Andrew Scheps on Mixing 100% in the Box
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- Find why producer/engineer Andrew Scheps (Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hozier) went from mixing with hardware to mixing 100% in the box, and discover which plugins he prefers for compression, EQ and effects.
I love the way he puts things. "The two ends of the chain are really, really important, and then you just work you way to the middle." And I like that he doesn't try to deny the obvious: that in the box is ok. It might be different from out of the box, but if in the box had come first, people would be crying that out of the box is inferior. It's not better, it's not worse, it's just different. ☺️
It's so comforting when guys like him talk about how you can work in the box and achieve great results! Thanks for this video!
yes when a software company pay you tons of money you can say everything
@@vinsm1172 Or maybe they approached him becasue they found out that he worked in the box anyway. Don't be so negative.
@@vinsm1172 Or if you spent a stupid amount of money on hardware, you can say anything to make yourself feel better.
True, but getting a good sound strictly ITB is way harder than doing it on an average 16ch tape recorder and average console. Trust me I have worked on both for years. ITB still isn't 'there' yet
Its the ear not the gear.
I wish the top Hip-Hop engineers were as transparent and honest as Scheps is with his process in his mixing tutorials.
GoodxJ mixedbyali is pretty good! So is Jaycen Joshua
@@DavidRead91Alex Tumay as well
Fake it till you make it is popular in Hip Hop 😂
Easy for him to say acoustic treatment is not that important when his head is nestled inside an acoustic sweet spot (hair and beard)
Well he mixes in headphones so he wouldn't think its important. I think knowing what ur room and speakers sound like is far more important then any treatment or high end monitor
I can can work at slow volumes ... so the room dont resonate
@@Byronic19134 Nope. It's all beard 😁
This. This comment is gold 🤣
Vincent Salamatino he also mixes on tannoys
" I don't really like Fairchild compressors anyway..." hahahahahaah what a badass.
I completely agree with Andrew Scheps here. As a guy who learned, came up and worked for years in the age of consoles and tape, I can say with full confidence that I would NEVER want to go back to the old analog desk mixing workflow.For those of us who did work in this "old school" way, I think that often the nostalgia for those days, and remembering the sight of the big, "sexy' LF console in the control room, has at times clouded our memories as to what it was REALLY like. Certainly, utilizing great gear to TRACK with is vitally important, and if you want to use a console for that, then you should, if it's giving you the sound that you like...but there are LOTS of external preamp options available these days to get that "classic" sound of iconic analog desks without having to have the actual desk. Neve, SSL, API, Harrison and Trident preamps, compressors and EQ's are all available now in rack or 500 Series form, not to mention the other great sounding newer gear that's out there, too... Focusrite, Millennia, Grace, Great River, Apogee, RME... a long list of very nice ( and very affordable ) front-end analog gear.
There are ALL kinds of great sounding external preamps, ( XFO, Tube, as well as tube-less and transformer-less models), compressors, limiters, EQ's, etc.,available now, that allow you to get the best quality you can going IN ... but once you do get the sound you like, and "print" it into your DAW, there's just no point in mixing OTB anymore, gang. Things ( and not small thing, either), like instant recall of mixes, the fact that the projects will play back sounding the exact same way every time, not having to tie-up a console on just one song/mix for a whole day ( or sometimes even days), the ability to quickly move between projects, loading them at any time (and in just minutes) without having to reset/null the entire console, re-patch all the OB gear, etc., (along with avoiding the inevitable maintenance/repair that consoles and cabling require ) are all absolutely crucial when you are working with multiple clients, or multiple songs. Track through the best gear you can, and then once ITB, stay there. Choose your plugs.. whatever you like the best, or feel gives you the sound and character you are looking for - it doesn't natter if it's Waves, Slate, UAD, Acoustica, Steinberg,etc., they all make great-sounding plugs for further sculpting of the sound. If it's the "tactile" feel for mixing that you desire, and you dislike working with a mouse or trackball, and you'd like to use actual faders and pots, then there are all kinds of DAW midi-control surface options available to provide that "feel". There's even touch screen systems out there, if that's something you desire. There's just no reason to look backwards anymore - to an antiquated workflow that's now out-dated and limiting in so many ways. IMHO, of course. ;)
100000 Thumbs up on this.
100% true. But this assumes that you recorded everything yourself. What if you are sent something that wasn't recorded with any of those external pieces that you mentioned? Honestly, you have to A/B it to tell, and listeners obviously wont, but even if you track with good gear, the final ITB mix will not have the same vibe/emotion/mojo that mixing on a quality desk would. Especially something like an API or Neve.
