Episode 2 - Mixing with Templates

[@zoetr0pe_]

This is Christmas my friends

[@JacobTurnbloom]

It's my Saturday Savior

[@wathafukc]

i agree !!!

[@hiddennotesberlin]

that exactly what i´ve thought;))

[@alexanderchampagne3033]

Dude, such an exciting surprise. Ive just started recording in a budget home studio and its overwhelming how endless the creative posibilities are with just a mic, audio interface, guitar and keyboard/MIDI controller. Of all the musicians I look up to, Ken is my hero. Getting to pick his brain regarding mixing. . . . im lost for words!

[@Aiur]

I'm here this Christmas

[@premierguitar]

You're telling us, Ken Andrews, THE Ken Andrews, is doing this for free and not some overpriced MasterClass?! Praise be!

[@Momiyama808]

Agreed. This has already helped me out so much. Inspiration for weeks.

[@RickBeato]

Great Ken!!!

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Thanks Rick!

[@demondrug7788]

This series you're creating right now is very important. It's really cool to hear an idol being open about his creativity.

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

My pleasure!

[@FrazierGregory]

"We'll get into a whole other conversation about the state of the music industry ... Uh ... Never. " Lmao. Cheers, Ken.

[@JobyP]

I’d love to see a whole video about your snare recording and mixing. I know it helps having Kelli hitting it but ya know besides that!

[@annoyance1975]

+1 (million) for a snare dissection vid.

[@christopherrobertson2840]

If 18-year old me at recording school knew Ken Andrews would be giving away his tricks, he would've (1) freaked the fuck out and then (2) saved SO MUCH MONEY. Thanks Ken, both for the amazing albums and for passing along the wisdom.

[@softlyspokenIRL]

He’s a gift that keeps on giving. Could listen to him talking about tech all day long.

[@Vrekaro]

I really can't thank you enough for making this video so clever, funny and useful. Keep on!

[@hobbesesq.8841]

That you are doing this is bonkers. Was just posting on Warren Huarts channel that I’d love to see you two sit down on a Failure record...and now this! We are truly blessed to have extremely talented people like you sharing this hard won knowledge. I’ll be sharing this everywhere for sure

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Hobbes Esq. thank you so much!

[@hvyhrt9821]

Used to hunt around on the internet for interviews with you in random mixing mags from back in the day.. NERDING out right now. Hope you do a deep dive on Distorted Fields, those heavy panned guitars haunt my dreams...

[@CK-ceekay]

Only a matter of time till there's a Rick Beato crossover

[@probotdrummer]

An interview by Rick on the mixing of Fantastic Planet it would be on my bucket list

[@scottcollier9178]

Carlos Javier Tiznado yes, a thousand time yes.

[@joelybarish4618]

Beato's a douche. Please don't ruin this channel with his inane drivel.

[@MultiFreddy34]

Hey Ken. What a great and straightforward intro to ”setting up to mix effectively.” This video sums up what other channels take way too long to explain/don’t explain correctly. And knowing that you are going to dive in deeper (with key concepts)is even better.

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Thank you for noticing. I do try and keep things moving along and often try and have multiple elements playing simultaneously to reinforce the concept. I watch a lot of docs!

[@MultiFreddy34]

YW, I really enjoyed the way you integrated multiple elements into the lesson/also the fact that you touched on the psychological side of mixing as well. It is gonna be great to follow the channel, learn and share these videos with others. Speaking of docs, if you have chance to see the new Ken Burns doc called "Country Music" on PBS I cannot praise it enough. It is a beastly doc spanning the history of country. Thanks again for elucidating concepts for others instead of using confusing nomenclature, or clickbaity titles. After seeing the video you did with Audeze/discussing the LCD 2 I would really be interested in a look at how you approach headphone mixing. For example how well/how much legit mix work you can actually do on cans. I think most people mixing at home/crummy rooms could really benefit from knowing the correct placement of something like sonarworks in the stereo chain, type of headphones, volume level while listening etc. Getting proper low-end to translate without an attackwall for example. Or if that is that even possible hahahah.That info seems hard to come by, and people on forums usually do not have the real knowledge. They certainly act as they do hahah. Sincerely thank you :)

[@RaveEpic]

I saw failure in 2015 and I’m so glad this channel is happening.

