HINGE studios

02/01/2024

Drum sub group buses SUCK!
Who told you to do that shi*t?

Why? Excuse it “limits” you to the exact same blend for any processing that happens on that bus. It’s especially horribly on live drums and any appreciable amount of compression or limiting. A washed out flattened cymbal and hat sound is rarely desired.

PARALLEL.
Do it in parallel where YOU have control of how much of what is getting processed. And if for some reason you do want it all being equal, you still can easily. And it’s Additive. Meaning it’s easier to control the balance of the processed signal against the dry.

Furthermore… that in between third layer before your mix bus (individual, sub group, mix bus) causes an endless round robin of processing is that much more difficult to manage. I can’t do it without pulling my hair out.

Oh… and this is true of all “food” groups. Not just drums.

Parallel. Aux sends. Aux returns. Parallel.

30/12/2023

For updated information or to contact me, please go to my website or follow me on instagram:
I know longer check Facebook.

www.craigbauer.com

IG:

-CB.

Craig Bauer is a GRAMMY Award-winning mixing engineer, and music producer. He has been nominated twice for “Album of the Year” for his work on Kanye West’s multiplatinum album Late Registration and double platinum follow-up album, Graduation.

06/12/2023

Here’s another little hint to add on top of the tuning tip:

One set of parameters in autotune typically doesn’t work across an entire vocal track.

I go line by line once it’s Melodyned and then meticulously adjust the parameters to work best for each line. And then commit those lines one by one onto a new track. If you’re in a hurry (or lazy)… well…. No comment.

03/12/2023

To leave it; or lose it…
That… is the question.

This record I mixed quite some time ago always reminds me of the holidays. In addition to Kurt’s incredible voice, this track also serves a purpose in what brings emotion to a song… thru the performance and the mix.

It’s impossible to listen to this track and not “feel” it. And … what aids in the emotion is intentionally leaving in the not so subtle breaths and a plosive in the recording.
Ordinarily, leaving those elements so obvious in a mix isn’t something I lean into. But in this case, pulling them down in the mix would rob the performance of the intimacy and emotion.

It’s just another thing to be very cognizant of when mixing a track like this… or any track.

Intentionality. I think I just made that word up.
But it’s the cornerstone of my process. At every level.

Kurt… if you happen to see this, I’m sure you remember the circumstance in which this record was placed in my hands. And you should know it’s one of my favorite projects ever. And I’m forever grateful to have worked with you so many times and to have mixed this Grammy nominated record. (It deserved to have won. IMHO)

Happy Holidays,
CB.

30/11/2023

Got a muddy vocal?

Take this little test.
A: Solo the vocal. Still sound muddy in solo. That’s an eq fix on the vocal.

B: Put the vocal back in the mix. Sound muddy again? Mute any and all FX on that vocal. Verbs and delays. Still sound muddy? Then it’s something in the track that masking the clarity of the vocal. Search and rescue in the track.

C: Vocal doesn’t sound muddy with the FX muted? If not, then it’s likely the verb causing the vocal to sound muddy. In which case, it’s time to examine the verb.

Many times it’s just the wrong verb. However it may be able to be fixed with parameters within the verb. Like “Low Tilt” in this Sonsig verb… and possibly adding brightness.

Furthermore… there’s no reason you cant EQ the verb. I do it more often than not.

It can also be a combination of all the above factors if the vocal just can’t be made to sit right within a mix. In which case, there’s lots of work to done.

No one said mixing was easy. If they did… well…
🙄

25/11/2023

MIXBUS online workshop…

Join in for the Mix Bus workshop on Dec. 9th at 10am MST or 10th at 1pm MST.

We’ll be covering every aspect from mix templates, mix prep, VCAs, routing, gain structure MixBus processing and final mix levels.

The one hour presentation will be followed by a 30mim Q&A. But who are we kidding… it always goes over by 30 mins.

If you’ve attended this workshop in the past, there’s new information being present on processing including using on the mixbus.

Register on my web site. The schedule automatically compensates for your particular time zone.

Feel free to share! See you there.

Cheers!
CB

24/11/2023

The biggest improvement to the mixbus in…. forever.