Well said... and I agree.
If a pro like Andrew says it’s true... then who am I to argue.
But let us all not forget what these digital plug ins are modeled after.
Also... let’s not forget we can’t afford them anyway... lol.
Best wishes.😊👍
Well, working only with plugins is much easier, much cheaper and faster, but you don't really need any knowledge for it. You've got 40 raw tracks in the end, just experiment with some plugins over and that's it, no boundaries, no limitations, no randomness, you can always turn back, change anything... The song will probably end up sounding dead, because you have too many options to make and you will do so many things that you didn't even have to do. I'm talking about amateurs, who were never working with analog gear. It's kinda deceiving. From my experience, using analog components as much as you can and then finish with details in DAW works the best.
The thing that is lost to me is the ability to touch everything extremely quickly and manipulating at least two knobs/parmaters at the same time, against each other.
While the old school analog system has the obvious drawbacks of maintenance, routing, undo, etc... Once much of that is managed (at high cost, and except undo), control is much faster and easier.
I'm not quite sure any controller has really been able to equal hardware control just yet.
Also, the chaos of analog distortion etc makes thing just blend much more easily and quicker. Sure there are work arounds... But I just remember thing in analog being quite instant.
Slate has the raven, which seems really cool, but it's not the same as knobs... I haven't used it yet, but I would think it requires more of looking at a screen rather than working by ear. With knobs, you can more easily do it by feel, almost with you eye closed.
Softube has its own controller, but it only focuses on one virtual device at a time, and switching between virtual devices takes some getting used to. Plus, it only works with their own plug-ins and UAD stuff... And on the UAD stuff, the know s don't match the gear /pugin screen/graphics, so that part of the personality is gone.
Balancing between the EQ on a snare VS guitar or whatever at the same time and going between elements quickly is tricky.
It seems to be more of a technical exercise than using a board as an instrument.
On other controllers you can program knobs and stuff to do what you want them to control, but that's also its can of worms.
While I still wouldn't trade it to go back, especially because of the cost, instant recall, etc., I wish this was improved.
Sometimes speed of working with balance vs EQ vs compression etc is very desirable, also when you are trying to combat hearing fatigue which happens over time.
Sure, with instant recall you can have half the battle done with your setup, but at the same time, it kind of becomes a bit of a crutch for people to work in a bit of a cookie cutter fashion, especially if the same engineer is doing the tracking and the mixing. Plusses and minuses to this.
Anyway, if anyone would like to share their methods of more "physical" control, let me know!
I think people miss the point when they suggest he was 'paid' by Waves etc etc. Scheps can use ANY gear he likes and by the looks of it he uses Waves. He strikes me as a guy that would have nothing to do with the company - regardless of fee - if he didn't like the product. He actually says at one point that he DOESN'T like the sound of the plug's effect but likes running things through it flat. That's hardly a singing endorsement for Waves. Another thing that makes me giggle are the people condemning the Q10 (I've got one, use it all the time). The way I see it, Scheps must know what he's doing in the studio: if a Q10 is good enough for him, it's probably way too good for most of us leaving comments under the vid LOL
Respect to Mr Scheps! Legendary.
Coolest mixing engineer around!
He at one point said it's pretty I/O pening.
Nerdiest jokes are the best.
oohh I see what you did there, nice one
DEAD
*I/O panning
Groan. 😏
Reminds me of what a producer at a commercial studio in Chicago once told me: “transducers in, transducers out-that’s the only gear that really matters anymore.” Mics, preamps, and monitors.
thanks from cuba ..Andrew.
