Author: Daniel Quick

Posted on

Waves Multirack: Acoustic Guitars

Welcome back to this series, thanks for clicking on the link this week and checking it out. We are talking acoustic guitars this week. The hardest part of this week is the sheer variety of acoustic guitars and pickups/mics that will be in use or could be used. As usual these plugins and settings are just the baseline for our setup here which in most cases is a really nice Taylor guitar that is owned by our worship pastor. I’ve mixed with a lot of guitars in my nearly 20 years mixing but this particular Taylor just sounds good all by itself. I’m going to go through the plugins I use to help it stand out with a full band and then go through a few of the other plugins that I use occasionally or with other types of acoustic guitars like banjitars (six string banjo), ukuleles, etc. Please comment below if you’ve got a great idea for me, I would say my thinking around acoustic guitars is ever fluctuating because my needs from it change so much.

This first plugin is probably the most fluid. My thoughts on where to put in this side-chain fluctuate but I usually land with it at the top of the chain. The reality is that the acoustic guitar sits in the vocal range. So to increase vocal clarity I make way for those vocals with a side-chained compressor on the acoustic itself. So I decided to use the F6 because I wanted to also be able to compress the higher frequencies of the acoustic to keep the picking noise under control. Band 4 is side-chained from the input of the lead vocal channel and carve just a little out of the acoustic. Now you have to be careful about doing this. If you have a light player you don’t even really need to do this but usually we have some strong players and since it keys off the lead vocal in the instrumentals and intros/outros it’s not doing anything so we get all the spectrum available when we really want to hear it. Of all of these plugins, this is the one you really need to set and check as things progress to make sure it’s operating correctly. At most, when I use it it will pull somewhere between 3 and 5 db. So it will make a barely noticeable to a noticeable change.

Next is another of my favorite plugins: the Vitamin plugin. I use this to enhance the fullness of the guitar. Sometimes pickups do well and sometimes they don’t do well of giving a full acoustic sound. I’m usually low passed beyond the first band so I don’t use that at all. Then, bands B and C work to add that fullness I’m talking about which is where most of the work is being done. Next band D is where that vocal range sits so I’ll bring that up and down to make sure we aren’t counteracting the clarity we just gained with the F6. Lastly Band E is the presence or attack of the acoustic so I’ll push that up to taste to match the style and needs that I have each event. But there are 3 other options that are incredibly useful that this plugin has: direct sound, master fader, and the punch setting. The first is exactly what you think, it is how much of the input sound is allowed to pass without being altered. We are effectively creating a parallel chain inside the plugin. I usually run this around -5db but that can change if I like the curve I have set within the plugin but want less or more. Next is that master fader, I love this because it allows me grab all the faders at one time. Lastly, the punch setting here works a lot like the hcomp punch setting, you just have to play with it until you like what you here. The last thing to consider with this plugin is that because it’s acting like a gain stage it’s important to think about pulling the plugin output down a bit to compensate if you need to. Just be aware of that happening.

The last dynamic plugin I use on the acoustic is my perennial favorite compressor, the HComp. I have it setup in a pretty standard way for a guitar. Ratio of about 8 or 9, moderate attack, and a longer release time (I play with this a lot!). I’ve been using the mix knob quite a bit more however. That week I had it down to about 60% and ran the release a bit longer to see how I like it and the results were quite nice for things like picking and regular playing. I also just bring up the punch in sound check to taste. I find I should but it in the template pretty low so I am forced to dial this in every time I start a new show or session. If you don’t use the parallel portion of this compressor be sure to lower that release time quite a bit and adjust the punch to match. Lastly, I’ve found myself actually checking out the analog knob, the first two settings don’t actually add too much hum but add a good amount of warmth so check those out if the time is right. If I’m doing an acoustic set and find the acoustic guitar needing to make a more lead role in the instruments I’ll dial this up and see if I like it and often find myself liking what it adds.

