Mixing for dummies (Reaper tutorial)

Mixing for dummies (tutorial) – (Antoine van Kampen, 15 May 2021)

Introduction

This tutorial provides a very brief and basic introduction to mixing for those who have never did a mix project and never used a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) before. A DAW which is software for recording, editing, mixing and producing audio and [midi] files. This tutorial gets you up-and-running with [Reaper].

You will aim to make a good sounding and creative mix of a nice pop song that will be provided.

• This song comprises (backing)vocals, drums, bass, guitars, piano, organ, and synth.
• You will get some insight in how songs are mixed once recorded.
• You will get some insight in the challenges of mixing
• Mixes will be evaluated by all, and the winner gets eternal fame.

This presentation briefly explains how a DAW relates to a hardware mixer:

From mix console to DAW (pptx) 13.49 MB 125 downloads

See also: Mixing for dummies DAW advice and training ...

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Hardware requirements:

• In principle you should be able to run this tutorial on any laptop or desktop computer.
• Ideally you have a large computer monitor or, preferably, two large monitors.
• You should connect descent speakers to your computer (audio card) and don’t use the built in (laptop) speakers. If you do not have speakers, then use a headphone.

Step 1. Install Reaper

Reaper is one of the many available DAWs. Go to the Reaper website [here] and download/install Reaper on your computer. Reaper is available for Microsoft Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Note: Reaper allows an evaluation period of 60 days after which you need buy a license (not expensive) if you want to continue to use the software. Alternatively, you can use [Cakewalk] which is free but only available for Microsoft Windows. [Pro-tools] and [Cubase] (which I use) are kind of the industry standards but there are many more DAWs available.

Step 2. Install Plugins

Go to the download site of [MeldaProductions] and download the latest version of the MAudioPlugins and install only the [VST3] plugins on your computer. Install only the MFreeFXBundle. These plugins are only available for Microsoft Windows and Mac. Restart Reaper after installation.

Note: see [here] for a description of the audio processors and effects that you have installed.

Step 3. Configure Reaper

1. Make a directory for the project files (e.g., MixProject)
2. Start Reaper
   • You will now see an empty Track window and a Mixer window.
3. Check [Options][Preferences][Audio][Device] to see if your audio soundcard including the outputs are correctly selected
4. Optionally you can define paths for different types of files [Options][Preferences][General][Path]
5. In [Options][Preferences][Plug-ins] de-select ‘Auto-open FX windows after quick-add’
6. Finally check if the Free MeldaProductions plugins have installed correctly
   • Go to the Effects Browers [View][FX Browser] or [Shift][F]
   • In the Developers branch, you should see MeldaProduction. Click on MeldaProduction.
   • Now you should see the installed plugins, e.g., MEqualizer, MUtility, MCharmVerb.
   • If you do not see the MeldaProduction plugins then make sure that nothing went wrong during the installation of the plugins and try to re-install.

Notes:

• There is a lot of [documentation] and information (e.g., Google, Youtube) available for Reaper.
• During the steps below, don’t forget to save your project one in a while!!

Image 1. Track window (with Transport buttons in the lower left corner). Mixer window with only the Master output (output of your audio card). You may also Dock the Mixer window inside Docker ([Right mouse click][Dock Mixer in Docker]). Click on any image too enlarge.

Step 4. Import the song

We are going to mix the song Long Way Home from David Tyo. (Support the artist [here]). This project comprises 28 WAV files at 24-bit/44.1kHz resolution. Tempo: ~155bpm. Length 4:57 minutes.

• Download the project files from Dropbox below. You will find
  • a zip file with all WAV files for this project. Each WAV file represents recordings of different instruments and the vocals.
  • DavidTyo-Unprocessed.mp3
• Copy both files to your computer and unzip the zip file.

Download files here

Link not active at this moment

• Drag-and-drop all [WAV] files (but not the mp3 file) into Reaper or, alternatively, use [Insert][Media].
• Import as  ‘Separate Tracks’
• If you get a message like “Media suggests 60bpm” then select “Adjust media based on this tempo” and [OK]
• [Click] Play button to see if you have sound (if not, contact support)

In the Track window you will now see audio Events (called Audio Item in Reaper). In the Mixer window you see the volume faders and other controls for each track.