Yep. Read it again. Mr. Mixbus minimalist just made a permanent addition.
Gulfoss. Why? Because no other plugin I’ve ever used has made such a dramatic improvement to a mix with so little effort. It almost doesn’t make sense.

Gulfosss is essentially a super intelligent spectral analyzer/dynamic EQ that makes 300 calculations per second and then applies those based on a small number of user definable parameters in its GUI. It basically either boosts (Recover) or cuts (Tame) independently or in conjunction with each other to provide a tonal balance that is frankly…mind boggling.
The Bias controls whether Gulfoss boosts or cuts when it’s a close call of which it should do. Thus, further helps define how it reacts to the incoming signal.

After making those adjustments there is a secondary “brighten” control that can globally brighten or darken the entire sonic picture to your discretion… once the previous parameter are set. It essentially allows for minimal adjustments to “dynamic” EQ. Lastly, there are vertical “markers” that can limit the frequency range of the processing. i.e. If you don’t want it processing the high end, you drag that maker to that crossover point.

If you had asked me a week ago if I’d ever use a plugin to make any type of EQ decisions for me with minimal input, I would have laughed it off. But it is that mind boggling good. If the mix is already great, with VERY minimal settings, Gulfoss takes it to another level that is indescribable.

I tried removing it from the mixbus. Nope… It’s staying.

21/11/2023

Can you outsmart your uninspiring mono track?


One way is to pan the mono track hard left and use a send with a really fast slap delay that’s panned hard right with a little chorus on it. So fast that is feels like a double and not a delay. It works but… 🥱

But here’s a more interesting way.
Stick doubler on an insert of that track. The catch is to turn the direct parameter WAY down or even off entirely. In this example it’s down to -30. Detune left and right a tiny amount. One side + and the other side -. Keep the delay setting to its absolute minimum. Or offset them by a tiny amount. Now… what was once mono is now stereo. The fact that there’s barely any direct in the center (or none) is what really makes this work. You can then use a send to a stereo verb to further enhance the imaging. In this case the verb is directly on the track and using the wet/dry balance to make this filtered piano sound like it’s living “inside” the reverb.

It’s so simple and effective. And a much more interesting way to create a stereo track from a mono source. It now leaves room in the center for the kick, snare, bass, and vocal without the clutter.

Of course there are a couple other ways to accomplish this, as mentioned…but this one has a unique vibe to it.

19/11/2023

3 quick and super effective drum/percussion techniques.

1. Use RVox on an insert or in parallel to push the sample forward in a mix easily. Works great on snares and toms.

2. Devil-loc to add some bite or a tiny bit of grit to make a sample cut through a dense mix. A little goes a long long way.

3. Plate is a great reverb to a just a little bit a depth to a percussion sound that won’t take an hour to dial in and make it sit right. Especially if it’s processed with Rox.

Don’t forget where you got the tips.

Cheers.

18/11/2023

It’s that time of year.

Do you have a great song but don’t have access to a world class mix? I want to hear it.

The track must be well produced and well recorded… especially the vocal. It should have a meaningful or clever lyric as well. The genre doesn’t matter.

If I find ONE single track that fits the bill, I may just mix it free of any fee. If you’re interested and feel you or someone you know has that track, DM me for where to send a rough mix. If chosen
I’ll need to receive the files by end of the first week of December. Ideally sooner.

Happy Thanks Giving!

16/11/2023

How many plugins do you really need?
Interesting question. At last check, I had 1441 active plugins in my library. I like plugins. I like cupcakes too. But I don’t need 1441 of them. Even 12 is probably too many.

I said PROBABLY…

I have a core staple I use that’s closer to a bakers dozen than 1400. In fact, I can probably do every mix with a core 8 or so.

I like to think of them as hardware not software.
The more you constantly swap them out and use different ones, the less likely you are to truly understand how they work in the context of a mix. That’s especially true of mix bus plugins.
Consistency in use of the tools, yields consistency in the results.

Wow, that sounds like something Steve Jobs would have said. Or is it Dr. Phil.

Total game changer.
Let’s go!!!!

