Mix Instructions

The goal of this project is to work with the audio files from one of our recording session to create a basic mix of the live performance. You should start with a careful analysis of the individual tracks as well as an assessment of how they work together to represent the live performance of the ensemble.

Your mix should focus on ensemble balance, blend, and stereo image. For this mix, please try to represent the ensemble as accurately and realistically as possible, given your understanding of the session and the genre. Since we are just getting started on our plug-in / sound processing module, please keep plug-in use to a minimum (no more than one or two, total). If you do use plug-ins, please use only the plug-ins that come standard with Pro tools and only use them if you have a good reason. This is a pretty straight forward session, and for this mix it is probably best to keep it simple and keep your attention focused on balance, blend, and stereo image.

If possible, please do your mix in Pro tools; if this is not possible, please discuss this with me. Your main technical tools will be level, pan, and automation, if needed and maybe just a couple of plug-ins. If you don't have your own system, you are welcome to work in the Music Department lab, which has 16 licenses for Pro tools, in the EMF labs or in the SCS lab in Cook Library (which also has Pro tools licenses).

It is often helpful to listen to representative recordings of groups similar to the ones you are working with. This gives you the chance to see how others have approached a similar ensemble and genre. There will be a range of approaches, but it will help you to hear some of the options. Some of the approaches will depend on how long ago the recording was made. I would highly recommend that you listen to at least three representative recordings as you work on your current mix, since there are a lot of examples of good recordings similar to the one you are mixing. If you have a good music collection, or use spotify, rdio, etc, you should be all set.

Please include the following elements in your Pro tools session:
When you set up your project, make sure to match the session settings to the source files
Include a stereo master fader
Include a direct assigned drum sub group
Included at least one control group
Include a time-based plug-in inserted on an aux track, fed from a bus send (if you do not want this effect in your mix, just mute the aux track, but still include it so I can tell you understand how to route this kind of parallel effect)

Please submit the following materials as part of this project:

1. a concise one page write up (word doc or pdf) that discusses your work on this project. How did you approach the mix? How did you decide on the level and pan settings? What were the challenges in this project? If you used any plug-ins, please describe why you felt they were needed. Please list specific recordings you listened to that informed your work. How might you approach a session like this in the future, and so on...

2. the project file from Pro tools. You do not need to include the original audio files.

3. an uncompressed 16 bit stereo / 44.1kHz interleaved audio file (aiff or wave). This is made using the file / bounce to --> disk command

Once you have all the materials above in a folder (each file clearly labeled) please compress the folder. On the Mac this id done by selecting the folder, and the selecting 'compress' from the file menu. This creates a .zip compressed file. If you are using windows, instructions for making a zip file are here. Make sure it is named something like this: yourname_mix1.zip

If you have a slow internet connection, you may want to do your file upload while on the university network. Check the size of your zip folder before attempting an upload. It should be less than 75 meg.

You can upload this file to my dropbox by going to the following web site:

Drop it to me

Enter the upload password: student_upload
You can then click 'select to upload' and navigate to your .zip file or drag the .zip file to the browser
When you file has uploaded, you should see a check mark next to the file.

Close your browser windows and then you are done! - please write with any questions.