I guess Sonible offers similar, but in separate components that can be linked. Does any other company make a channel strip with assistance?

 

What do you guys think of these general recommendations? What would you do differently as a basic start point for general use? I realize different instruments, genre, etc. call for different FX.

https://www.iconcollective.edu/mixing-effects-chain-order

1. GAIN STAGING
Gain staging is managing levels at each stage of the signal path. Maintaining the gain structure gives your mix sufficient headroom and dynamic range for mixing. It also ensures the audio signal flow is at an optimum level without clipping as it passes through various processors and mixer stages.

Inserting a gain plugin first in the chain allows you to adjust your levels before further processing. You can also insert a gain plugin anywhere needed along the effects chain to prevent clipping. Avoid running a “hot” signal into a plugin. Overloading a plugins input signal will give you poor results.

2. SATURATION
Saturation adds presence, character, warmth, excitement, punch, and cohesion. Driving sounds through tubes, transistors, and circuitry has long been the key ingredient in achieving analog sounding mixes.

Saturation enhances sounds by adding even and odd order harmonics. These harmonic frequencies make a digital-sounding mix sound full, fat, and warm. It also helps sound translate on small speakers that can’t reproduce lower frequencies like earbuds, laptops, and phones.

Inserting a saturation plugin before an EQ allows you to cut or minimize unwanted harmonic frequencies created by saturation. However, it’s also suitable to saturate after EQing.

3. SUBTRACTIVE EQ
Subtractive EQing removes problematic frequencies, creates clarity, and adds presence. The goal is to clean up the sound and minimize problematic frequencies that might get boosted by the compressor.

Use a parametric EQ to cut unwanted sub frequencies and harsh resonances. Avoid boosting in this first stage of equalization. It’s often better to boost with a second EQ after making corrective moves with subtractive EQing and compression.

4. COMPRESSION
Compression smooths out the dynamic range of a sound to maintain constant levels. It also adds loudness, cohesiveness, punch, and helps shape the tone. However, used incorrectly can reduce the impact of the sound, so only apply compression when needed.

This first stage of compression focuses on corrective work. Use a compressor to control dynamic range and catch the loudest peaks. Inserting the compressor after a subtractive EQ prevents unwanted frequencies from triggering the compression.

5. ADDITIVE EQ
After doing corrective work with subtractive equalization and compression, try shaping the tone with additive equalization. Tonal equalization adds presence and character. For example, it’s common to boost the high end to add presence in pop and electronic music.

The best way to shape tone is with an analog modeled EQ. Analog modeled equalizers emulate the circuity and musical character of their classic hardware counterparts. Analog modeled EQs also add, warmth, presence, punch, and sheen to your music.

It’s common practice to use a combination of digital and analog-style EQs. For example, digital EQs are excellent for corrective work because they are precise, flexible, and transparent sounding. Whereas analog-modeled EQs are ideal for tonal work and sweetening. They excel at emphasizing or attenuating certain frequency bands in a broad, musical manner to achieve clarity and punch.

6. MODULATION EFFECTS
After achieving an ideal frequency balance and dynamic range, add modulation effects if needed. Common modulation effects include chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, stereo width, and auto-pan. These creative audio effects add movement, depth, width, and character to sounds.

It’s common to insert creative effects after corrective work in post-production. Some prefer to get the basic sound down before modulating or adding ambiance. However, it’s also common to apply modulation effects before corrective effects during the sound design process.

Again, there are no rules. It might sound better to insert a modulation effect before the subtractive EQ and compressor. This workflow is logical if you want to clean up the sound and tame dynamics after creative processing. Use your ears!

7. REVERB AND DELAY
Reverb and delay effects are typically inserted towards the end of the chain or on return tracks. These time-based effects add a sense of space, dimension, and fullness to your mix. They also provide that integral polish that immerses listeners.

The order of these two effects will also make a difference. For example, when using delay and reverb together, it’s common to insert the delay before the reverb. This way the reverb doesn’t wash out the sound before it hits the delay.

8. LIMITING
Limiters are essential dynamic processing tools used for mixing and mastering. At a basic level, limiters reduce the peaks in a waveform and prevent them from exceeding a digital ceiling. The result reduces the dynamic range of an audio signal and increases perceived loudness.