09/11/2023

Jump on the mix bus bandwagon…
Transport your gain structure awareness to a better place.

I have a 3 monitor setup. A 55” screen on the wall. A 28” monitor on my side car, and most importantly, an 11” monitor directly in front of me staring me down the entire mix. Or more aptly, me staring it down the entire mix.

That little monitor mounted on my S6 serves one purpose and one purpose only. All of my mix bus plugins are displayed 100 percent of the time. And that includes an RMS peak meter first and a LUFS meter last.

At any given moment, I know exactly how hard I’m hitting the mix bus, and y gain reduction on plugins and the ultimate output level.
I never get into any gain structure trouble simply because I see it immediately and resolve it faster.

Above anything else in my workflow, this monitor and plugin GUI displays have made THE biggest impact. I’ve had it set up this way for many many years.

Finding out later in the mix that your gain structure is upside down is a huge time suck. Never finding out until you’re about to print a mix is a huge mistake.

I highly recommend this little workflow enhancement.

The next Mix Bus workshop is coming soon. Look for an announcement.

06/11/2023

Under the less is more category….

Vocal processing strategy:
(Clean pop tune)

EQ>light compression>dynamic EQ or
De-essing>light “final” compression.

RVOX pushes the vocal forward more than it compresses. Dynamic EQ to cut out harsh frequencies or low mid mud (only if needed). Followed by a minor amount of compression on the “finished” sound of the vocal. Other processing would potentially happen in parallel… such as saturation, tape sound, etc.

Using a consistent set of tools also helps establish a quicker route to a great sound. Is it ALWAYS the same? Of course not.
But consistency helps.

All of this assumes a good singer, a good mic and pre, and proper recording techniques. That’s getting more rare by the minute.

DMG Ewiillobrium -EQ
Waves Rvox
McDSP AE 400 dynamic EQ
Tokyo Dawn Kotelnikov compressor

28/10/2023

Got a note in a vocal (or any instrument) with a harsh or boomy resonance?

Simple fix. Google pages.mtu.edu to find this note to frequency conversion chart. (Unless you’ve already memorized all but A440.

Determine the and octave it’s in and find it’s frequency. Open up a dynamic EQ and zero in on that pitch with a fairly narrow Q. Short attack. Fast release. Usually a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio does the trick. Then just find the threshold by experimentation to determine where it’s engaged engaged that note when it gets overly resonant. It’s almost too simple.

I like McDSP dynamic EQ for this for several reasons. The big one being you can have separate bands that don’t require a crossover point between them.

See if this resonates with you.

11/10/2023

808s and heartbreak…

You know how every time there’s an 808 bass line in a track and every different pitch has a different resonance, low end and intensity? And you say, “well, that’s just the way 808s are” and then leave it?

Ya…. No. That’s what we “in the biz” call lazy. Or stupid. Or both.
So, how do you make them consistent? It ain’t the easy way, that’s for sure.

1. Separate each different pitch into separate regions.
2. Clip gain the volume of each different pitch to be equal.
3. Use Clip FX in Pro Tools (or the equivalent in other DAWS) to match the EQ of the different pitches (clips).

BTW… those things are interdependent, so it takes a bunch of back and forth to get it right.
Dragging the different pitches to separate tracks makes it a little quicker in the long run if there’s a bunch of back and forth.

Once that’s all straight, (and you’re 64 yrs old), apply parallel compression and EQ to that PC to make sure the 808 speaks the way it should in the track.

Easy, right?
No. Hardly. But that’s what separates the men from the boys.
Have fun. And be sure to write. We may not see you for a while.

Oh.. and BTW, your room and speakers may not be telling you the truth. So if that’s whacked, you may be under or over compensating. Trickier to fix. And def more expensive than an EQ plugin.


#808

07/10/2023

Without further delay…

Struggling to add interest and ear candy moments to a lead vocal? It’s often the difference between a blah mix and one that keeps your attention throughout.

More often than not, the lyric is literally singing the ideas right to you.

Such as an 8th delay in a the second half of break down bar where the last word is “kept.”
Yes please… I think I’ll keep that thought with a filtered delay bleeding into the next bar.

