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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 25
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OP
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Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 25 |
Well friends. Real drums sound wonderful, but not always in the best balance and dynamics, and I want to remind you that they are already mixed.
so what are we doing?
As is well known, behind the real drum trek is also the MIDI trek. When I drag the tracks from BIAB I also take the MIDI track of the drums.
On the real drum trek I put Dynamic E.Q (I have CUBASE11) and I use midi as triggers for sidechain. So I can emphasize kick snare ...
I'm also cheating .. I send effects from MIDI in PreFader as if I sent the real ticks.
Enjoy
Computer: Intel i7 Memory 32 - Hard disk system 500 ssd
Software: Cubase, Ableton, Mixbus
BIAB Ultrapak 2021
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Great tip ugabay! Dynamic EQ's are a great tool that I often use on drum busses or master. There's a great free VST for that - TDR Nova - which works nicely in BIAB.
I work here
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Ugabay,
Can you upload some screenshots to show the processes you are using here?
This sounds interesting, but I would like to "see" it.
Thanks if you can.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Dec 2020
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OP
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Joined: Dec 2020
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Hello, my friend. I have no idea how I attach pictures in the forum, so I will send you an email.
The sequence:
BIAB
1. Drag the real drums to the top left corner (drag and drop) of course in WAV mode
2. Drag the real drums again. This time releases above the MIDI
DAW (CUBASE)
3. Imports the real drum file and puts Dynamic EQ on it
4. Split the instant drums so that KICK and SNARE each go out to a different channel. I leave the faders down.
5. Opens the Dynamic EQ and chooses which side-chain will reach the MIDI-KICK caves and what it will emphasize and so on from the snare.
REVERB
The MIDI-SNARE is sent to the effect as if it were from the real snare.
Hope I was clear enough
Computer: Intel i7 Memory 32 - Hard disk system 500 ssd
Software: Cubase, Ableton, Mixbus
BIAB Ultrapak 2021
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Dec 2020
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OP
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The golden opportunity is that BIAB also makes it possible to export the trek in MIDI, which serves as a side-chain to Dynamic EQ
Computer: Intel i7 Memory 32 - Hard disk system 500 ssd
Software: Cubase, Ableton, Mixbus
BIAB Ultrapak 2021
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Hey thanks,
I guess I will get one of my Cakewalk buddies to try and show me this. I don't know much about side chains yet and it looks like the EQ I was thinking about does not allow midi input, so this will be a learning curve for me.
Thanks.
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Simon,
That is a cool EQ you recommended. I got it. It raised a question for me though.
It will not allow mini input.
I have a waves compressor that will enable midi input, and I can use a midi file to trigger it on compressing drums. (Or at least I am sort of getting it to work.)
Going through my VSTs it seems it is hit or miss on whether they enable midi in.
Is midi input allowed on this EQ you mentioned in your setup?
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Simon,
That is a cool EQ you recommended. I got it. It raised a question for me though.
It will not allow mini input.
I have a waves compressor that will enable midi input, and I can use a midi file to trigger it on compressing drums. (Or at least I am sort of getting it to work.)
Going through my VSTs it seems it is hit or miss on whether they enable midi in.
Is midi input allowed on this EQ you mentioned in your setup?
I thought it did, but I tried it out just now and it does not seem to do that, my bad! I suppose in this case you could send MIDI to a VST then send that audio as a sidechain to the Nova (or your other compressors), though I'm not sure if that'd be beneficial here...
I work here
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OP
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This is exactly what I was going to write. Use the MIDI to play VST 7 and use the VST sound as a trigger. Well done
Computer: Intel i7 Memory 32 - Hard disk system 500 ssd
Software: Cubase, Ableton, Mixbus
BIAB Ultrapak 2021
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Note that you can also use your bass drum MIDI/audio channel via sidechain to duck your bass guitar audio so it doesn't compete with the bass drum's initial transient.
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Note that you can also use your bass drum MIDI/audio channel via sidechain to duck your bass guitar audio so it doesn't compete with the bass drum's initial transient. Or even better, use the dynamic EQ to only duck the low frequency of the bass, leaving the higher frequencies untouched say from 120hz and up. Maybe also have the EQ duck the bass around 2-4khz if it's conflicting with the attack of the kick in that range.
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That is one of the best mixing tips I learned .. 2-4kHz is extremely important on bass drum and bass guitar.
It's one of those crowded zones where a little less of a certain frequency on one instrument cleans up the other.
And that frequency range is really important to both bass drum and bass guitar for definition or character or whatever your term is.
More 2kHz on bass drum may be better, or even vice versa, but it's something to always look at.
I noted this years ago and keep it as one of my important lessons on mixing.
Guitar & vocals (as well as others) use this range, but not as importantly as the bass & bass drum using it as efficiently as possible. That's the challenge; you need them both to be defined in a range that is already full, so define them more, don't let them clutter/compete ..
/it's an art, there are no rules, but lessons/notes are OK
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Interesting...I spend a lot of energy EQing RealDrums...using Dynamic EQ won't really fix the essential issues when the ride or hi hat are too loud. I'm not a fan of MIDI but may have to use the MIDI from RealDrums and a free MIDI drum kit to get what I need.
I've been playing with some Drums on Demand tracks and they are REALLY good for most of what I struggle with when using Real Drums.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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There's a great Utub video by Kenny Gioia about using Dynamic EQ - it's based on Reaper but is pretty universal... You don't need the MIDI to do it either just two instances of whatever EQ plug works with dynamics... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWqqnY-P2x4
Last edited by rayc; 09/22/21 01:47 PM.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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