Mixing With Mike Mixing Tip: Setting Effects Return Levels

[@albertwangny]

Very useful tutorial! Excellent! Great Mike!

[@guitarlicksntricks]

Hey Mike, another great tutorial... i've been making notes through the video. thanks again!

[@mixingwithmike]

Cheers!

[@semeir]

Greeaat, as usual!!!! The very best tutorials on the web...Now may ask something for panning?

[@mixingwithmike]

Thanks Robert, I am working on a Pan video now. coming soon... Mike

[@JongriffinBiz]

Hi Mike,love you man - your generosity and enthusiasm really comes across in your tutorials, also I think the way that you tell it frames certain difficult to get processes in more meaningful ways, something missing in many other channels like this. I am learning a heap from the way you teach dynamics and particularly; dimensional concepts - depth, width and height. Mike, I have a track I will be mixing next week and I want to incorporate some of your workflow suggestions. The track is a hip/hop, pop, R&B vibe, so I wondered if you might have a recipe for the dimensional/dynamic ball park I should look to incorporate. I want to use your 'dynamics for more depth' approach, as well as for enhanced groove - also another great tutorial, and then apply reverb, using your early reflections first tips. The track is presently balanced the way I like it, dry and flat. Can you recommend an approach - is there a logical sequence of events - EQ / Compress / Compress for groove / compress for depth / reverbs? And, if its not too greedy of me - what would your gut be on the kinds of reverbs and reverb variants I might need? Appreciate hip hop is extremely varied, but the basics I think we can understand - the kick is dominant, vocals dry and upfront with hooky Dre-ish piano hook - it needs to be upfront, but clearly some dimension is essential. Keep up the good work!

[@mixingwithmike]

Hey Jon, Thanks for the support, always appreciate the feedback! Without hearing the song it is difficult to define an approach. Especially those tracks that mix R&B and HipHop because the approaches are very diverse even though they are so related. So much depends on the song and what approach fits the message of the song. If you sent me the multi, I would shoot a video on how to approach that particular song. The best advice I would give is to find a reference mix that matches the vibe/sound/approach you are going for and refer to it often while you mix. This will really expose the depth issues and force you to be aggressive in matching the approach. Given your description, this would be my general advice/approach. If you are dealing with samples that are well selected, I would start with some very basic hiPass - LoPass filtering for focus, then compression to set the front back staging. Use Early Reflections to help enhance the front-back perspective. The ER is critical if you want to go dry with the mix. Then shape it with a good vintage EQs like Neve 1073 to keep the warmth and richness of the low end while giving it that top end edge. Low Level compression after that is a great way to focus in the presence. Add effects selectively so that they have impact in the mix. Again, this advice is flying blind a bit. I may have a different take after listening. Hope this advice is helpful... Cheers! Mike

[@JongriffinBiz]

Thanks Mike. You pretty much confirmed the sequence I was thinking of, so far the back track I think sounds great, I've used the faders to get some front back dimension and so far only chipped out the unwanted low end stuff - not EQ'd or comped anything yet, but of course I want to get more of that spacial vibe with those techniques you've shared...its just absolutely key, no doubt you realise, to introduce the right KIND of dimension, rather than flooding it with ambiance and losing all the attitude. Agree on low level comp. I would be happy to send you the stems,that would be awsome for me - I think it would work well on your channel, its of a high enough quality in every way...except...you couldn't use the vocals and not for any copyright reason but just cause they are not good. I produced the backing track for an artist who really...no I mean really cannot sing...that said if I spoke with the artist, I might be able to swing it if the backing track alone was sufficiently interesting for your followers as a hip hop instrumental.

[@mixingwithmike]

Jon Griffin Music Hey John, sounds great! Go to the main website www.mpginsider.com and use the contact us form there. I will give you all the details from there. Cheers! Mike

[@BasseyEbong]

I totally agree ! Thanks a lot Mike for everything. You are such a generous and patient giver. 100000 MERCIS from Paris

[@NathanBrown-dk5wh]

When you compress the effect do you just compress it to it limit is the compressor acting like a limitor a on the effect chain?

[@MrFLAVIUS12]

how works the MV2 plugin? its a little strange,no? Great tip. (Sorry for my english..hehe)

[@mixingwithmike]

The MV2 is a low level and high level compressor. Think of it like a car crusher that pushes the audio together from the bottom up and the top down.Hope that makes sense! Mike

[@MrFLAVIUS12]

Michael White More clear now, thank you.