Or a lyric with the word “back and forth” allow the opportunity for a ping pong delay. As an example.

Or…taking advantage of the words “ocean” or “sky” with a subtle (and bigger” reverb effect for a moment.
Why bother thinking when then lyric is dictating what to do.

Subtlety is key. Over done ain’t cool. Got it?

Carry on…on… on… on….

22/09/2023

Transparent and clean going in.
Add character after the fact.

Adding the exact type of color and how much of it is extremely simple at any point after the vocal recording is finished.

Undoing color and character if it’s too much after the vocal recorded is not possible. Guessing is just that…
Naturally, using hardware to add color and character on the way in has value IF one knows exactly what they want. And that can be somewhat genre related.
And unless you’re funds are unlimited in the hardware world, software is simply just a safer option and leaves way more just for processing after the fact.

I like options. Personally.
Everyone has their own opinions.

I like options. Did I say that already?



An warranted and unpleasant comments are deleted immediately.

15/09/2023

The. “Eh, It’s Not That Great Podcast”!

Well there all you audio enthusiasts out there, my uncontrollable sarcasm has failed miserably. (Again).

That “podcast” announcement was satire poking fun at another one out there with an opposite kind of name and equally ridiculous “content.”
She takes “deadpan” a little too far. Someone should check her pulse.

Anyway… the response to the poorly executed joke was so overwhelming that maybe o DO actually need to do this. It’s been running through what’s left of my brain since.
Episode one could be with neurosurgeon to explain how having a tumor from the third ventricle is done. The corpus callosum is severed in the process… which is probably what explains the uncontrollable sarcasm is all about.
(And no… none of that is a joke)

So… if I actually did peruse this, are you all going to be disappointed that I don’t actually have consecutive numbered 251 to potentially drop on camera? I know I know… false promises. (I did own an amazing one a decade ago and stupidly sold it before moving to LA)

I think it would be equally amusing to use an SM7B and purposefully smash it to bits at the end of each episode. Maybe I can get a Shire endorsement to provide them.

Anyone from Shure following here?

Stand by… I’m stupidly investigating actually doing this podcast.
And it absolutely eill@still be called the “Eh, It’s Not That Great Podcast.

07/09/2023

How much time do I typically spend on any given mix?

That’s the number one question I get asked by aspiring mixers. Obviously there are a number of factors in involved. Such as…how complicated it is, how many tracks there are, how well it’s recorded and a handful of other things.

However, the answer is always the same. How ever long it takes to get the best mix possible. Whether it’s a day or 2.5. Clients are not impressed by how fast it’s done. They only care about how great it sounds.

Those that are guided by a set amount of time are destined to fail.

If it seems like spending 2 days on a mix is excessive and bad for your bottom line… not if you consider that client isn’t calling again if the mix you deliver sucks.

Personally, I play the long game.
Now… 3 decades of it. Any number of extra days in all of those decades is what’s kept and keeps the work coming in.

There’s the answer.

27/08/2023

Got friends?

This is what my personal project would like without mine.

This one is more on a personal note… but still has a valuable message. IMHO.
For the second time in 3 decades, I’m producing a track for myself. No agenda… other than the enjoyment of working on music for me and an old friend.

I’m literally 3 months into this track and have a long way to go, simply because I’m always working on clients music.

But that’s not really the point. I’m lucky that I have access to many of the world finest musicians to play on this thing. And I’ve reached out and “hired” a few of them already. What has come back is nothing short of mind boggling brilliant. Just stunning. What’s even more stunning is that each and every one of these A-list players has offered to do it completely free of any charge or at a ridiculous discounted rate. How lucky, right? Perhaps.

In each case, I’ve said absolutely NOT. And they’ve argued about paying them.
The relationships and friends I’ve garnered over the last few decades are the types of people I couldn’t have dreamed to to be able to work with.

Their talents are indescribable and it all the more reason I want to honor them by paying them appropriately for that talent. The willingness to play on this track IS THE GIFT. Not the offer to do it on the cheap.

If you can’t feel good about properly taking care of your friends and people who’s talents you admire, than who can you feel good about paying? Honor those people. That’s my point. FWIW. Pay them their worth.

