Not sure where to start looking for the right info…
Essentially im struggling to get good results with 6-7 tracks going on. Gets too congested. Even with fewer tracks it’s not great.
I’m assuming I’m getting the gain staging wrong?
I’ve only got a DAW, SP404mk2 or Blackbox to compare to, but my results seem to have better separation and everything has more space compared to what I’m getting in the OT.
Settings already checked - 24bit recordings, filter off when not needed. Time stretching off.
Any help appreciated.
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Must resist sound quality joke…. Must…
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I know. I know… not sure how to get around that one when I’m asking what I’m asking.
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I so wanted to ask this question when I had my OT. Same issues, I know it was a me issue, wasn’t sure how to ask without the dreaded debate.
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hmm. I never had problems with gain staging. I didn’t even no what that would be…
Do you have problems with recorded stuff?
Otherwise, for mixing internal stuff - you can set volumes, you can pan, you even have an eq and compressor per track. Everything I would use in DAW is basically available
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Yeah, I should probables make that clear, it’s all stuff recorded (sampled) into OT. I don’t tend to use samples loaded from a card. I’m working exactly how I would with other gear (blackbox, 404, DAW) using the same equipment. So it has to be a case of how it’s going into the OT and at what levels / gains I guess.
Thanks. I’m going to take a look at all of these again when I’m at my desk tomorrow as seem to remember it sprawls and had some diagrams that were then amended as they weren’t correct.
But it seems to be the right area to look and do some more research.
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Yep, thats the right direction.
Also, possibly worth remembering if applicable, you can normalise your samples in the OT. So if you’re sampling in, and not sure about levels, and dont mind normalising, that can be helpful.
Good luck. Great mixes are possible with in OT.
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Thanks!
Yeah, thanks - I found Normalising again today… starting to think I need things going in hotter and then dropping the level of each track. I think 
.
Individually tracks/samples sound fine. It’s once they all get mixed together I seem to have trouble
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i’m still learning but i mostly find that judicious use of a filter or EQ keeps things from getting muddy. and backing off on the delay + reverb a bit
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Creating sample or loop for the OT seems a bit different than what I am used to with the MPC 1000. I would definitely aim to have the samples should be as hot has possible with some headroom so that you don’t need to amplify from the OT so much. Also note that you can boost the sound of your sample in a couple ways. Are you using stereo samples? Keep in mind you can play with panning and filtering the sounds, as well as using 4 outs where samples could be using different channels if you were to send it all to a DAW…
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I’d start by turning down every track, turning up the speaker/headphone volume, and rebuilding the mix from there.
Are you using a master track? I’d also put a compressor on there, moderate settings, and mix into it.
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Thanks. I tried the master track and then thought maybe that was causing me issues, or was maybe easier to work out where I’m going wrong without it and yet another gain stage. I’d prefer to use a master track, but for now I think I’m best getting everything working.
Thanks, that was my thinking too.
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Yeah, in a sense it might be easier without the extra gain stage the compressor adds, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea if you plan to compress later anyway, be that on the OT or outboard or on a DAW master. Should be OK if you keep the compressor gain at 0, right? Then you’ll hear when the levels you have are degrading the vibe and can back off, knowing that you’ll get a nice compensatory boost from the compressor later.
A trick from this forum I’ve used: recording the master output as a flex sample and using the sample editor to visually inspect the waveform. Might help you figure out if you’re running out of headroom on the master output.
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I’ve heard that starting with the right sounds does wonders for mixing down the road
Also, don’t hate on the DJ Equalizer in the OT. I use it on every track.
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When I was on the OT, I sampled into it just below hot level. Led was orange, but lower end orange. No normalising, and worked more with track volume, not so much with amplifiers. And only filter, eq and compressor within the OT. Almost never used more than five or six tracks, the eight being set to master. I got results I enjoyed from that.
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I make HEAVY use of the filter and EQ options in my OT work, it’s critical to getting nice clean sounding mixes IMO. Pretty much every track has a filter or EQ active on it.
Don’t forget to use the filters built into the effects like Reverb and Delay too. Cleaning up the sub bass on those helps a ton too.
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Depending on signals, you can go to red without clipping.
I made tests with a sine wave, it was full red from -12db (using OT noise gate as metering) without clipping. I had to push it above -0.3 db to get clipping. I think red is a -12 db headroom warning…
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I’ve never owned nor used an OT, that being said, I think about the frequency range of what I’m putting into a track before I even touch an filter, volume or EQ knob. I deal with it before it is a problem. I know you (OP) know the basics of mixing–but when I make a patch or choose a sample I think about frequency before I record something–will it fit with what is already there? If I am working on my sampler only (Toraiz SP-16) if something is immediately muddy I go back to the drawing board, I don’t try to fix it later in the mix if there is a major problem–unless it is just an absolute necessity that new part be there, then I’ll try to make it work or fiddle with/replace other elements of the track.
I apologize if this is obvious.
Also, record just below hot and turn shxt down! (also, obvious maybe).