How To Mix Orchestral Strings in pop music? Check out my approach to mixing live strings.

[@HJ-mx2rt]

Pure gold. Thank you!

[@martinmixing]

Thanks, glad you find it helpful!

[@Walid.OnTheTrack6725]

1:35 woooooooooooooow

[@ChoiKwangShin]

Beautifully crafted! Thank you for sharing your approaches and skills.

[@jposlc]

Wow!! Thanks for sharing this.

[@hodd_me]

Superb video my friend!! Can you tell me how long it took you to mix this song? I find that mixing this kind of a production requires the acquisition of objectivity though repeated listens which takes time of course, yet allows one to connect fully with the emotion of the song.

[@martinmixing8856]

Hi @hodd_me, many thanks! I can't remember exactly, but I think it was about net 4-5 hours of work, including prep. Of course there was additional back and forth for tweaks with the producers.

[@hodd_me]

@@martinmixing8856 Nice work. You mix quickly. As you say when things have been correctly recorded it is a great thing. I presume all edits and vocal tuning was already done? That takes ages doesn't it if you have to do that. Great content. Thanks again!

[@martinmixing8856]

@@hodd_me Hey, thank you, yes, I think it is important to work quickly and I am thankful to have the routine to be able to do that. Recording quality is often underestimated but indeed the most important thing, together with composition and production. And yes, the vocal was of course tuned and edited, I don't consider it a mixer's job to do that. Editing was done for the most part as well, although I do erase a lot of noise and hiss and double breaths from the tracks though.

[@sevchyk]

@@hodd_meHow long did it take?

[@hodd_me]

@@sevchyk I usually spend a couple of days on each song (with a few of burst of a couple of hours rather than an 8-10 hour day), especially if it is one of my own as I am vested in maximising the connection between the emotion and the instrumentation. So a day of making an emotionally moving mix followed by a day of honing the technical side of things.

[@trevoryearwood6377]

Nice one MM ! Great info and a good topic that doesn't get much attention; 'strings in pop, rather than, music for picture'. Seems like it would be tricky to blend them with the electronic elements. How did you approach blending the 'strings reverb' and the 'vocal reverb' ? cheers !

[@martinmixing]

Hey, thanks, glad you like it! Well the trick is to use a very different reverb for both. For the strings I think I used a scoring stage/studio kinda reverb, but only very little, just to give the notes a bit more sustain. For the vocal I used my blend of delay and reverb, plus the delay into the reverb trick that gives it a distinct sound. I think I used a vintage plate for that, so it sounds different and therefore remains audible. I'm mixing the scores of 3 movies/series now, so hopefully the producers will allow me to make a video about that as well in the future!

[@XtineMark]

Really appreciated the deep dive you presented here. I'm a singer-songwriter, mainly self-producing with logic these days (though first album was recorded in studio in Italy with sound engineer and producer). I have some tracks where a fantastic local cellist/violinist provided me with stems that I need to mix and process. This is my first time mixing and processing with live recorded strings (not the orchestral set up in your example, but live strings none the less). Really appreciate this video. Question: In the tracks I'm processing, they was not a lot of room in the recording... curious what your thoughts are for a "starting place" for reverb for strings. There will be total of 3 to 6 cello and/or violin voices in the tracks if that is helpful. OR ... if this is more a consulting question that should be on the clock, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts, set up zoom call, whatever works. Thanks!

[@martinmixing]

Sorry, just seeing this comment! It's probably not relevant anymore, but it might help others: Personally I use real room emulations for dry strings, maybe a Studio from a Bricasti or Lexicon style reverb. Altiverb or other IR reverbs that have some real studio room simulations are a very good starting point. I'd use this one to add realism and space around the strings, and then I'd probably add a longer plate reverb on anotehr Aux for sustain and sweetness, IF necessary. Of course you can blend them as you like, or automate the ratio between them. Using only a plate can be amazing too, but then you won't get the "real" room/space feeling as much, but it is still a very sweet sound. Hope this helps!

[@stringpriest]

how can one access those plugins you use for this great mixing ???

[@martinmixing]

You don't need them ;) You can use the stock plug ins in Logic, just learn the fundamentals and you'll be good ;)

[@stringpriest]

@@martinmixing Thanks for the reply, could you please make a video on how to mix a violin quartet to make it sound cinematic just like this. It will be appreciated. Thanks

[@martinmixing]

@@stringpriest Do you have a quartet production? I could show with that :)

[@stringpriest]

@@martinmixing yes

[@gmdcpr]

Hi! You mentioned that the studio in Budapest where the strings were recorded offers a service were you can send your arrangement and they will record it for you. Can you share their contact information or their website?

[@martinmixing]

Budapest art Orchestra ;) Looks like this, I just mixed something else recorded there: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGiUhJyDdrKgoK8

[@StageDiveRecords]

Great tutorial, thank you very much! What's the name of the studio/orchestra in Budapest? Thanks! 😊👌🏻

[@martinmixing]

Budapest art Orchestra ;) Looks like this, I just mixed something else recorded there: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGiUhJyDdrKgoK8

[@sevchyk]

Unfortunately, very boring song. Otherwise, good video idea.