Hooray for Multi Mixes!

[Prime Mover]

I've never really had an opportunity or reason to play with the multiple mix function. If ever before I wanted to make a big change I usually made a duplicate chunk. But today I had a sound design project where the client wanted a bunch of different Rainstorm sounds (inside, outside, on porch, in a car, with and without thunder), and even though they all used some of the same rain audio tracks, there was a lot of different EQing. At first I was beating my head against the wall trying to figure out how to not make this insanely complicated. Then along came multiple mixes to the rescue and saved the day! I just had a different mix for each version, complete with muted tracks and custom EQ... super easy!

I certainly wouldn't be comfortable using it for every project, but for things like this, it's a dream! I do wish it were a little more customizable, with the ability for it to ignore some types of automation, that would make it extremely powerful, but for now it's pretty amazing!

[Phil O]

I will usually work on a "rough" mix before the client comes in for a mixing session. When the client finally does come in I'll duplicate the mix and work on the duplicate. This allows me to compare the changes the client wants to what I have done. More often than not, after much "the guitar needs too come up", "the vocal is too loud", "the bass needs more bottom", etc. I'll go back to my original mix and the client will say, "Yeah, yours is better." - this has saved me a lot of work so many times! Hooray indeed. My advice: always duplicate the mix before making any changes.

Phil

[Shooshie]

I will usually work on a "rough" mix before the client comes in for a mixing session. When the client finally does come in I'll duplicate the mix and work on the duplicate. This allows me to compare the changes the client wants to what I have done. More often than not, after much "the guitar needs too come up", "the vocal is too loud", "the bass needs more bottom", etc. I'll go back to my original mix and the client will say, "Yeah, yours is better." - this has saved me a lot of work so many times! Hooray indeed. My advice: always duplicate the mix before making any changes.

Phil

Oh man. I've done that a thousand times! But I sometimes would let them think that the original mix was the culmination of the changes they had asked for. Then they're more like "See? I told you I was right. NOW it's exactly like I want it!" Of course, I didn't do that if they were making musical sense, but if they were just "hunting and pecking" in hopes of happening upon a better sound, wasting hours of mixing time, then I'd pull out the original mix.

Shoosh

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Oh man. I've done that a thousand times! But I sometimes would let them think that the original mix was the culmination of the changes they had asked for. Then they're more like "See? I told you I was right. NOW it's exactly like I want it!" Of course, I didn't do that if they were making musical sense, but if they were just "hunting and pecking" in hopes of happening upon a better sound, wasting hours of mixing time, then I'd pull out the original mix.

Shoosh

No fair giving away trade secrets! If we were magicians, you'd be a marked man! LOL