[@catharsisecho]

Topic Requests (feel free to ignore if uninteresting): 1. When working with both audio and midi sources, what techniques can be deployed to get the elements to sit together in a sonic space, rather than one element or the other seeming tacked on? 2. I've been to countless live music events from house shows to arenas, and Failure is the best sounding show I've ever been to by an order of magnitude. What differences and commonalities exist between studio mixing and live sound? 3. Eventide's Physion plugin has gotten me all geeked out lately, though trying to understand its operating concept makes me feel like I'm doing integral calculus. As the computational power of computers continues up the exponential hockey stick, do you think there ever comes a point that we'll have too much control over what we're doing? Or is finer granular control always a good thing? 4. Another of my favorite artist-mixers (besides yourself) is Jason Pierce from Spiritualized. Are there any mix wizards that you take special inspiration from? I'd listen to you discussing your grocery list, frankly.

[@epidemika5054]

Not sure if you read this but I am so incredibly happy that you are doing these videos.

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Yes I read the comments and try and respond. Ty

[@DaMo-Studios]

I can’t wait for more! I’ve always wondered what techniques you use. Such a blessing to hear it from your own mouth.

[@JimmyMarrow]

So good. Thanks Ken.

[@ebbeeriksson2243]

This is absolute gold!

[@bongwelll]

Thank you so much Ken. Can’t wait to see you, Greg, and Kelliii when you come to NYC. The Shelters sound cool.

[@chrislestermusic]

THANK YOU!!! The timing of this couldn’t be better as I’m mixing my bands album now and Fantastic Planet (among your other work) is always one of my reference points. If I could afford to have you mix it, I would. This is a godsend.

[@mrhobs]

Ikr? I almost don’t want to say anything, but these could easily be part of a paid Master Class.

[@travisgartin8253]

I know nothing about mixing, but Ken's passion for his art is addictive. Absolutely fascinating.

[@5ib3ria]

favorite production YT channel so far !

[@erichoffman7764]

🎤 “I'll leave the tape beside your door on my way home” 🎤 Love it. Gonna write Netflix and ask the to give you all the money for a show on how to make anything sound good. You’re a god at the console.

[@mrhobs]

Wow, even if I never really dive into music mixing, these first couple episodes are really fascinating and well presented. I always enjoy learning creative software. (Digital art applications, video/color editors, etc.)

[@GFreeze11720]

That was really cool watching Greg get feedback in the studio. I read somewhere you had a library of feedback from the recording of THIAM sessions and during mixing you grab certain ones and places them in the song? Was that a explain of that?

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Grant Collins yes, exactly. Kind of used it as a feedback sample library. Grabbing pieces for different songs. Pitch shifting as required.

[@seekerofpowerfulideas2727]

I would literally pay money for an album of the feedback from THIAM.

[@AngelaJane4]

@@seekerofpowerfulideas2727 Put me down for a copy of that album!

[@bradleys6466]

Thank you for putting this together. It is amazing to get some professional insight for those of us who mix at home. Also, thank you for introducing me to The Shelters, awesome song.

[@gex581990]

Wow. I had no idea how complicated mixing can really be! I’m a musician but have always stayed away from the recording and mixing side of things and relied on more knowledgeable people for that. Great to see you here Ken. Im a huge fan and seen Failure live 5 times.

[@catharsisecho]

I really enjoy working with templates, both because they cut down on setup time and because they give me a frame of reference to begin working in. I think of it like perspective lines in a drawing. The grouping/subgrouping concept makes perfect sense. That in itself is a huge tip! These videos are full of great information and insight.

[@GearStuffandThings]

Hands down the most informative and useful recording related videos on KZbin

[@robertsimpson5801]

I just stumbled across your KZbin channel this morning... great content! Please keep the videos coming!

[@pondmatter]

I’d actually REALLY like to hear Ken’s opinions and views about the current state of the music industry. It’s a bit frustrating (to say the least) for someone like me and would like to find out how someone such as him has adapted to its fickle ups & downs.

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Pondmatter I am willing to discuss the biz side, and have in many interviews, but I want to keep this channel dedicated to creativity, craft, and technique.

[@alexsapadin6622]

I normally never comment on videos but I had to make an exception for this channel. This channel is such a treasure. I'm currently spending a concentrated number of months doing production work from 9 to 5, trying to build a portfolio of work products that could result in clients or a recording job . While sifting through the myriad of information available on youtube, I've been actively searching for a recording professional with real music industry experience who produces tutorials and demos of industry standard workflow/products. Ken not only has that experience, but has that experience in a number of spaces. His videos are of an outstanding quality. Entertaining, informative, and well produced. Hats off to you my man. I will be watching every one of your videos, checking out your music and, I can say with a high degree of confidence, learning a great deal.

