busses in the master section was originally designed for the TV/film mixing market. However it ended up in quite a few music studios. The channel meter displays of the console also served as a RTA. The console at Soundworks is said to have been used to record, edit and mix music and sounds for the original Star Wars movie. I believe this to be true because I've seen the actual custom 'droid' edit desks they used on the project at the studio.

  The speakers used for nearfields were the ubiquitous Yamaha NS-10s,

and Auratones. I actually used just one in mono:

and the mains were the club ready Urei 813A: 

We would also check the mix on the built in monitor of the Studer A820 1/2 inch 2 track machine which was used to print the final passes of the mixes. 

   As for outboard we had a good selection of gear to play with including: 

Pultec EQP-1A (4) Equalizer:

Neve 1077(8) Mic Pre/Equalizer. This is not the actual rack but its very similar:

API 550A (2) Parametric Equalizer:

API 550B (2) Parametric Equalizer:

API 560 (2) Graphic Eq:

Neve Prism EQs and Dynamics channelstrips (10) (like those from a Neve VR series console):

Urei 1176(2) Compressor/Limiter:

Urei LA2A(2) Compressor/Limiter:

Neve 33609Stereo Compressor/Limiter:

DBX 160(4) Compressor -(the 1/2 rack space units):

DBX 160x(2) Compressor:

DBX 902(4) De-esser:

Lexicon 480L  and Lexicon 224 Reverbs:

Lexicon PCM 70, 90 Reverbs:

Lexicon PCM 42 delays (3):

Eventide H3000 Harmonizer:

AMS RMX-16 Digital Reverb:

AMS DMX 15-80S Digital Delay/Pitch Shifter:

ADR Panscan:

Roland Dimension D Chorus:

TC Electronic TC1210 stereo flanger/chorus:

Fulltone Tri-Chorus:

EMT plate 140 - 3 (set to short, medium and long decay). The setup was very similar to the pic below. The EMTs were mounted on a thick concrete slab in the middle of a fully isolated room. The room also had thick concrete walls and thick doors and was located in the very back of the studio. Away from all noise sources as the plates are very sensitive to vibrations:

Quantec QRS Room Simulator:

DBX 500 Sub Harmonic Synthesizer:

   The tracks consisted of samples combined with programmed drums, bass etc. and we had to give it a cohesive sound plus have the sonic vibe we felt was necessary to support the vocals and make the song a hit.
   The mix actually started in the recording stage. Each sound was compressed and eq'd then printed to tape with Salaam's sonic vision as the ultimate goal. Then during the actual mix I started by getting a rough balance then adding compression and eq with the onboard SSL Dynamics and Eq sections then adding outboard processing wherever necessary.

Here's a video of the song: (See the original video at https://youtu.be/w0N4twV28Mw.)





   We misplaced the recall sheets some years ago so I'm going by memory on some of the things we did on the mix.

   On the bassline which supplemented the main loop the DBX 500 was used to augment the low end. The output of the subharmonic was enhanced with the SSL's onboard dynamics and Eq. to ensure that the low end didn't get out of control and eat up all the headroom in the mix.

   A DBX 160x was used on the guitar loop to make it sit properly in the mix.(Salaam's Dad actually played the guitar part on the original "Heartbeat" record that was used for Hotstepper.)
   I used the SSL's channel filters to roll off the both the low and high end. Then used the channel Dynamics and Eq to emphasize the frequencies we felt the guitar needed but it still was missing something. So Salaam asked me to patch in a DBX 160 on the SSL channel insert and proceeded to drastically squash the dynamics of the guitar. When it was soloed the sound wasn't all that great but when placed in the mix it worked perfectly. If I remember correctly the ratio was 6 to 1 with a very low threshold. The output gain was turned up so that the guitar's volume level was equal whether the DBX160x was active or in bypass. This way I could tell exactly what the compressor was doing without being fooled by a change in volume. 

   (Note: Even when mixing in the box I still try to practice proper gain structure. I feel its the only way to avoid clipping issues, unnecessary distortion and most importantly to make objective decisions and adjustments when tweaking the settings on your favorite plugins.)

   If my memory serves me correctly, for reverb we used a combination of the Lexicon 224 (Rich Plate), Lexicon 480 (A Plate & Large Hall) and the EMT 140. The internal settings of the Lexicon reverbs were tweaked to better suit the song. The faders on the channels that the Efx returns were patched into were turned down between 6 to 10db and further tweaked with the onboard dynamics and equalizers to improve the signal to noise ratio and enhance the reverb/delay tails. By hitting the inputs of the units with a hotter level and then turning down the outputs we were able to get a better, more consistent and definitely less noisy sound on all our effects. This method worked especially well with the Eventide Harmonizer and AMS DMX/RMX which although great sounding units they tended to be a little noisy.
   The delays used were the PCM 42s. The delay on the strike in the intro was done by feeding one PCM42 set to one repeat to create an offset delay which was then fed into another delay. The output of the second delay was fed into the Panscan to have it move from left to right in the stereo field.

   I will do future posts with more details on the gear that was used on the Hotstepper  remix.

Tech Tues.: Kush Audio's Omega Transformer Plugins.

   Kush Audio's Omega Transformer Plugins are the latest addition to their list of unique plugins. They're currently offered in two "flavors"; Model N (Neve) and Model A (API).

   The Omega Transformer Plugins were designed to be used with Kush Audio's 500 series Omega Transformable Mic Pre but can be used on their own to add vibe/color to your tracks.