Lastly is the ever popular NLS Channel. This is something that I check for each guitar that I run with. That week I liked the dark edginess that it brought but I use the other two models just as often. Sometimes changing the model doesn’t do it and I’ll need to add some drive to really start to hear the harmonics but I’ve learned that it’s often worth it. But this is a gain stage so be cognisant of that addition and adjust accordingly. This plugin does have an output adjustment built-in that I occasionally need to use.

Other plugins I use for acoustic guitars and other guitars like it as well as stringed instruments in general are as follows. The first is the Vintage Aural Exciter. I love it because often times I really need to exaggerate the edge of the guitar to really help it pop and this plugin is perfect for that. There are a few presets to start with but experiment with the different modes and see what works for you. Secondly I’ll pull up other compressors like the Renaissance Axx or RCompressor. These two are very unique but they are rarely my first choice because of the limited options to adjust. But I do find myself using them from time to time. I also use plugins like the Doubler2/Doubler4 to achieve a fun chorus sound for any instrument. Just something to give the guitar some girth amongst the chorus of band and track sounds. Lastly I love to use the GTR plugins.  The Stomp pedals are all unique things to play around with. Personally I love the chorus stomp, overdrive stomp, and the phaser stomp to really bring some life to any guitar and add width to the mix in general. They all require some level of discretion as it’s easy to overuse them but they can be fun things to have in the bag ready to go for that one element that you need it for.

Hopefully you have been able to glean some ideas from all that. Also, hopefully a few of you who read this might have some cool ideas for me to try. In either case, please feel free to comment below or shoot me a quick email at daniel@studiostagelive.com and I’ll respond as soon as I can. Be sure to stop by next week, I’ll be going over how I handle the piano and keys inputs. If you want to be sure not to miss it or any future posts check out this link and subscribe to the blog and you will get an email as soon as new posts are up. See you on the flipside!

Posted on

Waves Multirack: Just a Thought…

I wanted to take a break in the middle of this big series talking about my multirack setup because it’s just a lot of information to keep up with so it’s time for something just a bit different than you might have expected. If you missed those  first four posts here are some links for you (Vocals, Bass Guitar, Kick and Snare, Electric Guitar). Before writing this series I knew I wanted to be sure to make at least two points and make them stick. The first is that my setup doesn’t work for everyone. There are times when it doesn’t work for me and I need to start over and times when only minor changes are needed. Templates are starting points to decrease setup time not permanent configurations. I’ve said this a lot and so I don’t feel the need to drill this down even more if only to remind you that what I’ve been writing about is my starting point, there is a lot of tweaking, editing, adjusting, burning with fire, and general changes that are made so that it fits every weekend or event. This file exists to get me where I need to get to faster so I can focus on mixing and not programming.

The second thing I wanted to talk about is the topic of this post, sometimes you can over-process, overthink, and overdo live mixing. I’m seeing a trend of using as many plugins as you can thinking that if only you had that one plugin all your problems will be solved instead of going back to the basics and making sure you XLR lines are all cleanly soldered, you have a full understanding about every setting within your soundboard, etc. As with all technological advancements you still need to establish some sort of balance between traditional methodology and utilizing those shiny new tools that are now available. Keep in mind, I am in no way arguing against the use of waves plugins or processing of any kind, just that when you do, make sure there isn’t a fundamental issue that is easily fixed first not already taken care of. After you’ve done that it’s just as important to make sure you aren’t over-processing to the detriment of your mix.

I’ve compiled three things to keep aware of when you about setting up your waves plugins whether you are in a live setting or in a studio. As with every tool, it is possible to use it the wrong way or in a way that does not work as well as perhaps another tool.

If you have more than a few plugins on a percussive input (i.e. kick, snare, toms, etc) it’s time to go back to square one.

