Your current workflow go-to's

[Iron Keys]

What are your current go-to plugins, hardware or instruments for your production, mixing, and mastering process?


Do you tend to primarily start with this instrument, or that sampler. Or typically this is your go to EQ or Compressor or processor you're chucking on your tracks or your master.


Often out of force of habit and reliability, why did that tool become your go-to?


Images welcomed

 

[Kane the MOD]

Neutron 4 for EQ because of presets, visual feedback and sidechain capability.

Tonal Balance 2 on the Master to get the basic balance right.

EchoBoy for the SlapBack Delay for the snares

 

[Iron Keys]

I've started going to channel strips, which I always wanted to, but took me ages to get there emotionally.

I always ended up preferring 'seeing' what i was doing with stock/parametric EQs. But finally loving chucking an eq on a channel and just moving the knobs until I hear what I want to hear, what I 'see' means nothing. (There's still times when seeing shit is useful, but)

I also used to hate the compressor on this thing, but yeah, some things it just do what i want.

I'm mainly using for the EQ tho which is pretty aggressive.

I cycle through a few EQs, but for now this is my channel strip of choice. There's one I'm eyeing tho which if the cpu use is low could be a good shout if I get it!

 

[Ayatollah Herbs]

What are your current go-to plugins, hardware or instruments for your production, mixing, and mastering process?


Do you tend to primarily start with this instrument, or that sampler. Or typically this is your go to EQ or Compressor or processor you're chucking on your tracks or your master.


Often out of force of habit and reliability, why did that tool become your go-to?


Images welcomed

I bite.
always bite.

 

[Ayatollah Herbs]

no but really, it's different everytime. if it's for a PURPOSE, I bite. like, say it's an "artist" who's paying me to make them seem cool infront of girls or help them make money or something, I'm listening to their favorite artist, then to the artist their favorite artist is obviously biting from (e.g. they like lil uzi, so I just go to carti/trav to get the straight source shi), and just mimicking as many things as I can. they end up like "waohhhh". everyone's happy.

if it's for actual artistic purposes, it's uhhhhhhh...

well sometimes I just sit infront of the keys and improvise. play the c minor scale back n forth, add n remove a couple notes, see where it goes. usually something happens after like 4 5 mins like I get a riff or something and it's like... a train-route from there. like I get a map.
other times it's opening the weirdest plugin I can get my hands on. like fabfilter twin is my favorite. everything sounds weird in there. it always gives me a unique starting point.

and some other times I'm walkin down the street or sumn n some riff just *comes to me* or like, I'm thinkin bout some chick n recalling how everything went with her n all n then have a lightbulb moment like "damn, she actually did that shitty thing to me just for fun" and I be like "ayy, why'd you do this to me?" and then my mind says it with melody like "I don't get, why u do this me, hey hey hey" or sumn goofy like that, and the entire song builds itself in like 30 seconds. I hear the drums, guitar, weird synth, hook, verse, whatever. so I pretty much run back home and try to record as many things as I can while I still got the vibe.

 

[Ayatollah Herbs]

and some other times I'm walkin down the street or sumn n some riff just *comes to me* or like, I'm thinkin bout some chick n recalling how everything went with her n all n then have a lightbulb moment like "damn, she actually did that shitty thing to me just for fun" and I be like "ayy, why'd you do this to me?" and then my mind says it with melody like "I don't get, why u do this me, hey hey hey" or sumn goofy like that, and the entire song builds itself in like 30 seconds. I hear the drums, guitar, weird synth, hook, verse, whatever. so I pretty much run back home and try to record as many things as I can while I still got the vibe.

Ayatollah Herbs - "Sing About demo 1"

exhibition of mentioned case type: ^

 

[Iron Keys]

@Ayatollah Herbs why you capping, I know you throw an LA2A on everything

 

[Kane the MOD]

no but really, it's different everytime. if it's for a PURPOSE, I bite. like, say it's an "artist" who's paying me to make them seem cool infront of girls or help them make money or something, I'm listening to their favorite artist, then to the artist their favorite artist is obviously biting from (e.g. they like lil uzi, so I just go to carti/trav to get the straight source shi), and just mimicking as many things as I can. they end up like "waohhhh". everyone's happy.

if it's for actual artistic purposes, it's uhhhhhhh...

well sometimes I just sit infront of the keys and improvise. play the c minor scale back n forth, add n remove a couple notes, see where it goes. usually something happens after like 4 5 mins like I get a riff or something and it's like... a train-route from there. like I get a map.
other times it's opening the weirdest plugin I can get my hands on. like fabfilter twin is my favorite. everything sounds weird in there. it always gives me a unique starting point.

and some other times I'm walkin down the street or sumn n some riff just *comes to me* or like, I'm thinkin bout some chick n recalling how everything went with her n all n then have a lightbulb moment like "damn, she actually did that shitty thing to me just for fun" and I be like "ayy, why'd you do this to me?" and then my mind says it with melody like "I don't get, why u do this me, hey hey hey" or sumn goofy like that, and the entire song builds itself in like 30 seconds. I hear the drums, guitar, weird synth, hook, verse, whatever. so I pretty much run back home and try to record as many things as I can while I still got the vibe.

So bottom line you are dating toxic b!tches to make better beats/songs?

 

[Iron Keys]

So bottom line you are dating toxic b!tches to make better beats/songs?