Image 2. Imported WAV files. In the Track window (upper part) you see all the WAV files for the different instruments and vocals. The mixer is in the lower part (now Docked such that everything is in one window). 

Step 5. Organizing your project

The project you have received is not very large, yet it is beneficial to do some housekeeping of the tracks you just imported.

• If you prefer: in the Mixer window [right mouse click], deselect ‘Show multiple rows of tracks’ (which is default in most DAWs)
• In the Mixer window you probably have a large number of effects (FX) and Send slots and, therefore, short faders. You can reduce the number of slots by dragging them up with [Ctrl][Left mouse button] (drag just below the last Send slot).
• You can move the tracks around  in the Track window. This allows you to group instruments together and to put these instruments in a certain order. It is up to you what you find most convenient.
• You can color the Tracks. This gives you a much better overview of the different track groupings of your song in both the Track window and the mixer window
  • [Right mouse click][Track color][Set Tracks to custom color]
  • [Right click] on the track name, not on the event (wave)
  • Select one or more tracks
  • Apply the coloring
• WARNING: in the next two steps take care not to shift Events to the left/right or to accidently remove part of the wave.
• You can see in the Track window that not all instruments always play. You can drag the left or right side of an Event to the beginning and ending respectively to clearly shows when a instrument plays.
• You can take this one step further and also remove some of the empty spaces of each Event
  • Put cursor at start of empty space
  • Select empty space with [Ctrl][Right mouse button] and then [Ctrl][Delete] to delete (or [right mouse button][Cut selected area from item]
• In the Track window you can use the + and – buttons in the corner to zoom in/out on tracks.

After doing your preferred reorganization your Track window may look something like this:

Image 3. The track window with the re-organized project

Step 6. Adding Plugins

We will add to Plugins to each Track in the Track window.

1. [Click] on FX button of the first Track
2. Go to the MeldaProduction plugins and [Right click] on the Mutility plugin and assign [Alt][Shift][V]. Then press [Cancel].
   • Note: you can also assign another key combination. It will tell you when a key combination is already in use.
3. Go to the MeldaProduction plugins and [Right click] on the MEqualizer plugin and assign [Alt][Shift][E]. Then press [Cancel].
4. In the Track window select all tracks and do [Alt]Shift][V] and [Alt][Shift][E]

Now you have added these two plugins to every Track (see images below). You can also see this in the Mixer window. The plugins should now occupy the first two slots of each track.

• [Click] on one of the utility plugins. In this plugin you see an Input control (at 0dB). You can use this to set your input Gain during mixing. Don’t use the other controls.
• [Click] on one of the MEqualizer plugins. You see that this is a six band parametric equalizer. You can activate a band by clicking on one of the bands. With [Right click] you can define the type of filter (e.g. peak, low-shelf, high-pass) and set the Frequency, Q (bandwidth) and Gain. These latter three you can also do with your mouse in the graphical window.

Notes:

• We are defining shortcuts since this will allows us to assign these two plugins to all tracks in one operation instead of adding these effects one by one on each track.
• If you are not using the MeldaProduction plugins then you can use the Plugins that come with Reaper:
  • ‘Volume_Adjustment’ (JS folder)
  • ReaEQ (Cockos)

Image 4. In the upper part of the Docked Mixer window you see the FX slots (with MUtility and MEqualizer) and the two Send slots to the FX bus (Reverb).

Image 5. The MUtility and the MEqualizer plugins

Step 7. Adding an effect bus

1. Go to Track window
2. [Track][Insert new track at end of track list]
3. Give this track a name (e.g., FX Reverb)
4. [Click] FX button of this new track
5. Add the MCharmVerb plugin and the MEqualizer plugin (in this order)
   • Alternatively use the Reaper plugins.
6. Open the MCharmVerb plugin (if it does not automatically opens), and set the Dry/Wet knob to 100% (Wet).
   • On an effect bus you generally only want to hear the effect (Wet signal) and not the unprocessed audio (Dry signal) because the Dry signal is still there from channel from which you send to the effect bus. In case you would add this plugin to a FX slot, then you probably would set this to a much lower value.