I see this so many times, whether in the live or studio world, people are stacking compressors, harmonics, EQs, etc up on things like the kick drum or the snare in search of that magical sound. To make matters worse these usually sit right on top of the processing they are already running on the soundboard (usually at least an EQ maybe some compression). I’ve had a few friends ask why their kick drum sounds dont’ sound quite right and one of the biggest and I would argue most neglected reasons is that they haven’t changed/tuned the drum heads in a really long time not because they aren’t using the right plugins. Back in those early days I used to fight getting good drum sounds and had never been at a place that really takes care of their drums like my current job and so I didn’t really know how easy things really get when you have a properly tuned and maintained drum kit. I can do all my EQ work on my console and can than use one of a few compressors doing different things, send it through NLS and that’s it. If you’ve hit that wall, take a minute, turn off all processing even your EQ on the board, walk up the drums, listen to it being played in person, than walk back to the board and start over. Use as few tools as you can. Save all your cool tricks for more dynamic sources like guitars and bus groups. You’ll thank me later because the easiest way to suck the life out of your drums is to over-process them. Secondly, make sure the rest of the fundamentals are there. I mentioned going up and listening to the drum itself because you will hear issues like that and realize that you need to fix that. Are your mics in the right places? Did you adjust them after the drummer got settled in? Are they all working? You get the picture.

If you don’t have the headroom like you used to have, start turning plugins off. This also goes the same for guitars and noise floors.

It is so easy to layer compression in a channel and then compound that even more by turning on a group compressor. Every time audio goes through a gain stage, noise is introduced. The quality of the pre-amp modeled or otherwise will affect how much is added. If you have another gain stage or compressor after this you are now gaining the added noise and so on and so forth. If you setup your gain without enough room before feedback, each time you compress you approach that limit even more until you lose all of your headroom. The thing to remember is when you add a compressor, you multiply the ratios. For example, if I have the c6 running on a vocal (average of 5:1), a cla-76 (running at 8:1), and then a group compressor (running at 3:1), that means your total ratio is 120:1. Sometimes this is a good thing but I’m guessing it’s not great for most. If your overall ratio is approaching or above 60:1, on any input, take a good look at how you are using that compression an whether or not you are actually improving the sound. There are some instances where this is a good thing but many more where it can be troublesome or not worth the squeeze.

The same thing goes for noise flors. Every plugin you add in and every gain stage will add noise to your input. There are many ways to mitigate how well this noise is heard but this is definitely something to consider if you are having issues. In fact, many of your waves plugin presets will have that “analog” knob turned on by default in many of their presets which is turning on the measured noise that is added from the original analog plugin. Sometimes you can turn this off, in many instances (I would argue anything outside of the studio) turning this off will benefit you. If it is bringing some sounds you like just be careful where this simulated warmth is coming from and what is after it. For me, this is one of the reasons why my HComp is sitting at the end of every chain it is in, because I don’t want that noise to be compressed and staged. In other occasions because you are adding in harmonics, plugins like the Vitamin, the plugins naturally add noise because it is yet another gain stage. This isn’t to say we shouldn’t use these plugins, we just need to be aware of the “price of admission” when it comes to increased processing. 

If you don’t know what plugins to use, try not using any to start with and add in plugins that solve specific problems. See above rules for additional guidance.

You don’t have to use a plugin on every input. I know, I know, I’ve just spent four weeks advocating using the NLS plugin on every input, but for me, I have a specific purpose and I’m not afraid to take it out of the chain if there is a problem being created by its presence. Using that plugin allows me to get the warmth out of the drivers in my Meyer PA that I usually don’t feel until I hit much higher SPL levels. When I demo’d it, if I’d found that it didn’t do anything that I needed, I would have happily walked on past and never used it again. Don’t be afraid to do that. If you’re having trouble with an input, take a minute, turn off all your processing (EQ, compression, everything!) and listen again to the issues you are hearing to make sure your processing isn’t the source (more often than not, it might be!). Than one by one, turn your EQ on and fix something. Listen again. Are there dynamic issues to be fixed? Ok, turn on the compressor of your choice. Listen again. Is it better than before you turned on that plugin? If there aren’t any more issues, just let it be and check in on the fundamentals in play like mic choice/placement, etc. If there are more problems, rinse and repeat. Don’t just throw plugins in there because you like using it or are familiar with it, put it on there because you know that the plugin in question will add something or fix a problem. Then, set it up and bypass it and make sure things are still better off just to make sure.

