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Hello all. My question is this...When I'm recording tracks, acoustic guitar, Vox, drums, bass...no matter. As I'm going along recording, I add plug-ins that make that track sound better. BUT....when it comes to mixing the final product, do I do it differently? E.G.. Export all tracks as a Wave, then start completely over? The gist of my question revolves around the actual track recording, then transitioning to mixing? What is the best practice?
Logic Pro When to use plug-ins
- Thread starter hbonly
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fuzzfilth
Logician
Things have changed a lot in the last 30 years. Just as you're no longer required to serve as a coffee maker and gopher for 3.5 years before you are allowed to touch a fader, you're free to proceed as you like as far as plugins are concerned. In the end it does not matter. If it sounds good, it is good, and if you don't tell anyone what you did, we won't either.
Seriously, unless you feel you are painting yourself into a corner, keep doing what you do. If you like the results you get, you're set.
Personally, back in the day I have absolutely hated the fact that you had to tear down your analog mix after the session only to try to reconstruct it the next time you work on the project. So I see no reason to start from zero when going from recording to mixing. This transition has become non-existant anyway, as it only was imposed due to the circumstances, a) you had either booked a studio with a good recording room and many great mics to record with *or* a studio with a large console and many great outboard FX to mix with but probably not both unless budget wasn't an issue, and b) the computer can effortlessly recall the project exactly like it was when you left off, so any effort in EQing the bagpipes during tracking of the ukulele is not lost tomorrow.
Seriously, unless you feel you are painting yourself into a corner, keep doing what you do. If you like the results you get, you're set.
Personally, back in the day I have absolutely hated the fact that you had to tear down your analog mix after the session only to try to reconstruct it the next time you work on the project. So I see no reason to start from zero when going from recording to mixing. This transition has become non-existant anyway, as it only was imposed due to the circumstances, a) you had either booked a studio with a good recording room and many great mics to record with *or* a studio with a large console and many great outboard FX to mix with but probably not both unless budget wasn't an issue, and b) the computer can effortlessly recall the project exactly like it was when you left off, so any effort in EQing the bagpipes during tracking of the ukulele is not lost tomorrow.
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Consider this: if you revisit a project years from now, it's possible an operating system change, or VSTi, or plugin will no longer work. For example, when Windows and Mac moved away from supporting 32 bit plugins, many great VSTi's never were ported to 64 bit, and new operating systems wouldn't run the 32 bit plugs. It's good practice to print any MIDI/Virtual Instrument tracks to WAV audio inside the project and archive it. That way you'll still be able to work with the track(s) even if obsolescence rears its' ugly head. That's my two-cents worth.
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bayswater
Logician
The problem with changes to plugins when you load up an old project (cited above) is a real one. I'm surprise how often I load up a project and get a message about missing plugins. Good idea to print the track with effects, but keep it without too.
But I think about how much of the performance being recorded depends on the presence of the effects. Some players "play the effects" and can't perform the way they want if the effects are missing. If the necessary effects can be produced by Logic while recording, and latency is low enough, it can be recorded without the effects. But if the effects are outside Logic, likely the case for someone who "plays the effects" you pretty much have to include them in the recorded track.
But I think about how much of the performance being recorded depends on the presence of the effects. Some players "play the effects" and can't perform the way they want if the effects are missing. If the necessary effects can be produced by Logic while recording, and latency is low enough, it can be recorded without the effects. But if the effects are outside Logic, likely the case for someone who "plays the effects" you pretty much have to include them in the recorded track.
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EdgarRothermich
Logician
I think your question is about the different approaches of using plugins during recording and mixing and not so much about archiving your Projects. In that case, it is definitely a good idea to bounce the tracks with Plugins in case a plugin might not load in a few years down the road when you need to revisit a Project.
Regarding recording vs. mixing. There is no clean-cut, especially nowadays with in-the-box productions. During the recording process, you already mixing, kind of. This is necessary in order to get some kind of sound and sonic context for any following tracks (vocals, solo, etc.).
When you (think you) finished all the recordings, you don't start from scratch (of course you can, if you want). Chances are, you have already some sort of rough mix and use that as a starting point.
Keep in mind, there are no rules that prohibit you from doing things (as long as you know the consequences). In the end, it all comes down to personal workflow.
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