We have now added a Track without an Audio event but only the reverb and equalizer plugins. We can now send the audio from other tracks to this FX bus to add reverb. Let’s try this with the LeadVox track:

1. In the Mixer window [Click] Route button (next to the Fader) of the LeadVox.
2. [Click] [Add new Send]
3. Select the just added FX Reverb track

You will now see a Send fader that controls how much Audio is send to the FX bus (and hence the level of the Reverb). In addition, you can use the Fader of the FX track it self to control the level of Reverb for ALL tracks that you have send to this FX bus.

Image 6. The most right Channel in the Mixer is the effect bus containing the MCharmReverb plugin. Make sure you set DRY/WET to 100%.

Step 8. Testing one track

1. Hit the play button
2. In the Mixer window [Click] S(olo) next to the fader for the LeadVox. Now you should only hear the lead vocals.
3. Open both plugins in the FX slots (Mutility, MEqualizer)
4. Open the MCharmReverb plugin on the FX bus

Now play around with the various settings:

• Input on the MUtility plugin
• Try to cut/boost some frequencies with the MEqualizer
• Play around with the settings of the McharmVerb (but leave DRY/WET to WET)
• Play around with the Send level; Or mute the Send
• Play around with the FX fader on the effect bus
• Play around with the Fader, Center (panning; above the fader), M(ute) and S(olo) buttons

Step 9. Mixing. Let the fun start.

You are now ready to mix the song. Your mix will in a large way determine how the final song will sound like. It are not only the musicians themselves who determine the final outcome. Be creative. Don’t forget to regularly save.

Headphones or Speakers?

If possible try to make a mix on descent speakers. If that is not possible then use headphones. There is lots to say about this but not today. See for example [SoundOnSound][Landr][Waves].

Technical tips:

• Gain. Try to Adjust the gain (volume in the MUtility plugin) such that all your channels peak at roughly -18dbFS (leave the Faders untouched)
  • Note: The level of 0 dBFS is assigned to the maximum possible digital level. The level is marked next to each fader and ranges from -60dbFS to 0dbFS. Note that the fader itself ranges from -inf to +12dB. More about dB and scales [here].
• Master output. Adjust your Master output fader such that it does not peak above 0dBFS (goes into the red)
• Additional plugins. You have learned how to add Effects to the FX slots, and how to add FX busses. So far we only have added to FX plugins (MUtility and MEqualizer) and one effect bus with MCharmReverb. For this initial mixing exercise this should be sufficient. But, if you feel comfortable with it then you can add as many as you want.

Creative tips:

• During the mixing process you need to make creative choices. For example how to balance the kick and snare drum, or how to balance the piano and guitar. Not all of them can be upfront in the mix. Think about what you find important.
• The instruments (including the vocals) overlap in frequency. This can make the mix muddy and/or the different parts will not be transparent anymore and will be fighting each other in the mix. Try to resolve this using appropriate volume levels, panning left/right, and equalizing.
• Some of the tracks sound dry. You can add Reverb to these tracks by sending them to our FX track (with MCharmReverb). But then you need to decide how much reverb you want to add. If you want to give the impression that the song was recorded in a large cathedral, then add a lot. If you want to have a commercial mix, then perhaps do not add that much. It’s up to you.

How to start?

Perhaps the simplest way is to put all faders down and then add them in one-by-one making any adjustment you feel fit. For example, start with getting the drums right, then add the bass guitar, etc. If you want to do it differently, then please do so.

Keep in mind there are many guidelines and opinions about mixing but whatever sound good and works for you is good. Have fun………

Step 10. Render to output file

Once you are done with the mix you can export it to a wav or mp3 file:

1. [File][Render]
2. Source: Master-mix of entire project
3. Check the paths
4. Format: wav or mp3
5. Leave everything else unchanged.
6. Once done upload your mix (the mp3 or wav file) to the Dropbox folder below (put your name in the file name).
7. Also upload your Reaper project (rpp file).

Congrats, you are now ready to earn money with your mix.

Upload files here

Link not active at this moment

Step 11. Evaluation, comparing and feedback

• Listen back to your own mix tomorrow. Do you still like it?
• How does your mix sound on a different audio system? Or headphones?
• Is the mix what you wanted it to be?
• What were the difficult parts? What should be improved?
• How does your mix compare to the mixes of the other participant?
• How does your mix compare to the mix done by a professional mixing engineer? Listen to the following mixes:

[This mix was from Cambridge Music Technology]

[Mixes and discussion at Mixing forum]

And, finally, here is David Tyo with an acoustic version of his song: