Exporting stems

[comp15]

Hi all,

I've read a lot of posts on this topic. However, I'm still not quite confident of how to proceed. When I'm ready to export stems for mixing (to someone other than me), is the process as simple as this:

1) solo one track at a time
2) select "bounce to disk"
3) identify a target folder and other settings

Then, each stem will be saved in that folder ready to go to the mixer?

[comp15]

Does this method still stand, or is there something better:

1. The export feature for Digital Performer is pretty much the same as Pro Tools.
2. Create as many stereo audio tracks as you need stems, assign each one a different aux bus input. If some of your sessions tracks are in mono be sure to create mono audio tracks for them to create your stems.
3. Send whichever audio/instrument tracks are required for each stem to whichever stem bus using aux sends.
4. Arm all stem tracks and record all the stems in once pass.
5. Select each newly recorded stem track in the arrangement, control click on each file and choose export selected audio file. Be sure to make sure each file is exported at the same sample rate and bit depth.
6. Lastly, create a new folder, label it the name of your project then stems afterwards followed by the bpm of the song. Example ‘project_stems_bpm’. Place all exported files into the folder.

[FMiguelez]

I wouldn't call bouncing "a track at a time" stems.

Stems are normally submixes of tracks that share certain characteristics, i.e., a "strings stem" or the "percussion stem". Or the "low instruments" stem, etc.

Anyway. The way I do it is I print my final mix and all the stems in one pass in real time. Everything's prerouted in my template, so doing this is as simple as unmuting sends and record enabling my stem tracks and pressing 3.

You can also bounce them one at a time, of course, and the result is basically the same.

In your case, since you're using single separate tracks, you could opt to FREEZE all your tracks at the same time (if you're really going to turn in individual tracks for mixing). That's another viable option. Just remember that freezing takes place at the track level, so it won't include send returns or anything after them in the chain (unlike bouncing, which includes everything that reaches whatever your main out is).

[dix]

Since I don't have the resources to devote each stem seperate reverb, delay and other effects I almost always do what you outline in your first post. However, I don't bounce the tracks. I record them one stem at a time back to the sequence - whenever I bounce I feel I need to QC the tracks one at a time to make sure everything printed as expected, so it's not that much more time consuming to do one at a time.

One important thing: as a matter of course you should always A/B the stems with the stereo mix to make sure they are identical. For this you'd need to import the bounces back into a sequence anyway.

Also, I often catch mistakes (that I wouldn't necessarily want the rerecording mixer to hear!) when I listened to the stems isolated. For this reason I create the stems first and then run the final mix after.

[comp15]

A couple questions:

What is the shortcut command for record enabling multiple tracks? Also, the bundles menu appears to allow me to create only 64 new bus channels. How do I create more, as I have 90+ separate tracks to record.

[dix]

Does that mean 90+ stems? I've never heard of anyone doing that many! - sort of defeats the purpose of delivering stems, but would offer a lot of flexibility. With that in mind I'd say FM's suggestion to Freeze the tracks is your best bet.

...Multi Record is in the Studio Menu. Add more busses: Page 24 of the Getting Started Guide

[FMiguelez]

I expanded my buses to 100 stereo paris, DP's maximum allowed.

IIRC, that setting is somewhere in a Studio settings box in one of DP's rightmost menus (Studio?).

I think the OP really means he needs to export all his tracks individually, so someone else can mix them. A file consisting of a single instrument is not really a stem (unless it's something like a "Bass Stem", which includes its FX returns and other bass sounds).

[FMiguelez]

OP, BTW, to record-enable multiple contiguous audio tracks, simply click on the first record icon and drag down the list. Bam!

This works in any window, including the mixer.

[comp15]

I wouldn't call bouncing "a track at a time" stems.

Stems are normally submixes of tracks that share certain characteristics, i.e., a "strings stem" or the "percussion stem". Or the "low instruments" stem, etc.

Anyway. The way I do it is I print my final mix and all the stems in one pass in real time. Everything's prerouted in my template, so doing this is as simple as unmuting sends and record enabling my stem tracks and pressing 3.

You can also bounce them one at a time, of course, and the result is basically the same.

In your case, since you're using single separate tracks, you could opt to FREEZE all your tracks at the same time (if you're really going to turn in individual tracks for mixing). That's another viable option. Just remember that freezing takes place at the track level, so it won't include send returns or anything after them in the chain (unlike bouncing, which includes everything that reaches whatever your main out is).

