First step:
You need a mixing program! : D [s]it will help you a lot, I promise you.[/s]
If you're pretty new to mixing, I think the best and most common program to use is AudaCity.
It's totally free and some computers/laptops have it installed already.
If you don't have AudaCity you can download it HERE~
Most users here at AK probably use AudaCity, or have used AudaCity, so if there's any questions I don't think it would be hard to get an answer
Second option, which is also easy to get, is Adobe Audition!
There's a specific thread for that in the same section here *points up* where Henry posted the download for Audition as well Autotune (very helpful, it's much love
)[s]If you're lazy, like I am sometimes, I post the link to the thread HERE~
(it stands that you can PM Joffs aka bigmow if you want it for Windows 7, but you can also PM me)[/s]
Audition is probably better than AudaCity (according to some people here at AK), but it doesn't stop you from using AudaCity ^^
Effects are easier to work with in Audition but the layout is a bit more complicated (in my opinion).
Same as AudaCity, there will be no problems to get answers to your questions about Audition~!
Third option is any Sony program.
These programs are not freeware, which means you have to buy it to get the full version, but there's a 30 days trial on each.
The main audio program is Sound Forge programs - either PRO or Audio.
Audio is a bit "easier" than PRO, and mainly for computer recording.
PRO is ...well PRO, and has kind of more options, which not only includes the vocal editing and such.
I use Sony Vegas PRO 10, which is a HD video editing program, but originally made for audio editing.
Sony Vegas can take almost all VST plugins, including Autotune, and makes it very handy - but yes, it's not a freeware...sadly.
The mixing goes really fast with this program (as some of you here might have noticed) and with a decent sound card (which I don't have) volumes are also easy to deal with.
Another positive thing is that it takes like all file types too and updates the files automatically if it's updated - works perfectly along with Audition~!
There's also other mixing softwares out there, like Garbage Band, Melodyne, Mixpad, Reaper and Cubebase.
It's a whole jungle!!!
First and a ½ step:
Find the instrumental or make a vocal cut!
Most songs have an official instrumental that comes along with the single - but of course...the most awesome songs are not single releases so you might need a vocal cut instead.
Vocal cuts are sometimes very lovely and sometimes very hateful.
The basics with vocal cuts is that they remove the vocals - which is center panned in a song (therefore, it's called 'Center pan removing' in AudaCity 1.3 BETA).
To decide if Audition or AudaCity makes better vocal cuts or not, is really hard.
Second step:
Find an easy song to mix!
Solos are most preferable since they don't need that certain blending that duet/trio/group songs do, which makes it easier to work with the volumes.
Most songs before like... 2008-2009 is probably without those hard-core ass effects like Autotune, distortion, pitching and other effects I can't remember the names of but can do.
Some songs may be exceptions (like KAT-TUN's 12 o'clock or Six Senses).
Reverb is mostly used on all songs but it's not necessary to know how to use it in your first mix (since I started like in December 2010 to use it). It works fine without it.
If you're stuck with finding a good song to start mixing this list (over at the Newbie section may help you a lot)
Find it HERE~
I totally suggest NYC by NYC Boys (not only because I love the song).
It's easy to sing and the beat is the same all over the song too.
Also, if you don't feel like doing a solo, but wanting to try mixing, request!
Someone is always ready to offer some parts that you can work with, it might not be a whole song, but a part is totally okay!
PM me, or write here if you're too shy/lazy to record anything yet~ :3
Third step:
This is the mixing stadium!
[s]This is also where the current mixing thread come in handy~!![/s]
If you're too lazy to ready through everything that stands there, I will now write a summary of it ..kinda.
When you're mixing, you're working with different and multiple tracks (also called layers). Keep in mind which layer that have what track!
For a solo song, it has to have at least 3 different layers - one layer for the original song, one layer for the instrumental/vocal cut and one layer for the recording.
You might need to have more than one layer for your recording, since overlapping appears in most songs (which means, one line has not ended when the next line has started)
Okay, so you got all the tracks you need. Now you need to time your recording according to the original (also make sure the original and the instrumental matches).
Mute the instrumental track and zoom in to the first line that you need to time.
Listen over and over again and see if the recording needs to be moved forward or backwards. Sometimes your recording may be off-timed and if it's way too off-timed, it might be a good idea to re-record ^^
Do this on all lines until the end of the song~
Then you need to add the effects - if there's any. If there isn't, you can skip this part.
You might need to know how to do a noise removal though.
This can be done by almost every
Again, zoom in at the line you want to apply the effect at. Highlight the area, go to 'Effects' and chose your effect. If it doesn't sound okay, undo it (ctrl+z for Windows) and edit the settings~
Continue until all effects parts are okay.
Lastly, the volumes. The hateful volumes.
These are very important to the blending, be sure that no one is maxing out (the waveforms exceeding the track's area) - if they are, ask them to re-record.
Basically (like it stands on the other thread), you want everything to be at 100 %.
If you work with 2 voices - each of them should be at 50 % . This may be different due to different mics and audio quality.
This a perfectionist stadium, where you need to really listen. No one has perfect ears so no one will actually blame you if you do it "wrong".
Basically, in the group parts, no voice should actually 'stand out' if it's not a lead voice. Try to aim to have the balance as balanced as possible - it's really hard sometimes as we all have different recording qualities.
For every step, it's just to fail, try again and fail again until you get it right.
Mixing is patience and needs some love to work out good!
Fourth step:
Find someone to BETA listen to your mix!
This means that someone else can listen to your mix and point out things that doesn't really sound right.
Don't take this hard!
You always do something good and something not so good when mixing, and having someone to critique your mixes is really good. It makes you improve faster, you might not hear the same things that they do, since you're listening over and over again at it and gets used to it.
Take the critique to heart - they only want the best for you.
Some things can not be done by mixing always, some timing problems can be in the recording and it's rather hard to fix those to sound good sometimes.
Redo all mistakes and let the beta listener hear it again - hopefully, it's fine then, else you continue working on it!
Don't give up on mixing, even if it sounds hard!
It's a lovely ability to have and makes music life much easier~!
Of course, it requires some time, but it's worth it.
You might not be ready to mix a PP after your first mix, but work little by little at each mix you do, and finally, you will have the courage and confidence to join the mixing raids in the PPs!
We, who currently are seen mixing all over the places, love/like to mix, but we're also human, we can't help you out all the time!
New mixers will always be appreciated!
Imperfection makes perfect!!!
Hope to see some new faces to mixing soon!
As well you old ones too ahah~ :3
