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Pre-Production: Importing Stems

Lesson 5 from: Recording Metal with Eyal Levi: A Bootcamp

Eyal Levi

Pre-Production: Importing Stems

Lesson 5 from: Recording Metal with Eyal Levi: A Bootcamp

Eyal Levi

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Lesson Info

5. Pre-Production: Importing Stems

Lessons

Class Trailer
1

Intro to Bootcamp

13:44
2

Purpose of Pre-Production

15:54
3

Technical Side of Preproduction

11:32
4

Pre-Production: Setting Up the Tempo Map

12:05
5

Pre-Production: Importing Stems

10:10
6

Pre-Production: Click Track

15:26
7

Creating Tracking Templates

17:03
8

Intro and the Tone Pie

04:51
9

Drums - Lay of the Land

10:44
10

Bearing Edges

03:09
11

Wood Types

10:36
12

Depths and Sizes

04:00
13

Hoops

02:38
14

Sticks and Beaters

07:38
15

Drum Heads

07:30
16

Drum Tuning

1:03:54
17

Drum Mic Placement Intro

10:37
18

Basic Drum Mic Setup

53:36
19

Cymbal Mic Setup

35:24
20

Touch Up Tuning

46:55
21

Microphone Choice and Placement

40:34
22

Drum Tracking Intro

01:01
23

Getting Tones and Final Placement

34:51
24

Primary Tracking

31:54
25

Punching In and Comping Takes

20:11
26

Guitar Setup and Rhythm Tone Tracking

01:59
27

Amplifiers - Lay of the Land

10:00
28

Amplifiers & Cab Shoot Out

27:12
29

Guitar Cab Mic Choice and Placement

03:56
30

Guitar Tracking and Signal Chain

29:07
31

Finalizing Amplifier Tone

51:24
32

Guitar Mic Shootout Round Robin

05:21
33

Intro to Rhythm Tracking

07:46
34

Setting Up Guitars

15:02
35

Working with a Guitarist

05:04
36

Final Guitar Tone and Recap

04:10
37

Guitar Tracking with John

15:19
38

Guitar Tracking with Ollie

32:03
39

Final Tracking

22:08
40

Tracking Quads

33:44
41

Intro to Bass Tone

01:26
42

Bass Tone Setup

07:35
43

Bass Tone Mic Placement

16:42
44

Bass Tracking

45:08
45

Intro to Clean and Lead Tones

02:15
46

Clean Guitar Tones

34:04
47

Lead Tones

10:58
48

Vocal Setup for Tracking

11:26
49

Vocal Mic Selection and Setup

02:38
50

Vocal Mic Shootout

09:13
51

Lead Vocal Tracking

38:09
52

Writing Harmonies

07:44
53

Harmony Vocal Tracking

23:25
54

Vocal Warm Ups

11:39
55

Scream Vocal Tracking

18:56
56

Vocal Tuning and Editing Introduction

01:35
57

Vocal Tuning and Editing

29:26
58

Routing and Bussing

25:16
59

Color Coding, Labeling and Arranging Channels

17:54
60

Setting Up Parallel Compression

30:50
61

Setting Up Drum Triggers

10:41
62

Gain Staging and Trim

1:00:54
63

Drum Mixing - Subtractive EQ

25:38
64

Drum Mixing - Snare

23:00
65

Drum Mixing - Kick

11:39
66

Drum Mixing - Toms

24:47
67

Drum Mixing - Cymbals and Rooms

17:23
68

Drum Mixing Recap

08:57
69

Mixing Bass Guitar

16:26
70

Mixing Rhythm Guitars

1:16:07
71

Basic Vocal Mix

1:08:59
72

Mixing Clean and Lead Guitars

58:55
73

Mixing - Automation

43:35
74

Mastering - Interview with Joel Wanasek

31:01

Lesson Info

Pre-Production: Importing Stems

So first thing I would do is get the tempo map in. Got that in. Got the markers in. They already have that done. If they didn't then I would do it in another order I would import their session. I mean their bounces. And then start creating the markers in tempo map from there. Now you just need to make sure that what they send you are actually stemmed out. Meaning that they're all consolidated to the zero point. So start by importing their Pre Pro stems. And the clicks. So, mind you, I'm hitting copy all. Because I actually want to copy these into my audio drive. If you're just one person and you never switch computers. This may not seem like a huge deal. But if you're going from room to room you wanna' make sure that those files are in the actual audio files folder for the session. So, copy them all in. Yes, I want them in the audio files folder. Any questions while this processes. Well Justin wanted to know I guess explain the zero point consolidation. Sure. Or what is consolida...