[@vonapathy]

Very entertaining AND informative! I may not know much (or anything) about mixing, but I appreciate learning about some of the inner workings of the recording process. 😃

[@OfFormerFame]

Absolute love the documentary like feel of these videos. The constant visual changes make it really interesting, and of course, the advice from a pro is awesome.

[@halfpierecordings]

Really enjoyed this episode. Keep them coming.

[@borndrumming1972]

So, I discovered failure in the early nineties when my brother came home with a compilation of songs on a CD. He had been spending time with Jerry the drummer from King's X. He had been jamming with his son in a project. They turned him on to your music. We are both from a very musical family and grew up listening to a lot of the really Progressive 70s jazz fusion and Jazz rock music like King Crimson and the Maha Vishnu Orchestra. So needless to say, the sound effects and mix techniques that you were using on your albums caught my ear immediately. Then a friend of mine turned me on to year of the rabbit. I had no idea that you had another project other than failure and on at the time. The work on that album that you did with pan automation is just amazing. Once I understood what was happening with the parts spatially as you built the song, I was hooked. Thank you so much for putting this out I look forward to all of your future videos. I've been a longtime fan and musician who has wondered about some of your tricks and techniques. This is an amazing opportunity for guys like me.

[@jankuhn5087]

Really appreciate the effort you put into editing this for us. Thanks mate! Great content.

[@jacobsmith1877]

I just looked up your discography; some really amazing albums in there. Army of Anyone is in my top ten of favorite albums of all time and I love Paramore's self-titled album. You get such a thick and detailed sound that has the perfect amount of space. Really inspiring stuff.

[@8piscean8]

You’re a good teacher Ken! Really glad you’re doing this series! I know this series is on mixing but if you ever run out of ideas please consider doing a series on songwriting.

[@donmccoy4730]

Ken, there are so many reasons why I love these videos. First, I love that we see your creativity, humor, and enthusiasm. Second, your delivery of information has a very nice and slow flow to it. This helps me understand the information with clarity. Nice work!

[@GregoryHyde]

Super stuff. I love the fun, entertaining way Ken is presenting these... Can't wait until the dives get deeper!

[@jasonstaal6555]

thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, your insights are very appreciated!

[@LightsandMotion]

this is amazing Ken, thanks for sharing your thoughts and time!

[@ToneSherpa]

episode 2 already! hot damn!

[@PrawdaTV]

Will you cover some aspects of your songwriting? That would be really cool.

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Not sure. I think some of it will be covered when I discuss my own material, but we’ll see. Ty

[@robertcella6051]

To get this much fly-on-the-wall info from a total bad-ass......seriously cool. Thx, Ken 🤟

[@praxea0001]

Ken - I was able to visit the studio when you guys were prepping THIAM. I am so friggin happy you are making these videos as you were a great source of information in that short visit! Keep it up man!!

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Cool! Thanks Trent!

[@StatesEdge]

This was such a good idea

[@l.c.5294]

Yes, keep them coming!!!! Loving these!!

[@danknittel1250]

Love how warm and punchy this mix is! Really cool insights here. Thanks for sharing =)

[@bradleycordaro]

thanks so much Ken, so stoked on your channel. cheers dude!

[@minuteofarc]

I’m just discovering your channel. Truly excited.

[@googleplekx]

Ken - you are such a hero of mine and love that you're doing this series!!!

[@tobiaslaba]

Pro Tools Genius! I am a fan of everything you do, Ken!! Keep it up!

[@bongwelll]

Also I say I’ll do xy&z at a quarter to never haha. Thought that was funny. I really wanna take the leap this year and do more in recording instead of peaking over shoulders. Thanks to you I’m getting even more good information. Thanks again. Hope you are well.

[@bulletproofzest]

So awesome that one of my favorite mixers (and artists) has a channel dedicated to mixing, which is by far my favorite part of making a record. Also gratified to see that i use many of the same principles in my own workflow. Also appreciate the note on the mix buss. I can’t understand people making dogmatic pronouncements about how everyone else should make music.

[@davidverzwyvelt1962]

I am such an amatuer using Reaper and Guitar rig. Your set up looks so much more professional!