I have several full orchestral pieces to export. There are 87 different instruments. I'm still confused on why I wouldn't export 87 stems. For example, if I group the all strings into one stem while the each string volume needs to be adjusted by the mixer, how will he be able to adjust individual string parts after they have been exported with the other string parts? My volumes are all over the place. Is it not better to allow the mixer the freedom to manipulate each of the 87 MIDI tracks individually?

[dix]

Yes. Separating the musical parts is what you want, but that seems like an excessive amount. In most MIDI mockups each musical part is created with just one MIDI instrument. Violin section patches contain multiple instruments (the entire section) playing in unison. Are you saying you've programmed every violin in the sections individually? Either way. I'd say any instruments playing in unison you should mix to a stem and let the mixer balance the stems.

[Rick Cornish]

There's a confusion of terminology here:

A track is not a stem.

A stem is a group of tracks that serves a common purpose in the piece. In film music, stems are sent to the master mix to be combined with dialog, foley and sound effects; which gives the soundtrack mixer flexibility in balancing the overall stage without being burdened with a lot of musical minutiae which should have been decided upon in scoring.

In pop, rock and R&B stems would commonly be Vocals, Keys, Basses, Leads, Drums, and FX with a possible split of BG vocals, if needed. In the case of orchestral music, it might be (1) Violins 1&2, (2) Violas & Cellos, (3) Basses, (4) Woodwinds, (5) Brass and (6) percussion with another stem for harp and keyboards, if they're used. Never send a mixer more than 8 stems. Otherwise, you might as well just send him your entire project.

Just my 2¢.

[dix]

To be clear, you are referring to the rerecording mixer (the film mixer), comp15, not a music mixer, yes? It's generally not the film mixer's job to mix the score.

Never send a mixer more than 8 stems. Otherwise, you might as well just send him your entire project.

It's been a while since I sent just eight stems and larger films typically have a lot more than that, but generally yes, the less the better. The stem config Rick suggests is what I would do with exception of separating the violin parts, the viola and cellos etc (again any section playing in unison).

[Rick Cornish]

To be clear, you are referring to the rerecording mixer (the film mixer), comp15, not a music mixer, yes?

Exactly.

Depending on the nature of the score, there could be more or fewer stems, but—for video/film—8 is a general rule of thumb in my experience. Certainly, a pop/rock/R&B mix engineer will want everything (the entire project—not stems). In pop music, there isn't the same precedent for breaking out stems that there is for film. If you check out the remix contests on Beatport, most offer 6-8 stems.

BTW: I send out stems "at level" and not 0dBm.

[doodles]

In film soundtrack land:

If sending STEMS of my music to soundstage for the Final dub, I normally send 8 or 9 plus a full stereo mix.

If I'm sending TRACKS of my music mixer at Air or wherever, to final mix my score to then be sent onto dub, then I typically freeze every part to give as much flexibility as possible in the music mix. Sometimes that means 15 tracks or so, sometimes it means 150 (depending on how much orchestral parts there are. Various Articulations, etc, all on individual parts).

Of course, most decent composers can make it sound good with fewer tracks. It just takes a lot to make me sound vaguely alright

[comp15]

Does this method still stand, or is there something better:

1. The export feature for Digital Performer is pretty much the same as Pro Tools.
2. Create as many stereo audio tracks as you need stems, assign each one a different aux bus input. If some of your sessions tracks are in mono be sure to create mono audio tracks for them to create your stems.
3. Send whichever audio/instrument tracks are required for each stem to whichever stem bus using aux sends.
4. Arm all stem tracks and record all the stems in once pass.
5. Select each newly recorded stem track in the arrangement, control click on each file and choose export selected audio file. Be sure to make sure each file is exported at the same sample rate and bit depth.
6. Lastly, create a new folder, label it the name of your project then stems afterwards followed by the bpm of the song. Example ‘project_stems_bpm’. Place all exported files into the folder.

I'm stuck on #3. How do I go about creating an Aux send? I created 11 stereo audio tracks (in order to record 11 stems). Do I create an aux send for as many stereo audio tracks as I have? Then assign the output of each MIDI track to the appropriate bus?

The main thing I'm trying to do is send each MIDI track to an Stereo Audio track. How do I do that?