Guy has asked me several times to answer some questions about the mix process and I've been trying to get around to it for days now. Of course I'm happy to share some comments on that it's been impossible this week to find a few minutes to reply.
The big thing first of all from a mix perspective is that VI is 24bit over the old 16 bit format. For me personally just speaking from a mixing perspective I find this to be a huge improvement and immediately makes it easier to achieve a better sound at the finished output when mixing a large number of instruments. It's just a start off on the right foot.
Second it's good to acknowledge the concept that VSL is essentially a dry recorded sample library, which means you need to think like an engineer who wants to place the sound and sculpt that sound. It's not as easy as some libraries, but it is far more flexible and ultimately you can achieve a wider variety of sounds. In this convolution reverb is essential in my opinion. Otherwise I think things tend to sound flat. You don't record musicians in a room all on the same spot you place them - this is important to create depth.
Third, as Guy said more than other libraries you need to use your ears, listen to how it sounds see what works. Beat has a good tutorial I read a while back on his site about tailoring instruments with eq according to their placement with other instruments - I didn't get into that much in these mixes, I wanted to present the VI sounds more "honestly" as that is what people want the demo for - but I did some compensative eq on sections of instruments sometimes based on the affect of the reverb sometimes but very little. The point is that his technique is interesting and a good idea - but small moves, and listen. Do research, listen to the mixes, think about the concepts behind the library and any equipment you are using and how it will affect the sound, listen to the results, and also an important thing - take rests, let your ears "breathe" so you can come back and hear it fresh. Try listening to the mix louder at times (not too loud), and quiet, your listening room is very important. Simple things like that. Finally the thing I try to do is approach the mix as a musical endeavour not a technical one, and there, you have to use your musicality with your technical knowledge as an assistant not the leader.
For my own input I think Guy's composition, performance and programming of this latest demo is just astoundingly excellent fun to listen to (and mix!) when you consider it is one persons performance - bravo! Thank you!
By the way my name on VSL is mpower88 if anyone wants to message me.
All the Best,
Miklos Power.
As to what technic I use to get this sound as this was asked to me by some, on this thread and through PM, I don't have a single technic, it changes on a daily basis looking for better ways all the time. My ways might not work for someone else, I think it's a personal thing which adapts to your own musical needs and although I do have some little secrets of mine I think it's more important for people to develop their own VSL technics tailor made for them and their set up to suite their personal style. But all I can say is don't settle for one way, use your imagination, which is what I do all the time. 9 out of 10 things I try don't sound good but the 10th works, what tells me if it works: my ears, that's basically my technic, as I've seen Dietz say (I think): "if it sounds good, it's good". I try very hard to find the perfect articulation through the right patch or with several combinations and occasionally I get lucky....like discovering plutonium at the end of long walk. Although I'm flattered to see some of these reactions but at the same time I feel I still have a long way to go, but it's reassuring to know that VSL is there to make these tools available for us which is the essential." I apologize if some were expecting detailed explanation of technics used in Second Age of Krypton, but after thinking about it I realized it's more a combination of dozens and dozens little things that added together make something interesting and I wouldn't know where to began explaining this.
Regards,
Guy