The Parallel Mix Trick (aka Rear Buss) by Graham Cochrane

There’s a way to get more energy, fatness, and power in your mixes without killing your dynamics or transients. It involves compression, but not in the way I’ve traditionally used it.

When I saw Andrew Scheps doing this at the NAMM show I instantly knew he was on to something. He calls it the “Rear Buss” I call it the Parallel Mix Trick – but whatever you call it, it’s a useful little move.

Enjoy

 

This is how he did it on his Neve which had quadraphonic bussing. In the box he adjusts how much he sends to the rear bus, so like two independently gainstaged mixes. Andrew's Puremix videos are awesome and totally worth a subscription for a couple months.

 

@MYCbeats

I totally agree with you about Andrew's Puremix but the video above has been produced by Graham Cochrane (The Recording Revolution).

 

I reserve the phrase 'rear bus' for something else. Sometimes I have a 'rear bus' for applying group FX to rear sounds when I mix in quadraphonic, 5.1, or 7.1 surround.

/me hides

 

It's a good hint, but I knew that looong before. Robert Babicz made a video about mixing/mastering. It's german but english subtitled, and it's so obvious how to use compressors to make it sounds really phat without loosing impact.

THIS is a necessary must-be-seen video, especially for electronic music producers!

 

So he what? He grouped a couple of instruments and vocals in a parralel group and put a compressor on that?
rofl who would have thought of that

or am I missing something?

 

parallel compression... I don t get the news
anyway..., thanx

little add: 1176LN has never been a Bus nor a Master comp-limiter
track insert device

 

I haven't had the time to see the video, is this really just about parallel compression or is there more to it the way it's done in the video?

 

he sends everything but the drums to a Bus with an 1176LN INSERTED, then he summs it to the whole mix

 

I also find very strange the attack position, slowest as possible
to keep all the transients clean?
I use slow attack on kick, bass, vocals
but max h10 on vocals (on 1176LN)

 

Well, the urei tends to bite into things with fast attack so maybe he puts it into the mix for the typical coloring. If the software does that at all, who knows.

 

right, I still have to find a virtual comp that has good fast attack. Usually a fast attack ruins the sound.
Actually I personally think that also analog comps must be really good to work with a fast attack.
That's a problem with acoustic guitars or anything that needs fast attack in the virtual domain.

yes the 1176LN adds his color, but look at the amount of gain reduction... he makes the comp work...

 

Definition of Trick:

a cunning act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit someone


AKA stop calling this shit Tricks.that would literally only apply when you are dealing with psycho acoustics

 

@thejohndoe

Graham Cochrane was the guy who used the trick word so contact him at [email protected] to telling him your opinion. Thanks.

 

Last edited: Feb 22, 2016

I don't know why we're talking semantics, but the word trick has more definitions than to deceive someone

"Tricks of the trade" is a common English phrase

It's defined as such a few lines below the (google) definition quoted above

Trick (noun)
a clever or particular way of doing something.
"the trick is to put one ski forward and kneel"
synonyms: knack, art, skills, techniques; secrets, shortcuts

No need to send poor Mr Cochrane hate mail

 

Thanks for the hint thantrax.

Andrew Scheps was looking for an ITB sound
coming closest to the sound and color of the Rear Buss on his Neve Console.

He found the UAD UA 1176AE on a 2:1 ratio to be the closest
and sent everything but the drums to 2x mono busses in parallel, needle barely moving.
Above then became his fixed ITB Rear Buss.

The Parallel Mix Trick is claimed to be inspired by the Rear Buss
but I can`t see the connection, both have nothing in common.

In addition some remarks of Graham Cochrane do not coincide
with deliberations of Andrew Scheps regarding the ITB Rear Buss.

In the spirit of "Rethink Mixing" sometimes it`s a good idea to rethink tutorials.

 

What Babicz explains there is just plain parallel porocessing. Only difference is that he has a modified Urei 1176 with Wet and Dry Knobs. But Scheps' rear buss method is based on a different concept.