Hi Friends, I hope you are doing marvellously well! Today, we have another mixing tutorial coming your way.
My good friend and Studio One expert David Mood was kind enough to share this amazing tutorial with us:
How to add excitement to your mixes by using automation.
Automation is one of the most impactful techniques you can use to finish up your mix and take it to the next level. It allows you to create excitement & tension, keep the listener’s interest throughout the song and help it to build progress. It’s the stuff that makes you listen to a song over and over again, and enjoy it EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Sometimes you’ll only notice these little tweaks after having listened to the song for the 100th time. But your brain notices these small changes, even if you don’t recognize them consciously at first.
Listen to any mix by one of your favourite engineers: Be it Mark Endert, Andy Wallace, Dave Pensado or others. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice how much automation is actually going on in the background. And that’s what keeps the song interesting and fun!
If you know you can deliver good mixes, but are looking to add the special sauce that will make your mixes stand out from the rest and make clients seek you out as an engineer, this tutorial is for you.
David discusses several ways to add interest to your mixes by automating effects, volume, panning and more. But more importantly he explains the thought process behind his decisions, so you can apply these techniques to your own mixes when called for.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful tutorial with us David!
Check out more tutorials by David Mood:
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Please leave a bunch of questions and comments below and let us know how you are using automation creatively. Let’s have a great discussion. Thank you ever so much for all of your great comments and for being so supportive and helpful to one another. – You rock!
If you haven’t yet, please also check out our latest free mixing series: “Mixing A Pop/Rock Song“.
Free multitracks included!
Have a marvellous time recording and mixing,
Warren
Great video David. I feel kinda dumb since twice I met you and both time it didn’t click that you were the Academy Studio One guy. Have you seen the automation capabilities of FL Studio? All automation becomes reusable and reassignable clips. Can S1 do this?
Riders On The Storm: So cool to have got to listen to that in Studio 3 and Sunset Sound on Stephanie’s Genelecs.
So, were you able to convert Warren to S1 yet? Haha.
Hi Scott, have me met at the party? Nice! Sorry, I’m terrible with names…
I don’t know much about FL Studio, but one friend of mine uses it, I might ask him about it’s automation capabilities.
Yeah, Riders On The Storm is one of my favourite songs by The Doors.
Well, you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks…haha 🙂
Yes, at Hybrid and Sunset. I’m Loren.
I wasn’t at Hybrid, just at Sunset, so maybe you are still thinking of somebody else… haha.
No no. I remember you well enough just thought it was at Hybrid too. The Sunset party was fun. Did you meet Aspen?
Ah, I see. Do you have a pic so I can identifiy you? haha
I have seen him, but haven’t talked to him.
Uh well, no. No pic yet or even any social media but that is coming soon. Probably within the month I’ll be giving the world my big ha’cha’cha. If I had had my head together I’d have introduced you. Sorry.
Brilliant video David. Great sounding mix as well. Thank you.
Thanks a lot, Spyderman!
I LOVE DAVID MOOD!! Man the guy is really skilled. Being a novice learning Studio One, these tutorial videos are indispensable. Thank you so much also for explaining how to use VCA. Didn’t have a clue till now and boy will I make use of it.
I like using the onboard effects and plugins of Studio One. Can David direct me to a tutorial on how to set up reverse reverb? using the stock plugins?
Thanks guys…great video and knowledge.
Marty Weeks
Reversed reverbs are possible if the plugin can do the reverse itself . If not , maybe record/render out a verb and reverse the sample . That gives more control on where you place the verb , or maybe even chop it up .
Try dblue’s Glitch1 plugin , it’s free , and has a reverse option ( in sync)
http://illformed.com/glitch/
Thanks for chiming in, Roar!
Wow, thanks a lot for the kind words, Marty! So happy to hear that my videos prove to be helpful also for novices.
Reverse reverb, that would be be a nice idea for an own video. Many thanks, David
You’re welcome David and THANK YOU. I’m really getting to like Studio One and you “Pointers” on specific processes really help speed up the work flow.
Have you checked out Johnny Geib’s videos on the “Fader Port 8” yet? If not by all means do so. He’s also very thorough like you, and Fader Port 8 is perfect for doing exactly what you are describing in your video for auto mating everything. His website is called home studio trainer or just HST. His name is Johnny Geib. It’s a 10 or 11 part series, but short videos and to the point.
Also for those on a tight budget, Sweetwater offers a 36 month payments ($15.00 p/no for it. Perfect for a home studio with limited space to work in.
Check him out.
Ride those faders 😀
Instead of compression I like to automate EQ of instruments against (meaning EQ down on the attacks) , let’s say a drum-beat , to get a ‘sidechain’ effect …
Nice idea! Many thanks, David
Great video! I have to go back and watch it again to take notes – there were so many great ideas in there. I am a Reaper user, but the techniques here are DAW agnostic, and would be very easy to do in Reaper. I could never figure out what the purpose of the VCA was, and seeing how you used it here opened up my eyes to a world of possibilities. That one tip alone was well worth the price of admission. Thanks!
Hi Patrick, thanks ever so much, I appreciate your kind words! Glad to hear that you found the video so helpful. Many thanks, David