He's making Simp-Hop to heal his heart.

 

[BiggChev]

I mostly used stock logic plug-ins and a few FX from Maschine.

Usually starting with drums in Maschine, the stock filter is one of the first things I reach for. The filters are really just shaping tools, or to get an idea of how that particular drum sample will sound with EQ. I like layering breakbeats over my drums so HPF is a great way to carve out the low end and turn the break into a topper of sorts.

After Filters, the stock Saturator in Maschine is really nice for getting some more character and colour. I prefer the tape setting over tube.

Once I have a few drum patterns going, everything gets tracked out to Logic. Hats, breakbeat toppers and percussion will typically be tracked in stereo. Kicks, snares and hats are always in mono.

I’ve found tracking in at near unity (-1dB) is what works best for me. I much rather lower the fader than turn it up or use normalization or limiters.

Once everything is tracked in, I get levels and panning in place. Then onto EQ, while I like the stock EQ in Logic, I’ve been using Izotope EQ a lot lately.

On my drum bus, I’ve been using Logic’s Chromaglow with the magnetic (tape) setting for a little distortion. Native Instruments Solid Bus Comp for glue, and Logics stock limiter. To start I like to keep my drum bus hitting around -2 at least in the writing phase.

Master Bus:
2 Linear Phase EQs (mid and side)
-I’ve found mid side EQ to be really effective in carving out space in the mix rather than relying solely on side chain compression
-SoundGhost - Texturize for vinyl or tape texture
-NI solid bus comp, again just a little for glue. Slow attack, long release
-limiter
-loudness meter targeting -9db
-level meter aiming for -1 peak and -9 average RMS

 

[Iron Keys]

-I’ve found mid side EQ to be really effective in carving out space in the mix rather than relying solely on side chain compression

You 'carve out space' on the 2bus?

Explain it.

 

[Iron Keys]

Nice list btw @BiggChev

 

[BiggChev]

@Iron Keys

For context:

I typically have:
Drum Bus
Chops Bus (if sampling)
NYC (which I don’t use as much lately)
Sidechain (this is VERY subtle)

On the Master, I like using mid side EQ before the glue comp. my mono channels are typically bass, kick and snare. I’ll cut anything that isn’t occupying the space of those instruments on the mid only EQ. Then do the opposite for the side only eq. Additionally I’ll brighten up the highs (that are usually stereo -pianos, strings, plucks etc.)

This typically leaves me with a very hollowed out “choppy” sound. So I’ll start blending back in the mids and sides. The Glue comp AFTER mid side EQ helps with that as well.

I’ve also been using Izotope Imager to widen certain sounds (say on the piano bus) which makes the mid-side EQ more effective.

Will drop a pick when I get back home.

 

[Iron Keys]

@Iron Keys

For context:

I typically have:
Drum Bus
Chops Bus (if sampling)
NYC (which I don’t use as much lately)
Sidechain (this is VERY subtle)

On the Master, I like using mid side EQ before the glue comp. my mono channels are typically bass, kick and snare. I’ll cut anything that isn’t occupying the space of those instruments on the mid only EQ. Then do the opposite for the side only eq. Additionally I’ll brighten up the highs (that are usually stereo -pianos, strings, plucks etc.)

This typically leaves me with a very hollowed out “choppy” sound. So I’ll start blending back in the mids and sides. The Glue comp AFTER mid side EQ helps with that as well.

I’ve also been using Izotope Imager to widen certain sounds (say on the piano bus) which makes the mid-side EQ more effective.

Will drop a pick when I get back home.

Ha you remind me of my old master bus. I used to go mad, tape this, some other saturation, glue compression, probably some other thing, dynamic eq, mid/side eq, widener, clipper, limiter. lmfaooo

Now I'm like... glue comp, limiter.

And I'm like, how am i getting by without that other nonsense and how the fuck was i making anything good without that other nonense?

 

[Iron Keys]

I'm not even necessarily doing anytjing crazy in the mix.
I think that's a good sign tho... before i was kinda doing for the sake of doing 'lemme get more transient' lemme blabla.
Now I will only dig in if like, lets say I've got a cool sounding drums, but im like 'shit they don't punch' THEN i will dig into my techniques. But I'm going with the simplest option first.

Tbh, sometimes i probably could make my great mixes even greater by doing that hsit. but. eh. Maybe I should revisit it. But sometimes you relly can be doing too much. If it sound good already.

 

[BiggChev]

MOST of the processing gets done on the sub busses, especially the tape hiss. It can be a bit too overpowering on the master.

I also know fuck all about mixing/mastering so I just find what seems to work lol

 

[BiggChev]

So I was in the camp of doing wayyyy too much.

NYC, heavy sidechain, envelope shapers, chorus, 5 different reverbs…everything squashed to fuck.

 

[Iron Keys]

So I was in the camp of doing wayyyy too much.

NYC, heavy sidechain, envelope shapers, chorus, 5 different reverbs…everything squashed to fuck.

bro we all been there. i assum elol

Got to a point I stopped doing NYC because it didnt actually do anything. Only thing it really does for me these days is bring up the hihats n make them sometimes go too crazy. But still, there's a time and a place. I do a lot of opposites of what I used to do too now.

I've also cleared my mind of most clichés or 'do this' 'you must do that' type shit. I just listen and feel