Pro tools mixdown

By mixing in mono taking away the stereo-ness from your monitoring you should find it easier and quicker to set fader levels. Mixing in mono is a great way to perfectly set the level of a lead vocal track in a mix.

Pro Tools sadly include a built-in fold stereo down to mono function on the master output. Luckily, there are several free options available that give us the capability to monitor our stereo output in mono and back again in an instant:. KISS: short for "Keep it simple stupid". The principle states that systems work best when systems are kept simple instead of being complicated. Apply the KISS principle to your mix workflow and there's a strong chance you will get better results from your mixing habits.

Try not to use too many plug-ins, try not to overcomplicate automation, instead, try to get as much done with as fewer moves as possible.

Keep it simple by applying plug-ins such as compressors and EQs to tracks that actually need dynamic processing and EQ. You would be surprised how often a track really doesn't need any EQ if recorded well and how often a track doesn't need compression distorted electric guitars.

If you are new to mixing, try to stick to using a small set of plug-ins instead of using everything in the plug-in folder. Use the same compressor plug-in and same EQ plug-in throughout a mix as you'll get the chance to really learn how those two plug-ins work, which in turn benefits your mixes as you'll quickly learn how to get the most out of those plug-ins.

Keep it simple stupid - don't be too clever. The key to a producing a great sounding mix is making sure your creative flow is as uninterrupted as possible throughout the mixing process. Stay in the "creative sweet spot" as much as possible when mixing and try to avoid technical obstacles. The creative sweet spot is a place where you solely make tasteful changes to your tracks that benefit the bigger picture Creative mix moves include adding effects, EQ, compression, setting levels and panning.

Non creative mix moves include loading plug-ins, sorting out timing issues, naming tracks etc. A great way to avoid breaking your creative flow is to prepare, prepare, prepare. Session templates are a great way of setting both yourself and your session up ready to mix.

Load plug-ins where you know they will work, even if you end up not using them, is a good habit to get into, mix preparation, on the whole, is a good habit to get into. You can record your mix to audio tracks within your session or create an external recording using the Bounce to Disk command.

Once you have created a stereo mix, you can play back the results outside of Pro Tools and share your composition with others by burning the file onto a CD. Considerations for Bouncing Audio Most digital audio workstations provide functions for mixing down or bouncing tracks; however, not all systems approach the process the same way. Likewise, some systems will not capture automation when bouncing to disk.

Pro Tools, however, performs real-time bounces, capturing all audible information in your mix just as you hear it during playback. Here are some specific details about how Pro Tools processes a bounce.

These principles apply both when bouncing to tracks and when bouncing to disk, unless otherwise noted. When you play back your session, all tracks that you hear are included in the bounce. Any tracks that are muted will not appear in the bounce.

If you have soloed any tracks or regions, only those soloed elements will appear in the bounce. All source tracks for the bounce must be assigned to the same output path. Any audio not assigned to that common output path will not appear in the bounce file.

You can use all available voices in your system when using the Bounce to Disk command, without requiring extra voiced tracks for recording the bounced file. Inserts, sends, and external effects are applied permanently to the bounced tracks, so make sure that you set levels carefully before bouncing tracks. Listen closely to ensure that everything sounds as it should. Pay close attention to levels, being sure to avoid clipping.

If you have made a selection on the timeline or on a track with edit and timeline selections linked , Pro Tools will bounce all audible tracks for the length of the selection only. Record you mix to a 5. Either an AUX or a track. You can also split the 5. But it all depends on you mix. In order to print simultaneously 5.

This aux track is then routed to a new audio track which I call Mix Print Stereo. For some reason I don't know this new audio track has to be 5. I then split into mono the recorded file and drag the L and R channel into a new stereo track, I consolidate it and then export it. Both my Mix Print 5. By clicking on the Input Monitoring button the I near the rec button I choose which mix to monitor surround or stereo.

Hope that helps.