21 Things You Should Absolutely Do In Your DAW Template

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Want to start producing your music faster? Today I'm going to teach you just how to do that by creating the perfect DAW template.

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#DAWTemplate #HomeStudio #HomeRecording

[cjvanamusic]

If you don't wanna go frame by frame for his mix process notes, here you go!

#1 Organization

1) Remove Original Recording Tempo From All Tracks

2) Set Tempo and Key / Time Signature

3) Color All Tracks

4) Get a Two Minute Volume Balance


#2 Edit

1) Cleaning

- Clean Audio (Strip Silence, Crossfade, ETC)

- Use Gates or PSEs on Drums/EG

- Transfer Vocal Breathes Onto New Track

- DeEss Lead and BGV Subtly

2) Gain Automation

- Find Instruments or Vocals with Large Macrodynamics. Split Into Sections and Gain Appropriately

- Fix w/ Crossfades

3) Phase

- Align Stereo Mics

4) Rhythm

- Nudge Instruments Forward or Backward to Fit Better

- Tempo Align or Quantize if Necessary

- REMEMBER: The drums set the tempo of the song. All instruments are either pushing or pulling on the drum beat. The correct edit usually isn't getting the instrument in time with the drums, but rather getting the instrument in time with itself, and then asking yourself, "Should this instrument be pushina against the drums, or pullina on the drums? Should the drums sound ahead of the beat or behind the beat?"

5) Tuning:

- Tune lead vox, and turn down any problem sibilance

- Tune BGVs, and turn down all sibilance

#3 Balance

1) Fix:
- Find room resonances and cut them

- Cut the noise of each instrument's unused low end

2) Enhance:

- Balance the mic levels of any stereo instruments

- If there are stereo mics, pan them L/R

- Shape each instrument's tone with pre-tape EQ

#4 Final Prep

1) Bounce:
- Select Bounce > Track in Place for each inst bus.
[Any room mics need to be bounced seperately.]

- Move original edited versions to "EDITS" folder.

- Turn the tracks off; bypass all plugins; hide all tracks.

2) Reorganize:

 - Organize, recolor, and rename new stereo files

- Seperate vocals into V/C/B sections

 - Find two references

- Lower the width of all stereo pan knobs to mono

#5 - MIX:

1) Volume Balance:

 - Loop the loudest part of the song

 - Listen to your references

 - Do an initial volume balance

2) Tonal Balance, Pt. 1:
- Listen to your references again

 - Set up your mix bus processing

 - Do your range allocation EQ

3) Dynamic Balance:

- On each instrument, set up the compression
saturation, and limiting (if necessary)

3) Tonal Balance, Pt. 2:

- Listen through your mix. Where are the problems in the tone?

- Go ahead and fix those issues.

4) Spatial Balance:

 - Pan your instruments

 - Add reverbs and delays

5) Automation:

- Automate your volume

- Automate your panning

- Check your dynamics and make sure that they'll work for mastering
- Stop here on your first mix draft

6) Make It Interesting:

 - Add your modulation

- Change up the arrangement

 - Add your effects

 - Add any creative ideas

7) Final Tweaks:

- Listen through the song and write down notes on what needs to be fixed

 - Go and fix it!

 - Make any necessary changes for future drafts

- Send it off to mastering

[chrisbennett]

You know a video is super helpful when you have to pause it because you know you are going to have to go down to the studio and implement things you are hearing step by step.

[dalydose]

Thanks for all you do. For taking the time to help others I appreciate it man. God bless you bro

[brianfeldtman]

Dylan this is awesome...probably the best Logic video I've ever seen. Pace and content was just spot on!

[starrio]

This video is one of the best thing I've come across on the internet! Thank you!

[MattGarwood]

Just overhauled my process and set up my routing according to this video. Amazing. Thank you 3000 dude! Any chance you’d be willing to share or do a video on your notes? I saw a TON of stuff when you opened your notes and I’d love to learn more about your process.

[Guitarsg]

This video is fantastic, can’t believe how much it has helped me organize my mixing process! Thanks! 🙏

[BPMusic]

Timely video :) I’ve been updating my templates for my new projects. Great teaching.

[teptz]

Awesome as always. So many timesavers in here. And 146 tracks to 8 is some serious Zen organization.

[Bittamin]

I’ve been working on a template on and off for a week now and I’m finally getting towards the end, very happy to find this video to wrap the process up and check everything off the list

[mantiswhoprays]

This has totally changed my workflow. Thank you!

[mat]

Wow this is such a great video! Some great template ideas I hadn't even considered before. This will seriously help my workflow!

[robbielitchfield]

This video is amazing! Nice job. Only thing I'd like to contend is starting your sessions on bar 0. I found out the hard way, at least in Logic, that you can NOT export midi files that start sooner than bar 1. I think it has to do with SMPTE or something, idk, but I have to start everything on bar 1 now

[cekirdekci]

for avbleton users. we have this M4live device called NTPD2.i use that one for notes. colorful and nice. you dont have to open the plugin to read the notes. its already shows on the track like ableton's eq . easy to read.

[trevtronix]

Fantastic. Wish I had watched this a long time ago. Thanks y'all!

[matthewlegermusic]

What a game changer. Thank you so much!

[GauravKhuranaxy]

How do I get access to the templates? Don't want to join a subscription program but will pay for the downloads.

[jessesolomonscott]

Thank you so much for this amazing template. Really changed my workflow and made my brain stress free when mixing

[mymindreact]

awesome video man. thank you! one thing you should do tho is; go to mix - I/O labels - find the bus (double tap on long) to make the name feks (1/4 delay) so that it says 1/4 d instead of Bus 10, and so on. even easier to locate and it looks more pleasant :) just a tip, keep making great videos!

[felipepablorodriguezo.]

Uffff great!! Really really great! Appreciate a lot! Thank you so much!