Ask Cowboy!

"I personally think that cowboycoalminer does some really nice work"

^^ this^^

a very well deserved compliment !

This is a great compliment to be asked! I'm flattered.

J, to answer your question, I'm probably about 70/30 on the software side. Pretty much just use the console for summing and the console eq's on certain channels. I do find that the stereo image is far more accurate through the console than if I only use two channels to sum and DAW panning. I'm convinced that the the center section of an analog console is where the mojo is and not the channels themselves. It's like a melting pot for harmonics to blend, very pleasing.

I have about 8 channels worth of analog mojo stuff which I mostly reserve for money channels such as vocals or prominent voices in the mix (leads and riff stuff/fiddle/steel, etc.) But even then I almost always use some plugins on the strip going to the console.

DSP in order of importance for me:
1. UAD Ocean Way Studios (won't mix without it) it turns a basement into a big wooden studio, plain as that.
2. UAD Pultec (the new one)
3. Relab 480 (main verb, just sounds expensive)
4. Waves SSL GChannel (swiss army for every channel in the mix)
5. UAD 1176 & LA2
6. Believe it or not, the old Cubase stock eq for minor end tweaks and carving (highQ stuff)
7. Anything Fab Filter

Outboard for mixing:
1. Sta Level (nothing beats it)
2. Avalon 737sp (yep, it's great. Don't believe the GS bullshit)
3. 1176's (self explanatory)
4. All my amps in line mode for mojo if need be

That said, nothing and I mean nothing matters more in a mix than what's already printed to storage. Nowday's with all the great DSP options, it's all about the front end. Print good takes and you'll have a good mix. Even the board mix will sound close to finished. That's my number one goal and that's why I've got 36 great pre's and a locker full of hand picked mics. When I'm serious about a mix, I take my time and get it right going in.

Ever listened to something you recorded and think, "this just doesn't sound right in the mix but it's close"? Then spend an hour trying to get it right? Guess what, chances are it will always just be "close" and not right. Retrack it. I know it sucks donkey balls but that's the key to a good mix.

A great recording engineer is far more valuable to a product than anyone cares to admit. Seems a lot of us want to believe we can swoop in and save anything with our skills. We all know that as turd polishing, and in the end, it's still shit.

But for mixing, I'm more and more into DSP these days. Some of it is damn good. We can talk some more about methods here if you guys like. I have some staples for that too that seems like Novocain, works every time.

How long have you been into recording ?

Can you explain your findings of mixing on a console vs the DAW ?

I took it to mean preamps in line mode... could be wrong though.

Cowboy, how are you using Ocean Way?

Mostly as a room reverb.  Each preset has slightly different nuances so I always set up one mono instance on a send for up the middle stuff, then a stereo instance on a send for the rest of the mix.  I send every track in the mix to one or the other of these sends in like amounts. Boom.  Just recorded in a high end studio...or so it would seem 

I bet someone's thinking, "why not just use another reverb with a room algorithm?".  I've A/B on the sends going back and forth like this before.  Regular verbs don't have the same liveliness.  They sound fake.  OW sounds the same as a big room.  I don't understand how UA does it and I don't care, but I'll take it.

Mic replacement mode is a different animal all together.  It's hard to work with.  It's so accurate that it will produce comb filtering same as real multi placed mics. Nasty business.  Probably why most who have tried it didn't find the charm I've found.  This mode can be very useful but I wouldn't recommend it for most.

Hi Cowboy, when you said "Mostly as a room reverb. Each preset has slightly different nuances so I always set up one mono instance on a send for up the middle stuff, then a stereo instance on a send for the rest of the mix.", it caught my attention.

Right now I use the Relab 480 Large Hall HD on every track in slightly different amounts, and often a little EMT-140 on acoustic guitars,. I'm planning on getting the Ocean Ways next, but it might be a while, as I need some other things first.

When you set up the mono instance of the OW, do you use that on the main vocal? Would I do well to set up a mono instance of the Relab, is that possible?

Here's what my last mix looked like. I used a little less A.O.M compression, and 2.4 DB added with Apple's Gain, which sounded cleaner than just more gain from the A.O.M. compressor. 

Here's the mix too..
https%3A//soundcloud.com/martin-john-butler/somethings-coming-new-mix-11-12-14

Thanks cowboy. I'm trying to wrap up a few mixes and finally move on. There are a few things I could change in this song, like getting a stronger backup vocal take, maybe another lead guitar to counterpoint with the gang of instruments during the solo, but I could go on forever, and I can't afford to put more time into the songs I've been working on for the last year.

I posted this same mix in another thread, asking for suggestions. In my little corner in my living room, it's difficult to get a real sense of things, and with all the great ears here, it's helpful to know what they're hearing. The consensus was the vocal might be a little hot, and Tony thought I needed a little more bass in general and a fatter snare to fill the middle. So I made a few changes, a little more A.O.M limiter, 1.2 DB less gain, upped the bass a little, tweaked the snare, based on those suggestions, and I'll see now if one mix sticks.

One of the hardest things I've found to do when mixing is settle on the vocal level. I like the energy of a forward vocal, which is how most modern country/pop is mixed today. Like Dierks Bentley's "Home" for example. Then there's the "singer in a band style", where the vocal lays in with the music like the Rolling Stones or like The War On Drugs. I get caught in between. I'm thinking I'll try a third, (and last) mix, that's somewhere between the two, and then choose.

Cowboy, how do you go about choosing the vocal level in your mixes?

Here's the second mix. I don't want to bore you guys and wear out my welcome, but I'd like to know how you find the vocal level in comparison to the previous mix, as well as the other points I mentioned.


https%3A//soundcloud.com/martin-john-butler/somethings-coming-alt-new-mix

I play a lot of em...bad.  There's a great gulf between a hack like me and true session player like Randge

Really guys? What's with the love fest?

Mike Shipley - I could understand - a little late though.

The love fest is because cowboy gets pro results from an affordable setup (achievable) He is open and friendly about how he does it.
Mike Shipley was a god.

hey Heartfelt,

if this thread isn't a sentiment that you share why post at all ? It's not a debating premise. If people choose to show respect for someone that they respect, why do you have an issue?

Personally, I made my supportive comments based on the roughly 3 years of listening to Herbie's fine and developing mixes and gear list on the apollo gs thread and also in the context of his typically helpful and revealing comments and posts.

We share information here: having one person share specific approach "how to" questions, I understood as an invitation for us all to do the same: on topic and constructively.