I know why he mixes in the box now because Sausage Fattener is a plugin and not hardware.
+MyGameplaying Lol No its about conversion. That is the reason why he is 100% in the box.
+Jacob N. Bro, he was joking.
Please explain what you mean by that.
MyGameplaying ha nice.
MORE SAUSAGE FATTENER
I tend to avoid mixing in a box, the acoustics are terrible.
Yet, you're not a Grammy Award-winning mix engineer with decades of billboard hits under your belt.
hahahahahah
@@experiment0003 he means "in a box".. it's a joke
@@rameron9 Thank you Mudra. Face palm 😂😂
@@rameron9 Now I feel slow.
Just been watching a bunch of videos on OTB analogue summing and how it can really add depth, width, warmth to your mix... and now this...just goes to show!
It is really fantastic to listen this awesome engineer. Waves, thanks to let us to receive this knowledge thought Andrew.
Number one thing. Know your room and know your speakers.
Thanks for your old school wisdom!!!
love your brain Andrew They should make a plugin of you so we can think just like you .
I'm sure he mixes ITB but he probably uses some of the best hardware when he is tracking. And that can be a night and day difference in your mixes
He's mainly mixer and he also travel a lot(I guess as stage sound guy)
reydav77 Thats the way to go!!!! Track through a great mic preamp running through a killer compressor, then do everything else on the box!!!
But the analog equipment doesn't record by itself ...which means is the brain behind it.
But all you really need is a few good preamps. Good ones start at about a thousand dollars a channel. That's within reach for most people. It's just that and good converters, which are also within reach. I have a Great River 2NV and an RME converter. In total, this probably cost me 3k. A small collection of microphones isn't hard to put together, since there are great mics in the 300 to 1000 dollar range. I guess if you were recording a band in a room and micing a drum kit, you'd need a lot more, but if you're just doing hip hop or whatever, that's all that's needed.
@@aarona.dubzperson8245 whats the best compressor for tracking?
Could listen to him for hours! Great video!
I enjoy Mr. Scheps. Great talks.
Preach it. I love how he's just cutting through all the BS
Always down with some meta flangers!!! Scheps is the mixing wizard. Thanks for sharing the knowledge. =)
This dude is great!!! Love that desk and his setup. Studio Porn!!!!
Cool video. I'd like to see more with Andrew.
I particularly like that room. It gives me the idea to treat a room simply by installing curtain rods and hanging blackout curtains like that.
I installed a curtain and it changed everything. it's a great idea
+Sky Makai Music You should look up Andrews Deconstructing Mix Series.
The Waves 560 EQ, API 2500 the CLA Compressors , SSL E Strip and G Comp for drums and baselines hands down is their Best Plugin.....along with RVox...., Base Rider, and Vocal Rider..........these 10 plugins.....are really what Waves should be soley focused on improving, they would sale more of those as a $200 Package....but...they have to improve the Sonic Quality of all 10 of them
in my opinion...that would catch waves up with
Acustica Audio
UAD and Plugin Alliance
I always said, Fairchild does nice things to the harmonics, but I could never find a use for the actual compression...funny he agrees.
I love the virtual Fairchild, but I usually stick in on down later in my vocal chain, it wouldn't be my go to as the main compressor. I used it to just smooth out the chain at the end once in awhile.
Epic flanger technique. only such a superb creator of space and time can envision this.
Superb techniques of the past are able to live in todays digital world.
I'm an "in the box" guy too. I get that some people love old desks and R2R tape machines, and that's fine, but the snide elitism that comes from some sections of the audio world that say it should be the ONLY way to record can get to fuck. If it sounds good and people are listening to the music then that's all that matters.
From 5:00 on he said the biggest truth on ITB mixing.
That's what is all about!
this man is audio engineers tressure! protect him at all costs!
words of wisdom
Thanks Mr Scheps!
Так точно !!
Woah, great video mate!
Cool to hear his tips! I'm going to try the q10
Love this guy ! lots of common sense and great work flow
I love how he's rocking that classic Microsoft mouse. Used one for years, man I gotta find another.