[@tristenpritchard5604]

Another amazing episode. Thanks so much, Ken! This is seriously the best thing that has happened to the internet in ages.

[@TheGonzeaux]

This. Channel. Is. So. Awesome.

[@robynnsparkles]

Great video Ken! Can’t wait to see more. I could hear you talk all day, I love learning about all the equipment you use and the preferences you have.

[@tvmind2000]

Great production values and spot on content, The others will now have to kick it up a notch! Thanks Ken. You are my new favorite TV show!

[@billyhughes9776]

So pumped about this channel, thanks Ken. Looking forward to the next one!

[@randomreviews6780]

Thanks Ken!

[@MetalHeadAZ]

Wow 2 episodes in , I am REALLY digging this!! Thanks Ken!!

[@thisbridgehascables]

Hey Ken, loving that you started this channel. Been a big fan of Failure and albums you’ve mixed. In regards to the Failure albums .. with just having basically 3 people in the band , it always seem so solid and big on the albums. Not sure if that’s something you intentionally do or just based on the expectations of performing it live, to not over complicate the tracks. I’m always impressed how even the Failure songs with less instrumentation seem to have depth.

[@NicStilborg]

Thanks man. That's was great.

[@overbe]

MOAR!!!

[@spacepope20k]

this is wicked informative. honestly it's so fascinating to actually have someone's "inside opinion" on this aspect of creating music. if you don't really know any other people who use a work flow like this in real life, you're left to redditors, etc as well as just guessing and checking before and after something is mixed. i really enjoy content like this man. thank you.

[@josephbrown9693]

Dude, the whisper stuff has me rolling. "I covet these speakers"

[@emiliozorrilla5188]

This is awesome. I am just a drummer, dont know nothing about mixing. I just ended here because I am a big Failure fan but it is very interesting to learn about this (from a real master like you) for anyone interested in music.. thanks a lot!

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Happy to help!

[@disinfor]

This is great! I've always wondered if I was "cheating" by using templates when doing some mixes, but I realized I rarely kept the settings/faders the same on any one song. I'm hoping you do a dive into the drum processing that you do. Thanks for this channel.

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Yes on drum sounds! Ty

[@drummerjeroensimons]

Hi Ken! Just discovered your channel, keep up the great work man! Cheers, Jeroen Simons, independent, ex - Epica.

[@themusicwins]

Could listen to you all day! Thx will definitely want u to mix my next single.

[@electricbuffalo4137]

So fucking psyched you are doing this, Ken. Super fun and helpful videos. Thank you!!

[@huemorris6099]

It IS all so subjective... Sounds good = Is good. Digging yer channel! Pertinent info w/funny-ass visuals! Templates... starting out at the 'start', doesn't have to mean ending up there as well.👍

[@VanessaSilbermanofficial]

Love the video Ken!

[@JoseLuisPavonCastro]

This is awesome!

[@bluntmane2864]

Awesome!!!!!

[@robertrussell4868]

Very excited for more episodes!

[@jimidharma]

Ken, I have been a self-taught rock ‘n’ roll songwriter, producer for way too long before finding your videos. I’ve read dozens of books, subscribed to a couple hundred channels, and for rock, this is by far the most illuminating stuff I have ever seen. I’m referring to all of your videos, not just this one. If I may ask if you questions, 1. Do you do consultation? 2. How much do you charge, or is there an email address to request that info privately? 3. Can you do a video on drum replacement? I grew up in North Carolina, where everything is clear channel radio. Unfortunately, Failure never made it on the playlist, and I just discovered you guys about a year ago from a former drummer for my band. When I heard it, it blew my mind. It seems to be that sound everything else should be going for. It’s truly a blessing to people like me that someone like you would offer your wisdom to the world like this. I eagerly look forward to all of your videos to come! Thanks for doing this!

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Jimi, I don't have a consulting situation at the moment, but I have something in the works that I will announce soon on that front. Drum replacement is on my list for sure. Please contact me through my website or reach out to my reps. Contact info is all in the description. Thanks.

[@macrountts]

This is great Ken, love it!

[@Neuri]

So so much info. Thanks dude really appreciate this 👊

[@CarvedTop]

Hi Ken, new subscriber to your channel and I’m really enjoying your recording insights. I’m a solo musician that records and mixes in a home studio. As such I’m always looking for ways to streamline the recording process, so I love templates. Since I don’t play drums, I use Addictive Drums for my recording, so along with the sub groups you mentioned, I created a template in my DAW for the MIDI inputs and bundles for each drum in the kit I’m using. That along saves me 15 minutes at the onset of a new project. Love what you’re doing and looking forward to more videos. - RayK

[@erockomania]

Stoked about this series!

