A mix using EZmix

[Scott]

Hi folks!

Here’s a song that was mixed using EZmix exclusively. Well, I did use a UAD de-esser on the lead vocal (no de-esser in EZmix) and a channel EQ in Cubase on the Vocal Reverb but other than that, this is all EZmix. There is also an EZmix on the mix bus with a limiter and tape simulator. After mixing and before making the mp3 I ran it through a UAD Limiter to add about 2.5 dB of level.

I spent about an hour and a half from start to finish. I did mix this song previously using UAD plugins but, I have to say, this mix sounds great…especially for only an hour and a half.

Let me know what you think.

http://www.rainbowsounds.com/Toontrack/Hundreds%20of%20Days%20EZmix.mp3

Scott Sibley - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

Topic

[Scott]

Very nice sound, Sir.
I really think that has a nice overall sound to it – needless to say, I dig the tune, too!
Those vocals (at times) have an eerie feel to them – because of the ‘verb, maybe?
Whatever it is – I like the vox.

Very kew of you to share this with us.
Thanks!

Scott

-Mac Studio (2023)–  Apple M2 Max
-macOS Ventura Version 13.6
-Logic Pro 10.7.9 
-64 GB Ram 
-Universal Audio Apollo 8 (UAD2 DUO) – max sample rate supported: 192
-typical buffer /  typical sample rate:  128 / 44.1
-External drives:
*SanDisk  2TB USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A/Type-C Portable SSD  
*Glyph 3TB HD w/  USB-C/3.0/2.0 Compatibility
*OWC 2TB Aura P12 Pro NVME M.2 SSD housed in OWC Express 4-slot 4M2 M.2 NVME Thunderbolt 3 ports
-Midi Controllers:  M-Audio Keystation 88, Novation 61SL

[Scott]

Yeah, I would call them eerie too, especailly on the ‘all that time we had’ part. The singer wanted a ‘haunting’ sound when I originally mixed this song and kept requesting I turn up the delays and reverb on that part. The vibe of the song is retro ’70s.

Scott Sibley - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Damian Blunt]

Sounds great!…reminds my of Jeff Buckley

Damian Blunt - Toontrack
Quality Assurance
Betatesting

[Scott]

I’ve had requests from other forums to provide a ‘before’ version.

Here’s a faders up, dry and only slightly balanced mix:

http://www.rainbowsounds.com/Toontrack/Hundreds%20of%20Days%20Faders%20Up%20Dry.mp3

Scott Sibley - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Scott]

Interesting.

-Mac Studio (2023)–  Apple M2 Max
-macOS Ventura Version 13.6
-Logic Pro 10.7.9 
-64 GB Ram 
-Universal Audio Apollo 8 (UAD2 DUO) – max sample rate supported: 192
-typical buffer /  typical sample rate:  128 / 44.1
-External drives:
*SanDisk  2TB USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A/Type-C Portable SSD  
*Glyph 3TB HD w/  USB-C/3.0/2.0 Compatibility
*OWC 2TB Aura P12 Pro NVME M.2 SSD housed in OWC Express 4-slot 4M2 M.2 NVME Thunderbolt 3 ports
-Midi Controllers:  M-Audio Keystation 88, Novation 61SL

[Scott]

…and by ‘interesting’ I hope you mean that the dry mix sounds like poo compared to the EZmix version

Scott Sibley - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[myron]

Hey Waterboy, when can we expect an “EZmiz” tutorial video? You’ve got a real niche’ for it!

M1 Mac Mini • 16GB RAM • OSX 14.2.1 • UA Quad • Logic 10.8 • Kontakt 7 • Toontrack SD3

[Scott]

I’ve had requests for the UAD/Powercore/Other high end do-dads version of Hundreds of Days.

It took me considerably longer to mix than the 1.5 hour EZmix version.  I also mixed this about 2 years ago so I would hope I could do a better job of it today if I could, but, enough excuses.

Scott Sibley - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Rogjul]

Scott,
It sounds awsome ( the EZ mix version I mean)
I do not own EZ mix as of yet , but this sounds great.
I aslo use Cubase 5.1 , Can you tell how many instances of ez mix you used , and what effects were used on the channels ?

Were the ez mix effects mainly for the drums, of vocals or guitars, or bass, or master channel, or all of the above. Which ez mix effect seems to be
the “killer effect” so far in your use of it ?

Talk me into buying it ( I also have uad-1 plugs )
Thx
Roger

[Scott]

I’m on my laptop and not in the studio but I’ll see if I can remember…

First, my studio computer is a dinosaur. It’s a P4|3gHz|XP|2GB RAM running C4.1.2. Before I started the EZmix version, I was hopeful that I wouldn’t run out of CPU before the mix was done. I was happy in the end as I ran all EZmix instances I needed and the meter in Cubase was around 65-70%.

Now, EZmix was used on everything. Individual drum kit pieces (kick, snare, toms) as well as some busing I did (parallel drum compression where I sent the kick, snare and toms for more compression). I used multiple instances on some things like I used a preset that have compression on the snare and then another instance with an eq preset. I think this is important.

Anyways, there is a couple of EZmixs on the bass. One I use for compression/limiting and one for eq shaping.

Clean electric guitars had a guitar preset that worked. IIRC, the one I used had the shape and blend faders in use (blend controlling reverb) and I pulled the reverb off totally in that preset.

Vocals had a couple of EZmixs as well as a UAD de-esser. I used an EZmix preset that had tape sim as well as slapback echo.

I set up a few FX channels and inserted EZmix. One was set to a snare reverb. One was a small room verb that I sent all the drum sound to as well as the clean guitars. I set up a bigger vocal reverb as well as a vocal delay bus. There were also slide guitar reverb and delay FX channels set up so I could feed the various slide guitar track to them.

I also put an EZmix master preset on the mix bus. This had limiting and tape simulation.

For me, I really was digging the tape delays. They have a nice, vintage sound to them. That kind of ‘each delay repeat gets dirtier sounding’ vibe. I was also impressed with the tape simulation sound. It gives you that tape ‘hiss’ sound as well as a nice saturation sound. I think I may use it on the mix bus and not use the limiter part and just the tape sim on other projects (Shape fader adjusts limiter and the Blend fader adjusts tape sim for that preset).

Some of the talk about this plugin around other forums seems to think that a monkey can use this and mix a hit record! Even though EZmix is preset based, it still takes skill to select the right preset and tweak it to get the sound you want. The right preset may not even be what you think. For example, maybe using the ‘Kick 1’ preset might work for the bass guitar. Or the ‘Guitar’ preset may work for the vocal. You get the idea.

Scott Sibley - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Juan_M]

whoa, HUGE difference!! I tend to have my mixes a bit drier but I have to admit this mix just works. Very cool to hear what EZ Mix can do, I hadn’t thought about buying it but after this, I may pull the trigger.

Thanks for sharing!

[Author]

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