Mixing Pop with UAD Plug-Ins
Eli Krantzberg brings you an in-depth video tutorial series all about mixing a Pop track with UAD Plug-Ins! See how to go from a dull, lifeless mix, into something amazing sounding and full of movement. You also get the tracks so you can mix and follow along on your own DAW.
Videos
• Introduction (03:25) - Get an overview of what will be covered, and hear some A/B comparisons between the unprocessed and the processed mix of the song used in the series.
• Initial Playthrough (04:20) - Listen through to the song with a static unprocessed mix in place as the song structure, important elements, and mix concerns are identified.
• The Master Bus (09:11) - Watch as Oxide Tape, Maag EQ, and SSL Bus Compression are set up to mix into on the master bus.
• The Drum Loops (08:43) - The three drum loops each present their own challenges with regards to sitting in the mix. See how the Precision EQ is used to clean up problem areas on each. The 1176 SE Legacy compressor is used on the loop bus to tighten up the blend of the loops, and is followed with the Brainworx bx-digital v.2 in MS mode to bring out the congas and enhance the low end.
• Electric Bass (04:59) - See how the Ampeg B15N is used to add character and control the bass VI part.
• Reverb Return (07:23) - Watch as the Lexicon 224 is set up using the Vocal Plate algorithm. Separate decay times for bass and mid frequencies, along with pre-delay, are timed to the song tempo.
• Delay Return (08:36) - The EP-34 Tape Echo Echoplex emulation is set up as an effects return to add a loose flowing percolating feel to both the percussion and lead vocal.
• The Secret Sauce! (03:12) - Follow along as automation is set up to pan the delays between left and right positions.
• The Piano (05:41) - The Fairchild 670 is used to add character and attack to the acoustic piano part.
• Verse Guitar (05:36) - The MXR Flanger-Doubler and LA-2A Gray processors are used to give a lustrous thick shimmering lush quality to this simple guitar part.
• Chorus Guitars (07:01) - Hard panned supporting chords are each treated with different Massenburg EQ (MDWEQ5-3B) mid range boosts, before arriving at a bus treated with Fuchs Oevrdrive Supreme amp processing, Dytronics Cyclosonic Panner, and LA-3A compression. A third guitar part, playing fills between the vocal phrases, is then EQ???d separately before being fed to the same common bus.
• Chorus Keys (04:20) - A doubled arpeggiated keyboard part is enhanced with the bx_digital V3 Mix and dbx 160 plug-ins.
• Live Djembe (06:24) - A last minute multi tracked live djembe part is added to the arrangement. bx digital_v.2 and the Precision Multiband plug-ins are used to tame the lower mids and enhance the highs so they compliment the already lo mid heavy drum blend.
• Guitar Solo (04:55) - The Korg SDD-3000 is put to work, not only for a nice slap back style delay and subtle modulation, but also for it's gain staging abilities to saturate the signal. This is followed by some additional saturation from Oxide Tape.
• Bridge Guitars (06:54) - Several new guitar parts are added to help build the intensity in the bridge section, the climax of the song. Pre fader sends are set up to the The Fuchs Train ll and ENGL Savage 120 guitar amps, which are used in parallel to add a more aggressive, yet controlled, edge to the multiple guitar tracks.
• End Guitars (04:17) - A final pair of guitar tracks are added for the last chorus and tag. They are processed in parallel, via pre fader sends, through Fender 55 Tweed Deluxe, followed by the Tonelux Tilt with its polarity inverted.
• Lead Vocal (10:14) - A vocal processing chain including two compressors, an EQ, and tape plug-in, is put in in place to sweeten the lead vocal.
• Lead Vocal Problem & Soloution (06:37) - See how the Oxford Dynamic EQ is used to compensate for the lead vocal frequency curve discrepancies resulting from microphone position and axis changes between different sessions.
• Vocal Effect (06:09) - See how the Cooper Time Cube, along with some creative automation, is set up for a big vocal effect at the end of the bridge.
• Background Vocals (08:13) - Hear how the grouped background vocals come to life with some warmth and air added via the Maag EQ 4 and Fairchild 670, as well as send automation to the vocal delay effect at the end of each section.
• Automation = Emotion (09:12) - Hear how subtle volume and send automation is used to add impact and drama to the emotion of the song.
• bx_masterdesk & the Final Playthrough (13:34) - Hear how bx_masterdek is set up and used as a "do no harm" mastering plug-in on there stereo output, and listen to a final play through of the full finished mix.