Mixing With Mike Mixing Tip: Using MultiTrack Analog Tape Emulations

This video is from the "Mixing With Mike" live online classes every Wednesday evening @ 4PM US Pacific time. All live classes may be attended for Free!
Sign up here to join 👉bit.ly/31zhHMa
Check out www.mixingwith... for more details.
Mixing With Mike Boot Camp Level II ▶️ bit.ly/3rKPO1R
Mixing With Mike Boot Camp ▶️ bit.ly/32G9Jla
LIMITED TIME SPECIAL OFFERS: ▶️bit.ly/2vaJLcJ

[@jamescreekmusic]

Very illustrative. It makes sense to put the tape at the end of the chain just to add the "compressing" and "harmonic distortion" final touch to the entire process. Great tut Mike.

[@mixingwithmike]

James Creek Hi James, Either way can work, but I keep going back to after the processing for exactly that reason. Just that little extra Ooomph! Cheers! Mike

[@jamescreekmusic]

Yes Mike. I'm using analog console emulations at the first place, then processing, then tape after all. It's so nice. Cheers & Thx!

[@robhess7538]

Hi, Mike. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that when using the VUs on these tape emulations, the same paradigm applies for transient heavy instruments (the kick in this case) as the one you discussed in your "Using VU Meters" video. I want to make sure I have this right because in this case we are applying signal to a (virtual) physical medium, as opposed to analog electronics. The only problem with this for me is that it still feels a bit like guesswork at my experience level. I should trust my ears, I guess. Thanks for all this great info!!!

[@robhess7538]

I think I answered my own question, lol. But is there an effective difference to driving the input as apposed to using the higher calibrations? Maybe the virtual electronics get more overdriven in the first case? Is that a good thing with tape machines?

[@jimyhustle]

hey mike i love your tutorials . please can you make a full course on how to make hip hop beats , i can't find a course on that

[@molecularization]

any difference between having the tape emulation on the top of plugin chain vs. bottom? I follow the signal flow of having the tape emulation at the top then to a trim plug. thanks for these mixing tip, much appreciation, and more power to you! thank you.

[@descargamusicalny]

Well, this is an interesting subject. I think you can just do the gain staging right on the A800 by using the input gain and the output on the plug in it self, just remember to have the gang control off when doing this. You get more of that tape saturation effect if you do this in my opinion. So to make sure you are running the same tape speed and calibration set all that with the gang control first and then turn the gang control off and work on your gain staging.

[@mixingwithmike]

descargamusicalny Yes, exactly! For the sake of time, I didn't go through this process but it is an important one. I wish they would put an inverse linked I/O gain control within the plugin for setting the tape compression. This way you always have unity gain through the plugin while setting the saturation level. The Waves Kramer Tape plugin is a perfect example of this. Cheers! Mike

[@descargamusicalny]

Michael White I wonder if we can obtain good results by using the plug in in the input chain of the uad console. Just set your tape and record the whole song using the same tape settings. Also working on your input gain structure through the A800.

[@mixingwithmike]

Hey descargamusicalny, Yes, this is one approach you can take as long as you feel confident in your settings. You may need to be more mindful of your levels going into your Apollo interface as you may over-saturate a sound in the process of recording. There is no way to undo or change the settings later once recorded. I love the thinking on your part though. Very "old-school" recording methodology. Just be aware of the limitations as well. Cheers! Mike

[@luiza177music]

Thanks for the video. Pretty subtle stuff going on there. I realize KZbin doesn't help with that, but do you have any tips for training your ear for hearing these subtleties better?

[@mixingwithmike]

+luiza177music Hi Luiza, I think most of the difference is in knowing what to listen for. It is much easier to tune into frequency or volume changes than it is to judge imaging. Everyone's monitoring system is going to be different and imaging characteristics will be more or less apparent based just on that. There is no better advice than to just keep mixing and working at it. Your ability to hear subtle differences will only come with doing it over and over again. Cheers! Mike

[@xelaalvarez]

Hey Michael, Alejandro from Nicaragua. Question, do you prefer the Kramer tape over the J37? Why?

[@mixingwithmike]

I prefer the Kramer Tape for mix bus processing but the J37 for Tape delay