One would pray they feel the same way.

Huge thanks to “you guys” you know who you are.

27/08/2023

May this will resonate with you?

EQing vocals. It’s typically not as simple as it sounds. The singers voice, the mic, the key of the song, how dynamic the vocalists is… all play a big role EQing a vocal well.

Resonances at certain frequencies and dealing with this properly is the difference between a great mix and a not so great mix.
I recently posted about using a dynamic EQ to deal with various EQ anomalies in a vocal. And I received several DM’s about how to how to do it, and how to know what frequencies. Figuring that out is actually more simple than it sounds. And it’s the one time when your eye can be as important as your ears.

It’s easy know generally what area of the EQ spectrum need attention. But zoning in on the exact frequency and how wide that band needs to be is as simple as using an EQ with a real time frequency analyzer in its display. With the EQ as the first insert, simply by look at the analyzer to “see” where the resonances are and use that as the guide to dial in the dynamic EQ behind it. I typically use lower ratios on the dynamic EQ with fast attack and release times. It reacts fast and gets out of the way fast. Low ratios to help insure there’s know pumping once the threshold is set appropriately.

Once dialed… out the eye away and relay on the ears to know if it’s too much or too little.

Easy peazy.
Remember where you learned it from.

Peace and love.
Ask Ringo.

23/08/2023

Parallel alert!

has easily become one of my favorite dynamics processing plugins… whether on a track or used in parallel.

More often in parallel than not.
I like to think of using dynamics processing in parallel as more of an “additive” process. Whereas using it on a track directly “feels” more subtractive when using the wet set balance.

In reality, you can yield the same result but I like thinking of it that was and using independent faders to quickly and easily find the correct balance without “taking away” from the original dry signal.

In this example I’m using it on a darker electric piano on the overdrive setting to add saturation… yielding upper harmonics. (Brighter sound)

There’s lots a saturation plugins but this one goes to 11. So to speak. Lots of unique features.

Check it out. And no, I’m not an official endorser for NewFangled.

But perhaps that should change. ;) Anyone out there.

Hit me up!

Cheers.

12/08/2023

FB is asking what’s on my mind.
Interesting question.

I’ve had conversations with a few Chicago musicians and worked with a couple these past couple of weeks. That has happened in a very long time.

In about a week I’m having a rather milestone bday… like it or not.

It was 30 years ago that HINGE opened on Ohio street. THIRTY. I have no idea where those 30 years went. Gone in a flash.

What’s been on my mind is the unbelievable journey that started in the gray room just off the Kennedy. What’s also been on my mind, given the last few weeks, is all the amazing musicians that graced this room. And how lucky I’ve been to have had all that talent around me. It’s probably safe to say that I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should of while it was happening. That’s hard to do, I suppose.

But I sure do now… looking back.

So for whatever it’s worth now, I’d like to thank each everyone one of you that was apart of this room and that era. Nearly all of you are connected as “friends.”

If you happen to see this, please drop a comment just to say hey.
And know that I miss those times and that era. Thank you.

Cheers!

08/08/2023

Or is it the other way around?

05/08/2023

Mutli-band compression.
This is my plugin of choice.

It allows independent bands of compression..: meaning it doesn’t force a crossover point between bands. (Other MB’s do. Read into that all you like).
Simple to use.

On a vocal… typically a fast attack and fast release is the desired route. External key isn’t required for simple adjustment of any huffiness and ripping hi end. Disengage off any unused bands.

And no… I don’t have and artist relationship with .
Why? Good question. ;)

Go get it.
And then hit me up with the “you’re right” DMs. ;)

31/07/2023

I read a great article this morning about the devaluation of artists… and music by this company that shall not be named. Owned by some guy that has absolutely not tie or appreciation to the music. This company uses and abuses artists that feed it machine. It a really mentions the artists and credits anyone involved in the production process.

And doing so it encourages these same artists to spend as little time, effort and expense to spit out the music it profits from. A never ending cycle.

Therefore, you the artist, has a choice. To keep feeding into mediocrity. Or rise above and and value the music you produce despite these bottom dwelling as****es that profit from it.

Which do you want to be?