Mixing

Please, please, please get all tracks cleanly recorded.  Try to get all sounds to be solid so that you are happy even before it gets to me to be treated further.  Make sure all your tracks have properly tuned drums and guitars.  Be sure the intonation is correct for any and every guitar you use so that the song can really be powerful instead of weak and annoying.  Oh yeah, and try to sing in tune!  I hate using Antares Autotune!

Basically, I can do a lot to make good tracks sound better. Ultimately, your end is going to be half the battle for me so commit to getting your best tracks possible. Don't rely on studio trickery to fix every little problem. Don't forget, you have to play these songs live and if the album sounds better than you well then…

Please don't make me polish #$%@ because you will still have #$%@ in the end.

To have options available for me please track both a DI signal and a mic signal for all guitars and bass. If you have enough inputs get DDrum triggers and record those on separate tracks for all drums.

Your best bet is to track all your parts with dry signal, no room sound unless that is really what you want. Usually, I tame the tracks with a healthy amount of compression and limiting so anything tracked with natural elements included will me magnified ten times. On the other hand, you may not dig a slamming, in your face and compressed sounds. Track the song any way you like and I will deal with it on a more natural and organic level as well.

When labeling the tracks for each song please use consistent names from one song to the next. Please make sure the tracks are all labeled and meant to stay in the mix. Delete anything that is not supposed to be there. Make sure to consolidate each track so that they all start and stop at the same time. Don't do any fades unless you really have to. Make sure all tracks are recorded in 24 bit WAV, AIF, or AIFF audio files.

ONLY SEND DVDS OR A HARD DRIVE WITH ALL YOUR SONGS. FINALLY, DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT SEND THE ORIGINAL FILES TO ME. ONLY SEND THE BACKUP FILES FOR MIXING.