Inside the mix
Future Elevators 'Machine Maker' - Trailer
w/ Darrell Thorp
Future Elevators 'Machine Maker'
1 h 52 min • 2017
In this full-length mixing tutorial, Grammy winner Darrell Thorp teaches you all of the tricks and techniques he uses to help enhance dream-pop indie rockers Future Elevators from a creative and raw production to a finished and exciting mix.
See how Darrell combines bold decisions and simple tweaks that stay true to the artist’s vision and also add a layer of details that give the mix the perfect amount of polish.
Darrell explains his unique mixing philosophy and unorthodox techniques that help him create killer sounding mixes including:
- Extracting the maximum amount of tone from the drums to support the guitars and other instruments
- Adding low end and fixing a flat kick drum sound
- Fixing a wooly and boomy sounding bass tone with an innovative EQ plugin
- Metering and maintaining headroom in a dense mix
- Applying in-the-box mix bus compression and EQ
- Working with multiple layers of keyboards and guitars and getting a clear and punchy sound from each instrument
- Tweaking his listening volume for the ideal monitoring at each stage of the mix
- Fixing harshness with multiband compression
- Session setup and how to begin each mix with an open mind
- Gain staging tracks to optimize for later adding automation and plugins
Watch and learn as Darrell works on the mix from start to finish and then download the complete multitrack stems and practice mixing the song for yourself!
4.8
11 reviews
greenmx • Thursday, May 4, 2023
I thought this was a great little series. My main take-home was that it shows how judgement and having well trained and calibrated ears is the most important thing, rather than having a gazillion plugins or boutique pieces of hardware. The mix sounded great. The only things I would have like to have seen in the video are (1) a comparison with the initial client mix, (2) some more detail on the thought process with the vocal riding in part II - he seemed to be moving the fader almost following the envelope of the vocal, emphasizing the parts that were already loud? Also, what is the little 1-fader controller he has? It's not listed in the equipment / software list.
telepathy • Wednesday, April 11, 2018
All due respect to Mr. Thorp (this mix is awesome) but at 45:20 in Part I you have an example of the potential issue with using Trim plugins for static level: no consistent visual feedback. He's turning both tracks down from -3.2 to -4, but because he's saying "eight-tenths of a db" (describing the change), he mistakenly types -8 instead of -4. So, from then on, there's no way of noticing the level discrepancy without opening that track's Trim plugin. Unlike the immediate visual feedback of faders.
But hey, the stereo image is interesting, and the mix sounds great. So ... there ya go.
benjamin.b • Monday, March 12, 2018
Great Tutorial Darrell! Looking forward to use some of your habits in my mixes!
TC Hotrod • Wednesday, February 7, 2018
A surprising full mix video with a fresh and unconventional way of processing (absence of HPF, economy of plugins, use of trim plugin instead of faders....).
It would be really interesting to know what is added / shifted /eased when such a kind of track come to mastering step.
Michaeltn86 • Thursday, January 25, 2018
really interesting and a great different approach than the other tutorials.
he certainly has really good resistance with low frequencies. I'm not sure if I could handle that much low frequency while mixing, but the end result sounds beautiful.
ps: the picture of the tutorial and the image in the video of the same person is more shocking than the tutorial by miles haha
JVPhilly • Thursday, January 11, 2018
Very nice but I wanted to see the "Vocal" part that seems to be missing. Can that be added?
jerry.c • Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Very refreshing, no bull video. Top to bottom. Thank you for the content and tips. And for the Surf EQ tip; it's been added.
ivan.amatucci • Saturday, December 2, 2017
Italian subtitles please.
vlakanas • Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Cool! I really appreciate the ones I can relate to and learn from. No crazy assed, out gear that the majority of us do not have access to.
Keep them coming.
Peter
rickstar44 • Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Glad to see new approach and styles. Thanks to all the PureMix team for stepping it up with new content !! Keep it up :)
bmonroe • Monday, November 13, 2017
I really enjoyed this one. Fun song. Great information. Nicely done.