ting to (mumbles). I will show you an example when this audio gets in. Basically, what it means is that, if an audio file is cut up into various pieces or starts not at the start of the session that you basically create a version that glues it all together into one audio file that starts at zero. So that if you were to export it and someone else was to put into their DAW all they would have to do is pull in the stems line them up at zero and everything would work. They wouldn't have to hunt around for where everything goes. Which is one of the most annoying things ever to have to do. If you're getting audio from other people. Is to have to guess where it should go. You should just be able to pull it into the session; have it all work so. Hitting new tracks. Boom. And... So that's what it looks like when it's consolidated. Yeah so let's just say that... that's not consolidated now. So if I were to export these, if I was sending these. Say if this was the end of the line. You know, this is my recording and I'm sending it to somebody else to mix and I'm bouncing all this out and I send them this, and this, and this. See, all they have to do, whoever it is, is pull these into their session. Stick them against the zero point right here at the start. And everything will line up. However if I export this, like this. Then it'll actually start right there. If they line it up. That's not the right place clearly. Then they'll have to either, hit you up and tell you that you did it wrong or they'll have to guess that it goes right here. And that can't get rather annoying. Specially when you have lots of vocals. People are notorious for doing this with synths. When you get on the consolidated audio like this the true meaning of subjective comes... It really like comes forward because, it's really really interesting where you might think that a piece of audio should go as opposed to where the band intended for it to go. So you're kinda' lettin' people's creativity engage on stuff that it shouldn't engage on if you send unconsolidated stems. So on Pro Tools, the way you would do this is you would select that and then drag it all the way to zero and the Shift + Option + boom, problem solved. Okay, so, let's see what we got. First things first is I'm gonna' rename this stuff so that it's easier for me to look at 'cause everything is zero, seven dash. So... Remove this number and then I'm gonna' call this Pre Pro underscore Backup Vocals, okay. Pre Pro undescore, common', underscore, you bastard. Underscore Base Guitar. Okay (mouse and keyboard clicks) Pre Pro, underscore, Cleans. Explain why I'm doing this like this in a second. Pre Pro, underscore, Lead Guitars. Rhythms. Samples. And, you know, since I know that these are actually synths and I don't want any confusion between, these and drum samples for instance. I'm gonna' actually call this Synth. Whoops, did I miss anything? And... Okay so I'm gonna' call this Pre Pro Instrumental. (mouse and keyboard clicks) I'll just call this Click. You're Song No Click. All right, cool. The reason that I do this the way I do it is... Now you'll notice this also later on, some of you guys who have seen my other Creative Lives or heard the podcast or whatnot know that I like to do things this way. Basically, I always put what type of track it is in abbreviation up front. Like, if it's GTR, if it's guitars I'll put G/RH for rhythms or something or G/Cleans. That way when you export these or you look at the audio files menu if you do it alphabetically all the guitars will be together, all the pre pro will be together, all the vocals will be together. You won't have to hunt around for stuff. It's just one more step at being efficient with your life. So... And then the last thing I'll do is just kinda' group things together, kinda' in a logical order. Cool. Now... So let's check their instrumental. I'm actually gonna' add a master fader. Just in case the output is blaring or something. I don't wanna' kill you guys. I'll just put a trim on it. (mouse and keyboard clicks) I'll route this all to the master. (heavy metal music plays and stops) (heavy metal music plays) (heavy metal music stops) I'm afraid that's... (heavy metal music plays) (heavy metal music stops) Getting something like that from a band it's so great. Most bands aren't capable of doing something that sounds this good. But, God, what a relief when they can right?

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Eyal Levi Bootcamp Bonuses
Drum Editing - HD

Ratings and Reviews

Ron
 

I'm on lesson 19! Already worth every dollar!!! Priceless insight! I have already incorporated some of the ideas (preproduction common sense stuff that I never thought of, but damn). VERY HAPPY with this course! ALWAYS LEARNING and looking forward to the next 50 (or whatever) lessons!!! Excellent course! GREAT PRODUCER/ENGINEER, GREAT DRUM TECH, and GREAT BAND!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

ceeleeme
 

I'm just part way though and I'm blown away by the quality approach Eyal takes to getting the best out of the sessions. I love how well everything is explained and Eyals calm manner is just awesome it really makes you want to listen to the gems of wisdom he offers.

Will
 

Wow is all I can say. This bootcamp goes in so much depth from tuning drums, setting up guitars, to recording and mixing. I have learned so much by participating in this bootcamp. It has taught me some new recording techniques and signal routing for my mixes. I just want to thank Eyal, Monuments, and Creative Live for taking the time to do this. It has been amazing and I will keep going back to these videos.

Student Work

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