One last bit of advice, if you are new to the whole plugin thing and were never really exposed enough to the stuff that is being emulated leaving you unsure where to begin, you could start in waves by using some of the signal chain plugins like Butch Vig Vocals, CLA Signature Series, Maserati Signature Series, Greg Wells Signature Series, and so many more. The key here is that these are sets of plugins that can be used over a wide variety of inputs. Each plugin is a specifically designed plugin chain and gives you an easy way to achieve results quickly. You don’t have much control over each setting but you get the basics and it will make starting out easier. If you are more experienced than I wouldn’t recommend these because you will likely want more control but if speed and usability is your goal or you are just starting out, these are very reasonably priced packages that can do a lot for you without much effort. Than later, once you get your feet wet within the waves ecosystem you can start picking up the individual plugins that these are using. Just my two cents….

Don’t worry, this was just a one week reprieve from the fire hose, I will be back next week to discuss how I handle acoustic guitars. If you like what you are reading and want to be sure not to miss the next post, please feel free to subscribe to this blog at www.studiostagelive.com/subscribe. Lastly, as always if you have any questions feel free to comment below or email me at daniel@studiostagelive.com. See you next week!

 

Posted on

Waves Multirack: Electric Guitars

Well here we are on week 4 of our Waves Multirack series talking about the plugins I regularly use every weekend where I work. This isn’t an end all be all list but these plugins makeup my starting template that is pre-loaded into my show every time I turn on multirack. If you’ve missed them be sure to check out the first couple of posts talking about Vocals, Bass Guitar, and last week’s post discussing the Kick and Snare. As with all the other posts in this series, I want to remind you that this setup, is what works for me. I have found these particular plugins to be a good balance between flexibility and ease of use. I have a good set of variables to adjust with the least amount of complexity, which helps me produce consistent mixes from week to week. There are times where I pull out a few other tools in specific situations and there are times when I disable some of these plugins if they are simply unneeded. I would encourage you to find that same balance in your mixes, whether you are in the live environment or mixing in the studio. Develop your sound/style, be consistent, and use the tools the best accomplish your goals for each mix.

This week is all about the electric guitar. There are a few assumptions that I make each week when I load up these shows. The first is that we expect our guitarists to come ready to go with well wired pedal boards and with their amps, or modelers, already tuned and set. We want the source information to be as high quality as possible so that all we need to do is mix that source in with the rest of the band. Because of that assumption and standard of excellence, I’m doing minimal EQ and tonal changes because each artist has already dialed their amp in, so I only need to correct any changes the mic makes if needed (trust is key here, the artists know that I’m not doing any major alterations to their sound because they have come ready to go). I use waves to accomplish two goals: proper dynamic processing and separation of the guitars without the need for panning. This usually means that I start with this setup and tweak it as necessary to satisfy these goals. We typically have two or three electric guitar sources one from tracks, a guitar playing rhythm electric and if possible an electric guitar playing lead (playing the licks and identifiable melody lines in a song). The tracked source is usually all rhythm and provides a baseline for the guitars to build with. It’s already been processed so I’ll just throw on a small compressor to help it stand out well and let it be. The pictures linked will show what I use on the rhythm guitar and I’ll explain what I change for the second live electric guitar when one is present. On the two live guitars I start with the following setup:

The first plugin in use the F6. Personally, I like this better for guitars than the C6. It has a few extra options that the C6 does not have but I would consider them interchangeable if you don’t have one or the other. This is really just my preference. For the rhythm guitar I’m not doing anything crazy here just a add in a bit of low mid to give the guitar some body with the second band and using the fifth band to add presence as the player lays into their guitar. It’s just an altered version of the “GTR Rhythm” guitar preset. This preset is a bit extreme for live but your room might require something more aggressive so don’t be afraid to play around. On the lead guitar I use the “GTR Lead” preset as a starting point. This setup highlights to top of the guitar sound and even high passes out the bottom to bring increased brightness. With a shelf starting around 4k and a boost down around 2k, this really makes those lines stand out really easily. This also starts the trend with these inputs on making sure even the compression lines up with the purpose of the input.

