How do you guys set up your sub-mixes?

[Snarfie]

To get one thing out of the way first, I know the thread name sounds misleading, but when I say sub I don't mean sub bass.

The way I route mine is have all my tracks I want rolled off at around 30Hz (give or take the roll-off point for a track) sent through 1 auxiliary channel (return tracks in Ableton) and then the rest of my tracks sent to another auxiliary channel mainly for the sub bass and kick which you obviously don't want to roll. I then send those 2 channels to a 3rd and final auxiliary channel which I name "sub-mix."

Was curious how you all routed your sub-mix's and if anyone had any knowledge on some different or better techniques.

Cheers

[wub]

Kick 1
Kick 2
Kick Bus
Snare 1
Snare 2
Snare Bus
Hat 1
Hat 2
Hat 3
Hat Bus
Perc 1
Perc 2
Perc 3
Perc Bus
Beats Bus
Bass 1
Bass 2
Bass 3
Bass Bus
Beats & Bass Bus
Slicex 1
Slicex 2
Slicex 3
Slicex 4
Slicex 5
Slicex 6
Slicex Bus

That's the basic template layout I have setup. Actual processing on each channel/sub mix varies, though the buses themselves default with an instance of Voxengo SPAN loaded onto them for analysis purposes.

[Electric_Head]

Do you have a return bus for your percussion elements Wub?
Glue bus?

[Snarfie]

@wub I'm talking about close to final mix-down auxiliary channels, not exactly bussing... You would send those buses indeed to the respective auxiliary channel

[wub]

I mix down as I go, so that are pretty much my final mixdown channels.

Do you have a return bus for your percussion elements Wub?
Glue bus?

I have some sends setup with big reverb/little reverb/delay etc.

But nothing major.

[rockonin]

What are "Slicex"?

[Dustwyrm]

Slicex is an awesome vst. I use it for chopping up vocal and making glitchy vocals. The possibilities are endless here, it's really a great tool to learn.

[rockonin]

I'll have to check slicex out. Is it freeware?

[mthrfnk]

Slicex is an awesome vst. I use it for chopping up vocal and making glitchy vocals. The possibilities are endless here, it's really a great tool to learn.

This.

A little thing to try if you haven't already - auto slice up a vocal on the small setting, now use the main melody of your track or nicely arpeggiate some chords and copy this midi to the slicex channel. This way it plays some nice little random chops simulataneously with any melodies you have going - can sounds really nice if layered right.

[wub]

Slicex is an awesome vst. I use it for chopping up vocal and making glitchy vocals. The possibilities are endless here, it's really a great tool to learn.

This.

A little thing to try if you haven't already - auto slice up a vocal on the small setting, now use the main melody of your track or nicely arpeggiate some chords and copy this midi to the slicex channel. This way it plays some nice little random chops simulataneously with any melodies you have going - can sounds really nice if layered right.

Nice one, will give this a try

[ill mindset]

Slicex is an awesome vst. I use it for chopping up vocal and making glitchy vocals. The possibilities are endless here, it's really a great tool to learn.

This.

A little thing to try if you haven't already - auto slice up a vocal on the small setting, now use the main melody of your track or nicely arpeggiate some chords and copy this midi to the slicex channel. This way it plays some nice little random chops simulataneously with any melodies you have going - can sounds really nice if layered right.

Very useful technique indeed. Great thread. From how Wub sets up his groups to this trick, newer producers should take notes on this one.

[rockonin]

Mine is slightly similar to wub's.

Kick Bus-Normally i layer about four different Kick samples each with an individual output for more processing options. On the kick bus i normally add a eq-compressor-transient shaper.
Snare Bus-Same as the kick buss i'll have 4-5 different samples layered all with their individual output channels.
Hi Hat Open/Hi Hat Closed- I don't bus the hats, I just have individual channels for them.
Bass Bus-Sometimes ill add the sub to this bus (most of the time i don't),normally just leave it for regular bass sounds. Depending on the sound as well as regular processing ill add the sausage fatner on this and a saturation vst as well.

I know some people will tend to add another bus channel and group for all the drum tracks to 'glue' them but i don't.

I don't tend to bus the main synth's or wobbles (I colour code most of the time to recognize whats what). Always have voxengo span on the master output channel. I also tend to mix as i go along.

[LilWUB]

So after you have all of your submixes (drums, synths etc.) do you then feed them to three frequency mixes - bass submix, mids submix, highs submix? Then glue them back together for the final?

[YeahItsMe]

Personally i have similar to wubs setup.

Kicks->kick bus->drums bus
Snares/claps->snares/claps bus->drums bus
All other percussion->percussion bus->drums bus
Basses on individual channels
Sub on its own channel
High pitch leads/pads/etc->leads bus
Risers->riser bus or separate channels depending on similarities/differences if there are multiple
And 3 return channels small, medium & large reverb

I "gel compress" every bus to taste

&lilwub i think that might be most helpful using a multinand compressor on the master, but if I'm correct, that's more for mastering and not final mixes, but please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm still learning...

[ehbes]

2 kick channels
3 snare channels
5 hats/perc channels
all routed to drums bus
7 audio channel
7 midi channels
all bussed to pads/leads bus
3 channels for rain/crackle samples
bussed
2 channels bussed for vocals

depending on the feel of the track i out my sub in either the drum buss or the pads/leads buss

[hutyluty]

drum channel

sub channel

[Wrigzilla]

Depends on the tune really, but usually I have:

Drum bus (for glue + automation)
Bass bus (so I can adjust the levels of all the bass parts with one fader)
Melodic elements bus (for subtle glue, maybe subtle side chaining as well)
Sound effects/ambience bus (for glue + automation of non musical, non percussion elements)
Sends bus (eg reverb and delay sends so the "wetness" of the mix can be automated)

[Kochari]

Slicex is an awesome vst. I use it for chopping up vocal and making glitchy vocals. The possibilities are endless here, it's really a great tool to learn.

This.

A little thing to try if you haven't already - auto slice up a vocal on the small setting, now use the main melody of your track or nicely arpeggiate some chords and copy this midi to the slicex channel. This way it plays some nice little random chops simulataneously with any melodies you have going - can sounds really nice if layered right.

Just to emphasise that this is a really great idea.

[Today]

@wub post a tune

i dont think ive ever heard or seen anything from u

[mthrfnk]

For me in general:
Low End Kick + Top End Kick > Kick Buss > Drum Buss
All other drums/perc > Drum Buss

Sub > Bass Buss
Low Midrange > Bass Buss

All other synths > Synth Buss

Piano > Orch. Buss
Strings > Orch. Buss
Choir > Orch. Buss

All FX/Swooshes/Wipes etc > FX Buss

All vocals and one shot shouts/chants > Vox Buss

Drum Buss + Bass Buss > Drum & Bass Buss

Maybe OTT but it helps me keep stuff oganised, and helps me to solo out stuff when mixing and helps me bring stuff together.


Edit: I totally forgot I posted all that Slicex stuff up previously... in addition to that guys - try adding Pitcher on your vox that you've arpegiatted, now set up a MIDI Out playing the actuall Arp notes and set Pitcher to read this MIDI info. Voila instant chopped vox are now in tune with your notes/melody.