In this free video extract from Pro Member Mix Fix: Six Of One - Episode 1: Session Setup & Drums, Fab Dupont covers some core techniques in Pro Tools while also keeping simplicity and economy in mind.
Rather than trying to replace the kick and snare sounds in a loop, he supplements them with additional samples and rather than getting too clever and dissecting the loop or creating a tempo map and using MIDI, he simply drops samples on the timeline and checks their position first by eye and then by ear. He touches on using tab to transients and P and ; to find the next bar and paste in a sample on the track below but falls back on to dragging samples in slip.
One thing to watch out for is his use of unlink timeline and edit selection. Most of the time you want these linked but this is one of those cases where unlinking is preferable. If you don’t know what linking timeline and edit selections are all about then read this explainer. It’s fundamental and unique to Pro Tools. You’ve got to know this!
PureMix asked their Pro Members to send sessions recorded in home studios with common problems that we all deal with. Distorted tracks, tracks with excessive bleed, you name it, they wanted it.
When they heard Adrian Szendel's submission of "Some Summer Day" by his band "Six Of One," they called him right away. Without hesitation, Adrian packed up his car and drove from Cleveland, Ohio, to New York overnight and arrived at Flux Studios the next day to be a part of the shoot!
The track has some new challenges. It was built from a song idea from Adrian's writing partner, Tim DeHuff. That song idea that sparked "Some Summer Day" happens to be one mono track, containing drums, tabla, bass guitar, and electric guitar!
In this episode, watch as Fab and Adrian discuss the song's background and create a plan of attack to bring "Some Summer Day" to life.
See how Fab Dupont:
Dissects the session when he receives it to figure out what the session contains
Sets up the session with his personal taste and feng shui, setting himself up for an efficient and productive session
Discusses the mix with Adrian, who is attending the mixing session
Uses DECIBEL to set his loudness early in the session
Finds the tempo of the session
Places the audio on the grid to help with marker placement and drum replacement
Inserts samples from his personal sample library to sweeten the Kick and Snare
Sets up a parallel drum crush bus
How Do I Watch Pro Member Mix Fix: Six Of One - Episode 1: Session Setup & Drums?
This video tutorial is available to Pro PureMix members and can be accessed by signing up to a PureMix subscription for as little as $25 a month.
Sign up to get advanced audio tutorials where Grammy-winning engineers teach you mixing concepts by showing you their techniques and tricks while mixing song by Pharrell, Imagine Dragons, Ziggy Marley and more.
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To find out more about Fab’s methods go to the Puremix Blog and read about it or better still watch the full video series.