who writes in Live, but mixes elsewhere?

hat · Post by **hat** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:47 am

Just curious to see how many of you prefer writing and mixing entirely in Live, and how many like to render each track as an AIF/WAV and mix elsewhere (ProTools, Logic, Sonar, etc.), for whatever reason (prefer the sound engine, or the use of plugins you can't access in Live, etc.).

I keep it all in Live for smaller project, but will mix in ProTools for bigger stuff, dunno, just sounds a bit more open and clear. Not trying to bring back the "Live sound engine" debate, just curious.

bitmap · Post by **bitmap** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 7:20 am

I do all my writing and mixing in Live. I do some editing and light mastering in peak or DSP Quattro . but other than that it's all Live.
I've never really had issues with the way live sounds.

::mic-minimal:: · Post by **::mic-minimal::** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 9:19 am

hey i've got a question regarding the sound engine of Live, for those that export wav files to mix in other daws they feel sound better than live are they actualy saying that the wavs that they rendered in 'lives quality' sound better or get enhanced by being mixed in say sonar, logic?... if so how do those other daws make the 'live quality' wavfiles better quality?
in other words to get the better quality wouldn't they have to be recorded originaly with-in those other go-to daws?

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 11:07 am

I'm kind of doing the opposite as of right now. I'm composing in Logic, and rendering audio to use in Live. I'm prepping for Live shows, and for the most part I'll be using Live 4, (maybe a song with Sculpture played live will happen, but...) I am composing some in Live, but not any bigger more traditional rock style tracks, more like the freaky electronic break down shit.
I might develop the songs further in Live, but I think I would just rewire it into Logic when mastering, just for the plug ins more than anything else. Also, Logic's automation is a bit more surgical than Live, and easier to edit.

I write industrial, and though I use some high end treatments, I really don't think Live is too bad for mix down, Logic does sound a wee bit better, but nothing to cry about IMO.

rajcoont · Post by **rajcoont** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:58 pm

i have a question for those who mix elsewhere; if you are rendering the files out one by one to import into another DAW, do you just start everything at bar 1? I have been considering rendering files out as i have run out of cpu in Live on a particular song, but it is a lot of hassle and work to render individual files right now in live....what are some peoples ways of working around this?

hat · Post by **hat** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 6:13 pm

Yes, it's a lot of work but - imo - it's rather worth it.

I just highlight the area I need rendered, if it's bar 1/beat 1 then so be it. Everything lines up correctly in PT.
Once in ProTools, I make sure I'm at the same tempo so that I can do more edits if needed. I really love Live for composing but choose to mix in PT for a couple of reason.

1 - I get horrible performance using Digi's Core Audio driver in Live, particularly when the tracks start adding up. I sincerely hope this gets resolved one day.

2 - The mix buss in Live seems to lose definition once too many tracks are playing, regardless of how sculpted they are with eq's. To my ears, it just sounds better when mixed in PT, despite the many thoeries posted here that "this cannot be"....whatever. I hear the difference right away as I hit play in PT.

mike holiday · Post by **mike holiday** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 11:27 pm

both somtimes completely in live and sometimes bounce and import to PT...if im recording external gear i'll record that into PT and then use the audio in live..

it's hard beat PT for editing audio.

no set way it just depends what im trying to do and how my work flows...

useing different programs can be insperational as well...you get into differnt context and think differnetly about what you are createing.

mindlobster · Post by **mindlobster** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 1:18 am

I'm another who usually ENDS UP in Live, having written parts in sequencers, collected odd bits of noise, etc etc. I have friends with 'better' ears than me who tell me Logic sounds better, but Live sounds ok to me. I've done a couple of remixes for other people, and nobody's ever sent it back and said 'do it in logic!'...

AdamJay · Post by **AdamJay** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 2:02 am

mindlobster wrote: I've done a couple of remixes for other people, and nobody's ever sent it back and said 'do it in logic!'...

a label manager just the other day asked me what desk i'm using to mix down an album thats getting wrapped up this month. when i told him it was done in Live, he didn't believe me. and thats what i love about live, no it doesn't sound PERFECT, but perfection has no room in music anyways. expression does. lets keep the concept of perfection in the religious realm.
just as an allen&heath or a mackie or any other middle of the road mixing desk doesn't sound perfect. Folks, if you don't like the "character" of live (because thats whta it is), then use logic and stfu.

but what you just said mindlobster....
that is now my favorite quote regarding the sound quality of live.
mind if i just drop that into any one of these STUPID Live sound quality threads?

mindlobster · Post by **mindlobster** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 2:15 am

Be my guest

special ed · Post by **special ed** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 3:26 am

AdamJay wrote:
mindlobster wrote: I've done a couple of remixes for other people, and nobody's ever sent it back and said 'do it in logic!'...
a label manager just the other day asked me what desk i'm using to mix down an album thats getting wrapped up this month. when i told him it was done in Live, he didn't believe me. and thats what i love about live, no it doesn't sound PERFECT, but perfection has no room in music anyways. expression does. lets keep the concept of perfection in the religious realm.
just as an allen&heath or a mackie or any other middle of the road mixing desk doesn't sound perfect. Folks, if you don't like the "character" of live (because thats whta it is), then use logic and stfu.

but what you just said mindlobster....
that is now my favorite quote regarding the sound quality of live.
mind if i just drop that into any one of these STUPID Live sound quality threads?

thats the key word "character". personally i did prefer logics sound, but im starting to like the live sound more. it makes me feel more like a musical renegade.

blakbeltjonez · Post by **blakbeltjonez** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 4:03 pm

2 - The mix buss in Live seems to lose definition once too many tracks are playing, regardless of how sculpted they are with eq's. To my ears, it just sounds better when mixed in PT, despite the many thoeries posted here that "this cannot be"....whatever. I hear the difference right away as I hit play in PT.

i'm with you on that one - although i find it to be the case to some degree or another with just about any in-the-box DAW, Logic and Protools included. it's pushed me down the road of sending everything out to a mixer and then recording the main out of that for the final mix. if it's just a few tracks mixing internally isn't a big deal though.[/quote]

3phase · Post by **3phase** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 4:32 pm

Character? yes and no...i like the graininess of the warpengine..but when it comes to mixing of plain audiofiles ...ones without warp...you hear much better what the mixbus is doing to the audio material...sound somhow tired to me... not really nice...
The older workstation programs have theire mixbus higly improoved during the last years... dithering is a keyword here...
Protools, Logic and Cubase sound better this days than in the past...
I hope that this can be said aboult Live soon aswell.. I dont think it will loose character when transparencie is added to the mixbus.

elemental · Post by **elemental** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 5:01 pm

I agree. The mix bus sounds a bit 'flat' when compared to Cubase SX or Logic. It's not that noticeable but I have noticed it. I might use Logic or Cubase for a final mix thru rewire (or bounce down seperate tracks) if it bothers me but havent done that yet.

I think in the next few years DAW mixing will be improved, esp once the new DSD (Direct Stream Digital) technology becomes available on the consumer market.

ashley_k · Post by **ashley_k** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 5:32 pm

… looking into the future – the year 2025 – today at NAMM a new plug-in was announced the Abelton Live Mixbus Character Emulator, this plug-in has been faithfully modelled on the classic Abelton Live mixbus and gives you opportunity get that retro 16bit or 24bit sound on today’s super clean perfect 768bit DAWs …

… Abelton also announced Live 23 the latest version of their legendary DAW, new features include …

who writes in Live, but mixes elsewhere?

who writes in Live, but mixes elsewhere?

live/mixing

Re: live/mixing

live/mixing

Re: live/mixing