Mix Prep - Step by Step

In general, this work requires a high level of musicianship, a good ear, and fluent command of Pro Tools and keyboard shortcuts. This work also requires a lot of TIME to learn how to do correctly.

Organize Initial Assets

1. Organize Source Audio Files
   • Keep these in a safe place
     • So we always have breadcrumbs to go back to
2. Find the
   • Name of Artist or Band
   • Name of Song or Composition
3. Try to get a Mastered lossless file of the final mix
   • If you can't find, we will help
   • Create a 320 kbt/s MP3 of the Mastered Mix
4. Naming Convention
   • Artist Name - Song Name
   • Example: Stevie Wonder - Too High
   • All subfiles will inherit this naming convention
5. Create a Plain Text File
   • Artist Name - Song Name - Notes.txt
   • Put as much info as possible in this file!

Configure Pro Tools Preferences

Configure your Pro Tools Preferences.

Processing

1. Import
   1. Automatically Copy Files on Import
   2. Convert Copied Files to Session Format
   3. Drag and Drop Conforms to Session Tempo
      • Select "No Files"
2. Commit
3. Rendered File Bit Depth
   • Follow Session Settings
4. Elastic Audio
   • Make sure Enable Elastic Audio on New Files is NOT CHECKED"

Display

1. Default Track Color Coding
   • Select Track Type
2. Default Clip Color Coding
   • Select Track Color

Configure Apple Mac Finder Preferences

So that you can navigate and inspect files in the Apple Mac Operating System (The "Finder")

1. View
   1. Show Path Bar
   2. Show Status Bar
2. Be able to quickly switch between
   1. View as Columns
   2. View as List

Create New Pro Tools Session

1. Name the Session
   • Artist Name - Song Name
2. Local Storage
3. BWF (WAV)
4. 24bit, 48k,
5. Interleaved
6. Prompt for Location
7. Stereo I/O setup (not "Last Used")

Import Files

1. Use the Mac Finder
2. Drag Files from Finder in Pro Tools Tack List
3. Reveal Files in Pro Tools Audio Files Folder

Confirm 100% that ALL Files have Imported

This is super important to get perfect, because if we miss some files, the entire project is ruined!

1. Reveal Pro Tools Audio Files Folder in Finder
   • Right Click on the Edit Window Title
2. Open Folder of Source Audio Files in a Separate Window
3. Confirm Number of Items with Status Bas display view
   • Both Folders should have the exact same number of files!
4. Close the Session
   • Do not Quit Pro Tools
5. Rename the .ptx Session file
   • Append Session File name with " - 00 Source
   • Example Stevie Wonder - Too High - 00 Source.ptx
6. In the Finder
   • Duplicate the Session File
7. Rename the duplicated Session File with your initials and custom text
   • The "custom text" is added after the version number, so we know what it is
   • Example: Stevie Wonder - Too High - 01 - BT Edit.ptx

Basic Pro Tools Settings

1. For this work, Pro Tools should be in Slip Mode
   • Not Grid or Shuffle Mode
2. Main Counter should be Min:Sec (not Bars:Beats)
3. Hide All extra Columns and Views in Edit Widow
   1. Inserts
   2. Sends
   3. I/O
   4. Etc.
4. Hide all unneeded Ruler Views
   • All you need is "Minutes:Seconds"
   • Keep Marker Ruler only if their are Markers
5. "Tempo" Ruler only if their are Tempo Changes
6. "Bars-Beats" only if their is a functional Grid
7. "Meter" Ruler only if their are Time Signature Changes
8. Best NOT to use the "Smart Tool"
   • Because we will be editing with Track Heights in Mini and Micro Heights
   • Best to learn keyboard shortcuts to quickly Switch between the "Selector Tool" and "Grabber Tool"

Organize the Tracks

Drums at the top. Then bass, keys, horns, strings, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals.