From the website:

"The Omega 500 Series Preamp has a silky smooth, relentlessly musical sound that needs far less processing to glue into a mix. But if I want even more vintage sweetness, drive, or shimmer, I use Omega Transformer plugins in the mix and the Transient Harmonic Coupling (THC) technology instantly makes anything sound like I recorded it with a vintage API, or a vintage Neve. Or...
Omega Nails the sound of those old preamps, because it was designed as a complete sonic ecosystem. There are no fancy 3D GUI's to fool my eyes, just an unmistakably authentic sound. The Omega Preamp doesn't need the plugins to sound heavenly.  The Transformer plugins don't need the Preamp, it adds vintage love to anything. Together, they create an arsenal of tones in a color palette that will continue to expand for years to come."

   The Omega Plugins are simple to use. Just one Knob that you turn until you hear what you like. There's also a phase switch and a -20db Pad switch. I did a quick test on drums plus a synth bass track and liked what I heard.

Here's a video review by Paul Drew via Protools Expert on the Omega Plugins:




And here's a video by Gregory Scott of Kush Audio showcasing a track that was recorded with their Omega Transformable Mic Pre:



The Omega Transformable Mic Pre from Gregory Scott on Vimeo.


The Omega Transformer Plugins are $29 each.

The Omega Mic Pre is $549 at Front End Audio.

Tech Tues.: Brainworx bx_panEQ

Our good friend Russ at ProtoolsExpert posted a quick review of the new Brainworx bx_panEQ. One of 3 new plugins announced by Plugin Alliance. 

(The SPL EQ Ranger Plus 

and Acme Opticom XLA-3Compressor are the others they announced.)

From the website:

Brainworx, the pioneering company that created the first Mid/Side equalizer plugin, has once again launched a game changer: bx_panEQ. This revolutionary panoramic equalizer will forever change the way you sculpt stereo tracks.
Imagine EQ'ing a crash cymbal buried in a pre-recorded stereo mix without affecting instruments panned to other positions in the soundstage. Impossible? Not with bx_panEQ! Its three fully parametric bell curve filters can each be panned anywhere in the mix's stereo field to adjust the timbre of embedded tracks with precision. No other plugin can do that!
The power unleashed by bx_panEQ in mixing and mastering applications is profound. Stretch the width of a stereo acoustic guitar track by boosting progressively higher frequencies at pan positions from left to right. Reach into the stereo mix of a live concert to tame a boomy hard-panned guitar without affecting other slices of the stereo field. Mastering engineers can discretely equalize localized spectral imbalances to correct a lopsided mix. The applications are limitless.
In addition to typical parameters like frequency, boost/cut and bandwidth, bx_panEQ allows you to dial in which portion of the stereo field you would like to equalize. Each of bx_panEQ’s 3 bands can have separate settings for all parameters - including what portion of the stereo field can be equalized - opening up entirely new worlds of sonic possibilities.
A Focus control for each filter adjusts how wide its effect will be in the stereo panorama. The filters' API-style Proportional Q design pinpoints your EQ tweaks by raising the Q factor as gain is increased or decreased from 0 dB. A Panoramic Spectral Analyzer displays the amplitude of your EQ boosts and cuts across the stereo field and frequency spectrum in real time, intuitively guiding your hand while accurately showing the relationship between spectral response and stereo width.

Here's the video review:




I plan on installing the demo later today. Will update the post with some feedback once I get a chance to use it on various tracks.

Mix Monday: Anthony Hamilton "Amen"

   I had the pleasure of mixing Sony/RCA Records artist Anthony Hamilton's new single "Amen". It's produced by Salaam Remi and James Poyser (keyboardist for the Roots.)  and featured on his new album "What I'm Feeling". (which was released last Friday March 25, 2016. Customers of the restaurant chain Cracker Barrel can purchase a deluxe edition CD at their favorite location.)

 
   As for the mix I was instructed to enhance the sonics but keep the feel and integrity of the record in place. With that in mind I used a slightly different approach when mixing "Amen".

   Here are some of the plugins and their settings that were used in the mix:

MASTER BUSS

   
   I started the mix by first placing the UAD Ampex ATR-102 and Kush Audio's UBK-1 on the master buss.

    This was then followed by Avid's stock Air Kill Eq for quickly monitoring the low end on both the overall mix and individual tracks in solo. It's also an easy way to check the High and Mid frequency bands.

      Then last in the chain was the free Panipulator plugin from Boz Digital Labs which was used to check the mix in mono. it also allows you to switch the polarity of the Left or Right side plus reverse the stereo image and also listen to the left or right side only at will.

MUSIC and VOCALS BUSSES: 

   The Protools session had a main Music buss and main Vocal buss already setup so I placed the UAD Neve 88RS on both and adjusted to taste.

BASS

   On bass I used the Brainworx bx_Opto for tone/color and shaped it with the UAD 88RS:

KEYS:

   For the keys/synths I used various plugins for each section but the main ones are:

Rhodes: 

      

   I used the UAD SSL_E Series Channelstrip for adding air and presence to the Rhodes.

Bridge section Keys: 

  I inserted The UAD CS-1 Channelstrip on the Aux master for the keys that only happen in the Bridge section of the song. I did this so the bridge keys would have their own "sonic space". I like this channelstrip because it has Compression, EQ, Reverb and Delay effects all in one plugin.

Synth Vox:

   For the synthesized vocal sound I use the UAD Eventide H-910 to add some texture without taking up too much space or causing conflict with Anthony's lead vocal.

   

   For monitors I used 2 sets of speakers plus the IK Multimedia iLoud portable speaker. 

I also checked the mix on headphones and listened on a car stereo.