Insert a limiter towards the end of your effects chain to reduce excessive transients, control dynamics, glue sounds together, boost levels, and add power. However, not every sound requires limiting. Only apply a limiter if it’s needed.

9. SIDECHAINING
Sidechain compression creates separation between elements and helps them punch through the mix. It also minimizes phasing and frequency masking between the two elements.

A sidechain compressor uses an external sound source to quickly reduce the volume of a sound. For example, sidechaining a bass track will lower the bass volume every time the kick strikes. This technique allows the kick to cut through the mix more clearly. It will also give the kick more of an impact.

Applying sidechain compression last in the effects chain also helps control reverb and delay tails. In addition, it gives you more flexibility to adjust the amount of sidechaining without affecting the signal input of other effects plugins.

10. VOLUME
Inserting a gain plugin last in the chain allows you to adjust your levels further if needed. It’s also recommended to insert a gain plugin at the end of the effects chain if you plan on using volume automation.

Automation is an essential process that helps make your music sound more compelling, exciting, and dynamic. It’s better to apply automation using a gain plugin instead of the tracks volume fader. This method keeps the volume fader free to make further gain staging adjustments.

 

Last edited: Aug 6, 2023

I am curious about saturation going before subtractive EQ . . . is that to remove any unwanted saturation byproducts?

 

yep, you said it. for almost every Izotope component/module type in ozone or neutron you can easily find others that you will invariably like more than those from Izotope, or at least I do. But many of those other 3rd party plugins are standalone joints and can also be very expensive. I suggested he try Neutron assisted mixing in another thread about tinnitus to reduce some listening time. You can put whatever plugins you want in front of the Relay instance.

I almost typed out this same kind of thing. " It might sound better to insert a modulation effect before the subtractive EQ and compressor. This workflow is logical if you want to clean up the sound and tame dynamics after creative processing. " I almost never insert a Gain plugin there. I use the region/clip gain for this instead. Same with modulation and other creative fx. I like them to be part of the base "musical content", like if it was coming directly from a synthesizer with the same effects. If you decide to make a change to your modulations, you will end up changing the settings of probably every processor before it. And putting any sidechain so late, is a nice way to end up increasing ratio to infinity, playing around with your attack, or wishing for lookahead.

The Subtractive EQ before the compression has less to do with "fixing" the saturation. It is to control what you are handing off to the compression and you would put the same eq instance in that insert slot on a part you don't even want to saturate at all.

 

Last edited: Aug 6, 2023

Thanks, Clone! I'm desperately trying to find a simple, yet powerful way to keep rolling in music production. I need to limit sound while creating sound. YIKES!!! By the way, do you take side mixing jobs? The more I research, the more I realize I don't have healthy enough ears to see this through and AI is only about 80% there for mixing. Heck, I could probably spin dials randomly and get near 80%. LOL

Music is so simple (not easy) to create, but so difficult to mix/master without the right tools, experience, and environment. Even with an FX Chain template set up . . . the work must be done and it's different for each situation.

 

nothing.. 100% clean. no fx

 

the best reason to setup a chain like the recommended ones you always see, is to do them over and over again. it helps you get your ears tuned in to what you are doing using the same tools, and in a predictable order. they often call it cookie cutter mixing. Some people will recommend using nothing but your daw stock plugins, or just a relatively structured suite of tools like Fabfilter or probably now Sonible, Focusrite, etc. A lot of people learned using only Waves, but at the time it was like 20 something plugins. Now it is probably overwhelming plugin count and half the names are meaningless. I don't think I would learn much using Neutron either, because it makes too many correct decisions for you very quickly.

 

In the analog past, options were limited, but simpler and provided a straightforward workflow (mostly). Now there are endless possibilities and power at the touch of a mouse click . . . it can be overwhelming . . . even setting up an FX chain template. Back in the day, I was limited by technology and money. Now? Even a poor teacher like myself can gather a zillion tools . . . the free options alone are insane. Where do you limit your choices? Where do you make cuts? How do you streamline your FX chain so that it gives you what you need without becoming a sonic mess?

 

I've had excellent results loading all plugins in alphabetical order. For example using every Arturia FX in alphabetical order - great ambient generator.


Edit: I am serious

 

Last edited: Aug 6, 2023

Why not? At this point that might work better than eenie, meanie, minie, mo