These guys can use plugins to mix ITB because the bands that send material to them usually record using high quality analog preamps, compressores, EQs, converters with good microphone/reamp technique. Then they mix the material with depth and warmth naturally, using plugins, and send to a Sterling Sound level studio with state of the art analog gear and knowledge to do the mastering of the mix track. In the other side we get an amazing CD with competitive quality in the industry. Otherwise if the tracking is low quality itb and the mastering is all itb as well the result is just not possible to be on the level of the big boys in the industry and the CD will sound too digital, fake and weak. No mixing technique can fix that.
@Pardus777 I should have used the word "album" instead, but some bands that I know still print CDs and Vinyls, there is still a small market of people that collect those, they sound with a higher quality than listening through spotify.
In the box or out, do what you do, mix.
Awesome, thanks Andrew!!!
Outboard-Gear is so goooood!
Just use references and play your stuff in different environments on different playback systems
"When you have a beard and hair-do like this, getting ready in the morning is a PROCESS. Something had to give.
Now I mix solely in the box."
- Andrew Scheps
Really nice and helpful... Thanks!
fantastic!
this is good content here!
Its going to end up digital at the end anyway.
Lol, true. And hardware isn't anything except software in a metal box.
id pay money to see what his chin looks like.
😂😂
or chain?
Go figure his sidechin
😆
I got five on it
I only use some analogue gear for the recording process, for mixing, it's only in the box for me
I love these videos
He's using WMO, what a champ! o/
Till waves, does some minor over sampling, and at least 4 core, analog sampling, they will always sound cheaper than AA, UAD or PA, but the API Bundle is s Gem..........
Holy sheet his voice is deep, heard him before but never realized it like here
Hey Andrew I just want to say that you're great at explaining things and thank you you have helped me out so much and I've been following you for a while I just have a quick question what is the size of the monitor that is in the background Genelec? The bigger one
Incredible guy.
thank you bro thank you
No control room will ever be 100% acoustically transparent, and you can certainly deaden it too much with excessive absorption, but finding a good balance is extremely important.
great info thank u
So, mixing in the box means strictly: mixing in your computer? or using only your computer? as opposed to a console?
Hope I'm getting this right.
Yes. ;)
Yes. And also using plugins instead of outboard gear.
I'm mixing in the box and using only headphones.
Yeah, basically you don't need the 30 foot trillion dollar console anymore... The game has officially changed!!!! He's probably got a couple of hardware mic preamps and maby a few compressors that are hardware, but that's what I would imagine he would need for the recording stuff. I'm aiming for my desk to look like his... Somewhat...
he still use the neve 80 series to track ...but mix in the Box
Would you so kind to educate a newbie as to what are your main plugins out of the box....name and manufacturers...........am a disabled vet on a fixed so would prefer not to play the trial and error game as many professionals want you to pay as they did.Pleasethanks, Ron
this audio is slightly overmodulated. The engineer is supurb.
It's the lovechild of Rick Rubin and Kirk Hammett!
yes it is possible when you have 20k dollars or more, between analog summing and good convertitor...then the rack stuff on the desk is just for adornment
he doesn't use summing . He stated it before in other interviews . He doesn't want to go out of the digital domain until the very ensd . That's why he doesn't use analog inserts either
GOD!!!My broo
Did you put some dist on his voice? haha he sounds kinda mixed
Подойдет ли этот плагин для обработки песни Ядрена вошь ?
The Master.
I like that haircut!
+MC Loink So THATS how he gets his EQs so smooth
merci beaucoup a toi :))
How about analog summing?? Or do it all ITB???