1. Drums
   1. Kicks
   2. Snares
   3. Toms
   4. HH
   5. Cymbals
   6. OH (Overheads)
   7. Room
2. Percussion
3. Bass
4. Guitars
5. Keyboards
6. Horns
7. Strings
8. Other instruments and FX
9. LV
10. BV
11. Ref Mix

Name the Tracks

1. Try to keep Track Names 6 characters of less
   • So that the names are not truncated on control surfaces or in Micro Track Height
2. Avoid white space
   • Use CamelCase or Hyphens
3. First letter Capitalized
4. Use sequential numbers for multiple Tracks of same instrument
   • Gtr1
   • Gtr2
   • Gtr3
   • Gtr4
   • Strings1
   • Strings1
   • Strings1
   • BV1A
   • BV1B
   • BV1C
   • BV1D
   • BV2A
   • BV2B
   • BV2C
   • BV2D

Track Name Abbreviations

Track Name	Abbreviation
Kick	Kick
Snare	Sn
Hi-Hats	HH
Tom	Tom
Overhead	OH
Room	Room
Tamborine	Tamb
Bass	Bass
Acoustic Guitar	AcGtr
Guitar Rhythm	Gtr
Guitar Solo	GtrSolo
Piano	Piano
B3 Organ	Organ
Synth Strings	String
Lead Vocals	LV
Background Vocals	BV
Mix track	SongTitle-XX

Determine if Tracks are Mono or Stereo

This is another super important, mission critical step that has to be done perfectly. If you are not 100% sure how to inspect and identify mono vs. stereo (in all it's possible implications and permutations) ask and we will teach you.

If the Track is Dual Mono

• Keep 1 Track and DELETE the second track

If the Track is True Stereo

• Keep the Track as is

If Same Part is Doubled

1. Name Tracks the same
   • But append each version with letters
2. Example:
   • Gtr1A
   • Gtr1B
   • BV1A
   • BV1B
   • BV1C
   • BV1D

If Two Mono Audio Tracks are True Stereo

Merge the 2 Mono Audio Tracks into a Single Stereo Audio Track.

1. Create a Stereo Audio Track
2. Hold down "Control" (to force the Clips to stay perfectly in sync and not MOVE in the timeline
3. Drag the 2 Mono Audio Clips into the Stereo Audio Track
4. Then DELETE the 2 original Mono Audio Tracks

Color Code the Tracks and Clips

Make sure Preferences is set for Clip Colors to Follow Track Colors. Darker shades chosen as default start.

1. Drums - Dark Brown
   • Because drums are made of wood and are grounded into the dirt of the earth
   • Percussion - Light Brown
2. Bass - Blue
   • "B" is for Blue
3. Guitars - Green
   • "G" is for Green
   • Lead Guitar = Light Green
   • Acoustic Guitar - Lighter Green
4. Keyboards - Purple
   • Complex vibrational frequencies. Indigo Star Children
5. Lead Vocals - Dark Red
   • BV - Pink
6. Horns - Yellow
   • Brass instruments are made with Yellow metal
7. FX - Something that jumps out
8. Master Fader, Aux Tracks, VCAs - No color

Session Folder Management

1. Create a subfolder called Mixes
   • Put the Mastered Mixes and Reference Mixes in this Mixes folder
   • If there are mixes currently inside the "Bounced Files" folder move them into the Mixes folder
2. If you don't have a "Mastered" mix, reach out to our team to find one
3. Update the XXX - XXX - Notes.txt file with as much info as possible
   1. Do some research
   2. Find the Credits
   3. Find links to Streaming Services
   4. Find Blog Articled and YourTube videos etc.
   5. The more info the better!

Audio File Clean Up

1. Do a "Save As"
   • Append with new Version Number with Consolidate as custom text
   • Example Stevie Wonder - To High 07 Consolidate
2. Confirm all Tracks are Named properly
3. Select ALL the Clips in ALL the Tracks
   1. Make sure you select all the way to the Absolute Beginning if the Time Line.
      • The Main Counter should be in Min:Sec
4. Make sure your selection includes to End of the Last Clip
5. Consolidate Selection
   • New Clip Names will be inherited from new Track Names
6. In Clip List
   1. Select Unused Clips
7. Remove Unused Clips

Save Copy In

1. Include Audio Files
2. 24bit, 48k
3. Close current session
   • Don't Quit Pro Tools
4. Manually move these items from Edit Session into the New Session:
   1. The Mixes Folder
   2. The Notes.txt file
5. Open New Session and Check it
   • Reveal Audio Files Folder in New Session
   • Confirm File Names are looking good
6. Rename Clips in Edit Window
   • Remove the numbers appending the File and Clip names

Do a Rough Mix

1. Create a Stereo Master Fader
   • Keep this Fader at "0" (Unity Gain)
2. Do a quick mix of the tracks
   • No plugins
   • Balance the levels
   • Pan to taste
   • Maintain conservative gain staging on Master Buss
   • Leave plenty of Headroom with signal hitting the Master Fader