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Re: OT: How to mix guitar/synth/drum machines? Guitar DI vs Amp?

I like to consider the harmonic content of the music when trying to blend sources via EQ, PAN and DYNAMICs processing.  Reduce voice masking before boosting an EQ and chances are good you won't need to boost at all.  And you won't need much compression to make the mix pop either. 
   
To this end--Cutting freqs that cloud the fundamental and its fifth can really help to reveal  all parts of the mix while retaining the essential punchiness in the low end.  Further, this approach puts you in the mindset of "what can I cut out, so that I can hear such and such voice more clearly" rather than the circular and self defeating "turn me up and then turn up all the stuff that I just covered up" approach.  You know u have been there. 

Here is a useful link (for western music anyway):

daniel


On Mar 13, 2012, at 12:49 PM, bill bigrig wrote:

This may be inane, but I love my Paia "Stack-in-a-box". Tube overdrive, cab sim, etc. They also offer a "Quadrafuzz". I'm still building it so can't vouch for it yet. In front of the "SITB" it might add even more sound. You have to build them though. If you can solder, you're set.
Rig

From: Marcus Kirby <marcusloops@gmail.com>
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Sent: Thursday, March 1, 2012 8:15 PM
Subject: OT: How to mix guitar/synth/drum machines? Guitar DI vs Amp?

I'm using a mono synth, guitar with a bunch of pedals, and some drum samples in ableton.

I have a bit to haul around, so I'm trying to minimize the amount of equipment that I have. Which leads me to....

Issue One: Guitar DI vs Amp
I have a fender bandmaster reverb that sounds amazing. It isn't feasible to carry around the amp+cab, pedals, keyboards, etc. This has led me to going DI, but alas, it sounds bad. I've considered a small 1x12 mic'ed, but then the fullness of the guitar starts to take everything over. Is there any way to get a decent sound running DI? Can I somehow run a dummy load from my amp head, then send the line out signal to my interface? What about running the output of ableton to my tube amp?

Issue Two: Analog Synth and Guitars
I use my mono synth mainly for bass sounds. I would like to get a juno at some point, but for now, I'm sampling the synth and doing poly that way. I have a hard time figuring out how extreme the eq'ing should be though. Does anyone have suggested reading material for mixing guitar and analog synths? 

Issue Three: Mixing electronic sounds and acoustic sounds
Is anyone else mixing acoustic sounds and electronic sounds? I'm having issues with the electronics sounding a bit sterile. I've even tried synthesizing my own sounds to match the guitar, but it seems to be a constant problem.