Stereo and 5.0 surround mixing of music

What is mixing?

Once all the music is recorded as a multi-track audio recording in Pro Tools | HDX, all these separate sound tracks have to be merged (or mixed) into a final product that can be listened to as standard stereo audio (CD, AAC or MP3 files) and/or 5.0 surround audio (DVD-Audio or SACD). Music is always mixed 5.0 surround beacuse 5.1 surround is reserved for film and video.

During the mixing, all instruments are brought into balance with each other and the overall 'sound' of a song is being determined. If required, you can still work on the structure of a song or different versions of a mix can be compared.

The mixing itself is done with Pro Tools | HDX hardware that is controlled with Pro Tools | Ultimate software. So no traditional mixing table is used anymore, but 3 touch-sensitive displays that control a virtual mixing table in the Pro Tools | Ultimate software.

Inside Pro Tools | HDX almost all digital calculations are processed by plug-ins, which are small software programs that can be loaded and perform a specific function within the mixing process. Delta Music Belgium has more than 500 plug-ins that are not standard available in Pro Tools | HDX. Which plug-ins are available and what they do would lead me much too far. A very well-known plug-in is for example Autotune for vocal correction, but this is obviously only one that is available. More info on my plug-ins can be found on:

Pro Tools | HDX plug-ins

It's a very well-considered choice to work with Pro Tools | HDX and plug-ins instead of with an analog or digital mixing console that mixes the sound and with external peripherals (like in most older studios). An important advantage is compatibility with all other studios in the world that use Pro Tools | HDX, so everyone can open each other's Pro Tools | HDX sessions and continue working on it. Another advantage is that Pro Tools | HDX sessions 100% 'total recall', this means for example that a session can be opened a year later and you can make changes in the mix or the recordings, just as if you stopped working on that session the day before.

Also important is that many artists have private studios with Pro Tools or Pro Tools | HDX, which obviously makes it very easy to come to the studio and do some additional recordings or mixing.

FYI: I have over 20 years of experience in working with Pro Tools, give courses in working with Pro Tools for many years and do technical Pro Tools User Support

What is technically possible to mix?

In short: everything I can open or import into Pro Tools. These are either Pro Tools sessions or sound files from other DAWs. In the latter case this would usually mean that all sound tracks, starting from the same starting- point, must be supplied separately (for example on CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, external hard drive, USB drive, files in the cloud on the internet, etc...).

If the recordings were not made with a computer, but for example still on analogue tape or a stand-alone digital multi track recorder, then there is always the possibility to bring that machine to the studio and everything is re-recorded in into Pro Tools | HDX (this is a real time transfer). If the machine is no longer available it is generally still possible to hire a suitable machine for a short period of time.

In practice, therefore both projects coming from a home studio as coming from a professional studio can be mixed, and both recent and old recordings (if there is still a machine available to play them back).

As far as it is still necessary to note: up to 768 separate audio tracks can be mixed. The mixing quality is 16 or 24 bit with a sampling frequency of 44.1 or 48 kHz (= CD quality), 88.2 or 96 kHz (= HD quality) or 176,4 or 192 kHz (is actually only used for archiving key sound recordings and recordings of exclusive classical music)

Which genres of music can be mixed?

Basically all genres of music are welcome, but of course I have my preferences and specialties + I take the liberty to choose what work I agree to do.

More information on this can be found on the page

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