Right after the F6 is the vitamin plugin. This is a “multiband harmonic enhancer and tone-shaping plugin.” I find this plugin helps to bring out some good crunch and body in the guitars. I can really open up the bottom end on the rhythm guitar which gives the tone some great low end overtones. Much like the F6, each guitars setup looks a bit different to each other. For the rhythm guitar (pictured) I’m using a toned down version of the “guitar power chords” preset within vitamin. The preset is adding much more than I’d like and I usually end up dropping that top band a bit because I find that with good source material, it makes the guitar feel too crispy. For the lead guitar I generally start with the “guitar 1” preset and then drop that top band a bit and pull out the bottom band all together. Once again, the key here is be sure to always be complimenting what you want to highlight each time you are using a harmonic plugin or dynamic compressor like I am doing. I don’t need that bottom band in my lead guitar because I want the body sounds coming from the rhythm electric and I don’t need my rhythm guitar to be too present because I just need that from my lead guitar. By treating them differently in my dynamic processing it becomes easier and easier to distinguish between the guitars sonically without any panning necessary to make that happen. That coupled with a knowledge of who is playing specific parts and when that happens is crucial in any mix.

Then comes one of my favorite compressors available in the waves ecosystem, the HComp. I love this particular compressor over a lot of others simply because of the number of options all contained in one plugin. You have all the basic compressor stuff like ratio, attack, release, and threshold, but you also have some fun knobs like the punch knob (I believe this changes the attack curve, it’s hard for me to explain, you really just have to hear it, go ahead and demo it and hear it yourself) and the mix knob (basically creates wet/dry mixing – i.e. parallel compression – and adds a unique dynamic). For the rhythm guitar I use this in a pretty normal way, relatively normal attack speed, medium fast release, a little punch, and a mix setting of like 70% so there is some good parallel action happening. But on the lead guitar I often find myself turning up the punch and even pulling back that mix knob to as low as 50% to really help the guitar really punch through the mix and then sit back after it breaks through. I like to leave the limit option in the on position so we get some good harmonic distortion when the compressor clips (admittedly I’m not often pushing this compressor that hard). On a practical note, I found that you really do need to lay into this compressor to hear the punch and mix settings. I find myself pushing that threshold down until about 6db of compression is happening to get the plugin fully activated and working on all cylinders.

As with all my inputs I end with the NLS plugin introducing some smooth summation into each input. I love using the “MIKE” setting for the rhythm guitar as it falls right in line with the grungy sound we’ve been enhancing and using the “NEVE” setting for the lead guitar as it keeps things very present within my mixes. Of all the places I adjust this plugin, the guitars, acoustic or electric, is where the most changes will happen. During sound check I often find myself clicking through the 3 models to find the best of the three to support what is being created by the guitarist. These are also the inputs I find myself turning that drive up to get just a bit more of the “magic” going.

I think my key with electrics is to keep it simple. Get your source material the best it can be, than you won’t have to use all these crazy plugins just to get a good sound. Plus I’ve found that over processing electrics often has negative impacts on the tone the player is trying to achieve. We need to make sure to be complimentary not editorial in our approach to plugin choices. With that in mind, in the studio world I might find myself also using something like the Aural Exciter to really help the lead lines pop even more or the GTR Stomp pedals to bring out some fun drive sounds going. We run with a bunch of tracks in my live room that fill in those gaps making me not need to fill any of those holes with my electric sounds.

Well that’s it for this week. Let me know what you think in the comments below or through emailing me at daniel@studiostagelive.com. If you like what you are reading, feel free to subscribe for email alerts every time content is published here at Studio.Stage.Live.com. Happy mixing and see you next time!