3rd/19
Σ28.591
Sep 7th 2015 8:59am 
59852
Some notes on my entry regarding the mixing;
While I used Superior Drummer for drum programming, I used the Made of Metal expansion for EZDrummer 2 as the Superior Drummer software is compatible with EZX and EZX2 kits. I used the X-Drums feature to layer the Avatar kit's NirZ snare in with the Ludwig Black Beauty snare from Made of Metal. In addition to this, I used a Layer in FL Studio to combine Alesis D4 samples (Kick007 and Snare015) and some custom samples with the whole kit.
For guitar tones I mostly used Guitar Rig, but I also used the TSE X50. There are a good few channels going on here:
- Rhythm - based off Colin Richardson's notes for his work with Bullet for my Valentine [TSE X50]
- Harmonised "Leads" (left and right) - same as Rhythm [TSE X50]
- "Fusion Lead", a toned down lead guitar tone [GR5]
- Clean Guitar 1 - more aimed to sound like Dream Theatre [GR5]
- A splitter going to both the Fusion Lead and Clean Guitar 1, you hear this being used more than each channel used in solo
- "Stern Lead 1", literally, the preset in GR5 called Stern Lead 1, used for the calmer atmospheric section [GR5]
- Clean Guitar 2 - sounds more like Periphery in comparison [GR5]
All guitar channels then go to a Guitar buss channel, where they are all EQed together with Colin Richardson's guitar EQ notes (again from his work with Bullet for my Valentine), then they go into a mildly saturated FerrickFDS, where they are EQed again to take the harshness out. This goes to the master and a reverb send with ValhallaRoom on it. It's set up to emulate an isolation room, far away from the sound source. I also flipped the stereo on this channel, to emulate the "Vortex" technique used on Judas Priest's Painkiller album.
General EQ and compression were done with the Fruity Parametric EQ2 and the Waves SSLComp for the mix - there is also the Waves L1 on the master before going into a brickwall limiter. Reverb was used tastefully over the mix, with gated reverb on the snare and toms, as well as a long plate reverb on the snare during the halftime sections.
I think that's everything notable about the mixing process - anything else was simple volume automation and the like.
While I used Superior Drummer for drum programming, I used the Made of Metal expansion for EZDrummer 2 as the Superior Drummer software is compatible with EZX and EZX2 kits. I used the X-Drums feature to layer the Avatar kit's NirZ snare in with the Ludwig Black Beauty snare from Made of Metal. In addition to this, I used a Layer in FL Studio to combine Alesis D4 samples (Kick007 and Snare015) and some custom samples with the whole kit.
For guitar tones I mostly used Guitar Rig, but I also used the TSE X50. There are a good few channels going on here:
- Rhythm - based off Colin Richardson's notes for his work with Bullet for my Valentine [TSE X50]
- Harmonised "Leads" (left and right) - same as Rhythm [TSE X50]
- "Fusion Lead", a toned down lead guitar tone [GR5]
- Clean Guitar 1 - more aimed to sound like Dream Theatre [GR5]
- A splitter going to both the Fusion Lead and Clean Guitar 1, you hear this being used more than each channel used in solo
- "Stern Lead 1", literally, the preset in GR5 called Stern Lead 1, used for the calmer atmospheric section [GR5]
- Clean Guitar 2 - sounds more like Periphery in comparison [GR5]
All guitar channels then go to a Guitar buss channel, where they are all EQed together with Colin Richardson's guitar EQ notes (again from his work with Bullet for my Valentine), then they go into a mildly saturated FerrickFDS, where they are EQed again to take the harshness out. This goes to the master and a reverb send with ValhallaRoom on it. It's set up to emulate an isolation room, far away from the sound source. I also flipped the stereo on this channel, to emulate the "Vortex" technique used on Judas Priest's Painkiller album.
General EQ and compression were done with the Fruity Parametric EQ2 and the Waves SSLComp for the mix - there is also the Waves L1 on the master before going into a brickwall limiter. Reverb was used tastefully over the mix, with gated reverb on the snare and toms, as well as a long plate reverb on the snare during the halftime sections.
I think that's everything notable about the mixing process - anything else was simple volume automation and the like.