Very Great
what monitors are those
PLEASE HAVE THEM SHOW DEMONSTRATIONS SO IT ISNT LIKE A PAID COMMERCIAL, HEARING HIM TALK ABOUT WHAT HE DOES WITH THEM IS GREAT BUT HAVING THE EXAMPLES THERE FOR VISUALS AND FOR HEARING TESTS ARE WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN JUST SPEAKING HIGHLY OF A PRODUCT. SMART MARKETING THOUGH BECAUSE DOING IT THIS WAY LEAVES PEOPLE CURIOUS TO DO THAT THEMSELVES , POSSIBLY MAKING IT MORE LIKELY TO FOR THEM PURCHASE LOL
www.puremix.net/video/andrew-scheps-mixing-ziggy-marley-in-the-box.html
That's a decent video of him doing a wakthrough from start to finish on a song which shows a variety of plugins and why he's using them. He also has the exact same song done all analogue, as well as walkthroughs on other songs. There are lots of demonstrations like that around. If you want demos of stuff don't go to a video of him talking about a topic, go to a demo video.
isn't the sound of this video saturated?
What desk is that?
Great
ya'll compressed the crap out of his lav mic and didn't de-ess, for shame!
does he make lemonade?
The Master
An advertising clip!
What's the q2410 plugin? A filter plugin?
+Dave Wilkinson He talks about the Waves EQ Plug Ins Q2 to Q10. The number stands for the eq bands available. 0:18
Great guy, but at the end nothing more than an advertising clip for Waves.
Would love to see more independent videos with Andrew, not sponsored by Waves...
+SoulGuitar Should watch the interview with him and Dave Pensado. The real reason he is 100% in the box is because of conversion.
+Jacob N. Thank you !
+TheChosenOne Glad you found it. He also has a really good video called deconstruction of mixes I think it's his best work on UA-cam.
+SoulGuitar You welcome were all in this together.
I think you watched too little. The overall attraction of ITB, now that the differences for mixing are negligible since just a few years, is the ability to instant recall. Andrew has commented on that aspect multiple times.
So true!
❤
One can get good results using a DAW and stock plugins. It's not so much about what you use as to your skills to begin with. Everything else is just tools - salt, pepper and spices. If you are new or somewhat new to mixing, don't spend a bunch of money on plugins and gear. Spend time and some $$ on learning the craft. Focus on getting the best takes of the tracks first. Better takes = less mixing and processing. Then focus on EQ and compression. It's been said EQ and compression are 75% of the mix.
Waves Ad
Waves plugins are great. If they asked me to feature in an Ad for them, I would be down since i believe in the product.
Finally, use your ears and creativity, end.
I had to know how my monitors translate... Very important
works gj
I usually just slap an ott and a sausage fattner on the master mix and call it a day.
my God that beard tho 😂😂😂😂
He looks sneaky.
He reminded me that smart looking bald dude from an iphone commercial :)
p.s. i like waves plugins but these talking videos are %100 commercials.
A factor that I never hear brought up during the hardware v software debate is environmental impact.
I'd imagine that creating a plugin causes a way smaller carbon footprint than the piece of gear it tries to emulate? And then the plugin can be distributed and duplicated XXXX times.
Perhaps the answer is not so obvious though. Maybe a developer or even Waves themselves could speak about this?
It's sad. All this technology, knowledge information's and still music in last 15 years on main stream, or POP music, artists etc. sucks like never before in human history. It is truly fascinating that you have to go "underground" to hear some nice music, quality mix, emotions, soul. One song with 200 trucks,27 lines of vocals,46 overdubs...Well ....that's not it. Great song is great if played only on acoustic guitar. U can sum all 200 trucks plus all the plug ins of this world and Fairchild's ,if the song is not great song on just acoustic guitar with emotional "story teller"...your song still sucks like thousands of this mass production POP songs last decade. Give me Robert Plant and 2 violins and on old 4 channel recorder I am going to make you ROCK record that's going to leave you speechless. I'll take Adele and piano and make billions as well. Get the idea?..:
What? Adele is amazing and supremely talented. What are you talking about?
@@spht9ng BLA BLA BLA BLA
@@LobstersLobsters it's none of your business ... By the way talent has nothing to do with money
irony digital gear starts with analog and ends with analog .....and is most critical!!!
His full name is Andrewestonington Schwarzkopf.
Wow
Take the hardware compressed and saturated tracks from the studio and says to the people ''this is in the box mixing.you see the results are perfect. Dont believe everything on the internet.