At that stage of mixing where I get so focused on the minor details I'm trying to fix that I start doubting the reality of what I've created. It stops sounding like a song and starts sounding like a bunch of disparate sounds precariously stacked together. Just have to remind myself that before this brain rot set in I really liked these tracks!
@etherdiver know this feeling!!! My new rule is to do the minimum possible in order to move forward, and where possible and within reason keep a backup of any state I'm even remotely happy with. But I still get stuck pretty much every time 😂
@etherdiver @gr0k I pretty much keep one file but in stages.
so my process can be described as:
1) tracking/production (recording my performances. drums, bass, guitars, keys, synths, whatever usually direct input but maybe with light transparent compression).
2) post production. this is where the sound is developed. guitars and bass guitars are re-amped and re-recorded. at the end of this stage, the song is sounding like a demo but intelligible.
...
@etherdiver @gr0k 3) stem mix. I address phasing issues between multiple tracks, create side buses for any stereo recordings, and sum groups together so I end up with a handful of stems. (e.g. drums summed, bass bus, harmony guitars, etc).
4) mix.
5) master.
I save a "snapshot" at the end of each step (that's what it's called in mixbus and ardour, I don't know about other daws). so let's say I get to mix. the the snare is just buried bc I summed the drums together poorly,...
@etherdiver @gr0k ... then I can go back to the stem mix stage, redo the drums and export that to import it to mix stage.
@etherdiver @gr0k that's the only reason I provided it 😊
otherwise I'm trying very hard this week to just jam and not worry about being productive. not tryna relive the process I just finished for a little now lol
@gr0k I'm definitely trying to do as little as possible to fix the problems I identify. Almost there... almost... there...
But I still only ever keep one file, from song idea to finished track. Always forward! If I fuck it up, I have to unfuck it...