[@ericschlotzer1670]

Looking forward to a stereo buss processing video... If yo can find the time. Maybe even a little something about parallel compression and running SSL style front and back busses? Slightly related- I love your mix on In Parallel's "Leave It With The Ghost."

[@aaronwitdakicks1236]

Im a year late seeing this but hey better late than never right🤷‍♂️ probably gunna watch all the episodes today and then watch them another 1,000 times

[@wathafukc]

this is awesome !!

[@nedim_guitar]

I'm personally curious about the guitar sound of songs like YOTR song Last Defense, the octave guitar (or what it is) in the chorus. But besides that, being a hobby musician, that already knows a lot about recording and mixing (but I'm still not very good at applying that knowledge, but I am getting better), this is really fun and helpful! I'm looking forward to new videos.

[@marcelhiltrop5286]

Hey Ken, the thing about creating room with roomsimulators ist actually a Thing Could make and Episode about what Tracks ans mics you actually send into the Simulator to actually get the vibe of a believable and good aounding room to shape Instruments? Cheers Marcello

[@frnx0077]

Ok ok. You have a new fan

[@yotamwaves9680]

👑

[@corycourtney8923]

Could not have come at the more perfect time. Been obsessing over your work with Failure recently, and especially the production. It's inspiring that you were able to get a sound like Fantastic Planet on ADATs during a time when home recording was primitive. Compared to today, where a plugin can reasonably emulate expensive outboard gear. Stuff that's out of reach for most people. I'd love to hear your insight on your experience with early drum machines vs modern drum replacement and sampling. Do you still prefer live drums, and do you have any tips for recording a kit?

[@artysanmobile]

As a live mixer, templates make a lot of sense, logistically and artistically. By contrast, mixing an album project, I might import one of my hundreds of saved channel groups from previous successful mixes into my current mix to accommodate an idea in my head, so I guess that’s a bit of a template, but generally I fear that mentality will rob me of the opportunity to commit some wonderful error. Driving a strange route with no map is a fair analogy. Each song has, at least, the potential of being a whole new, never before heard, thing. I like getting lost while mixing, and being alone is very conducive to getting lost.

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

Yep, there is nothing better than wonderful errors. Fortunately, I still make a lot of mistakes! But yes, I also mix and match various template components from previous mixes. Very rarely do I get everything from one song. But I consider that using templates, just using multiple sources.

[@artysanmobile]

Ken Andrews We all use them. Standard tuning on a guitar is a template of sorts. I can tell from your own music you are fearless in finding new ideas. I spend much more time envisioning an outcome than I do working on sounds and part of the reason is because I have hundreds of presets and tone templates I have built for myself over the years. I only find use for an overall mixer template when producing a coherent show of many songs. Verbs and delays are areas where I particularly avoid reuse because they are my personal stamp, rather than a basic musical element. Once I understand the composer’s intent, I prefer to think like the end listener and work my way backwards from there.

[@cali3168]

Hey Ken, when are we going to see the stereo bus processing video? Looking forward to it.

[@blackcast2613]

You look like Carl Monsalve, 3rd grade teacher in Oakhurst and part time Ski Patroller. Aaàaaand...this video series is awesome.

[@crissabater7698]

Hi Ken, another great video mate. I work in the same way using a template. I actually have two, one for production/writing a song and another purely for mixing. I work in Reaper and I have certain plugins already instantiated mainly on the 2 Buss. I personally like to mix through some plugins which I am sure you will probably have heard some are for and some are against that kind of workflow. Really cool information here and looking forward to future videos. Cheers.

[@addrockride]

I love hearing from a true pro that you can get great results by recording direct in and confirmations like that there are no rules on how many plug ins you should have on your master. Now I just need to decide on whether I "need" to buy a room emulator as good as Altiverb or Ocean Way, lol.

[@KenAndrewsMusic]

My new favorite Room Sim is from IK multimedia. Their Sunset Sound studios plug-in is off the chain good and its the cheapest of the bunch I think. $99

[@jaysonscott187]

Oh kenny you crazy guy

[@veerchasm1]

Failure! 👍🏻