Mix Master and Mix Slave Sessions

These guidelines are for Master sessions being prepared for mixing or those in the
mixing phase, either through a console or inside of Pro Tools. Certain guidelines are
repeated because their application — or the reasoning behind them — may have
changed. The Mix Master is the main session and plays back from the Master Pro Tools system. The Mix Slaves are slaves to the Mix Master and playback from additional locked-up Pro Tools systems.

The Basics

There should be only one Mix Master and optionally one or more unique
Mix Slaves for each mix.
This resolves any question about where the final mix session is.

The Mix Master should be labeled "Song Title-Mix" when there are no Mix
Slaves, and conversely "Song Title-Mix Mstr" when there are Mix Slaves.
“Mix” is to distinguish it from the Master session, which may have tracks
and/or plug-ins you wish to keep, but not want to send to the mixer.

The Mix Slave(s) should be labeled with the song title, the phrase "Mix
Slave", and if applicable the Slave number (e.g. "Song Title-Mix Slave 1").
To distinguish it from the Mix Master and other Mix Slaves.

Use comments section.
If you didn't before, you should now include any notes that will assist the
mixing engineer, including the producer's suggestions for effects and
processing on specific tracks.

Label any unlabeled Busses, Inputs, Outputs and Inserts in the I/O setup...
Make sure all busses being used are labeled for the mixer, as well as any
I/O info that would be useful.

Label Aux Inputs with name of outboard gear used and document settings
in comments.
If you wish the mixer to try to recreate any part of your set-up.

Make sure some form of tempo map is in the conductor track if appropriate
for musical style.
If this has not been done yet, simply place a single tempo marker at the
beginning of the song and confirm it stays in time until the end. If it
doesn't, use Beat Detective in Bar resolution to quickly create a tempo
map from the click track, kick drum, or main drum loop. Alternatively, you
may import a tempo map from the original MIDI sequence.

Make sure there are Memory Location markers of the song's arrangement.
This may be imported with the tempo map from the original MIDI
sequence. If not, please take the time to do it now. This allows the mixer
to quickly understand the structure of the song and easily move about.

Make sure the key and modulation are in Get Info...
This does not imply the mixer should be left to tune any tracks. This
should always be done before they receive the session. (See “Always print
tuned tracks…” on page 10.) Nonetheless, it can be very useful if the
mixer hears something that needs to be tweaked. Give the key with
additional accidentals. Example: "Key: G min w/ A, C#.” Key and
modulation info may also be placed in markers track.

Note in comments if a track (or a copy for effect) is slipped.
So the mixer won't "correct" a timing change that you intended.

Print "Final Rough Mix" labeled with song title and date on a pair of tracks
at the top of the session.
It is standard to send a rough mix out when sending multitrack masters out
to be mixed. With Pro Tools, you can make it even easier for the mixer by
printing the rough on a pair of tracks (or by bouncing and importing it) into
the session.

At the end of the mix, always label final mixes with the song title and type
of mix (e.g. "Song Title-Voc +1", "Song Title-Inst") when printing or
bouncing to disk.
Even if you put mixes for each song into separate folders, mastering
engineers will often look at all mixes in a single list. Song titles will allow
them to tell the mixes apart.

Plug-Ins

All essential (i.e. special effect) plug-ins should be printed to another track.
If your plug-ins have radically processed the sound from the un-effected
track (e.g. you used Amp Farm) and that sound has become integral to
what that track now is—you should definitely print them to another track.
If, for any reason, the receiving system can't play back these plug-ins, an
important element will be lost from the production. Do not assume other
Pro Tools systems will have even the most common plug-in if it is
essential to your sound.

You may leave clearly labeled unprocessed versions of the above printed
tracks. Keep plug-ins and settings. Deactivate, mute, hide and generally
move them to the bottom/far right.
So the producer and mixer will have the option to process them differently.
If the session gets too large unprocessed tracks can reside in an Auxiliary
session where they may be imported to the mix session if needed.

Leave in only nonessential plug-ins the producer would like the mixer to
reference and remove the rest.
These you should not print (i.e. basic compressors and EQ’s). If the mixer
has these plug-ins in their system, they can reference them and
afterwards deactivate them. The rest of the plug-ins should be removed,
because, after all, this is what the mixer has been hired to do.

Automation

If volume automation is used to fade-in or fade-out of regions, it is best to
replace it with created audio fade-ins and fade-outs.
One of the first things some mixers do is turn off Pro Tools’ automation
when mixing to a console, or delete it if mixing in the system. Following
this guideline is the best way to insure your intended fades are
maintained. More complex automation fades can be left as templates for
the mixer and should be labeled clearly in the comments.

Use Mute Regions instead of muting with automation to mute audio tracks.
For essentially all the same reasons as above. Additionally, it allows you
to mute parts the producer isn't sure whether they’ll want in or out, and the
mixer will easily be able find them.

Leave any automation the producer wants the mixer to use (e.g. BG vocal
blends, panning) and label it clearly in the comments.
Make sure the mixer knows why it's there and how they are supposed to
use it.

If possible, contact the mixer regarding whether you should leave the
remaining nonessential automation in the session or delete it.
Some mixers prefer to reference all the automation before deleting it,
while others prefer it be deleted. If the mixer can’t be reached the safest
option is to leave it.

Make Sure You Have These Elements

Before sending the session out to mix, look it over a few more times to double-check
that you have these very important items:

Every track is there that is supposed to be.

All parts are there that are supposed to be on each track.

All flys (copied and pasted parts/sections) have been completed.

All comps (composite tracks) are completed and clearly labeled.

The correct lead vocal is there and VERY clearly labeled.

All tuned tracks have been printed to another track and are clearly labeled
as tuned.
Never send a session out to be mixed without printing the tuned tracks.
You may wish to correct any delay caused by tuning process. Note in comments if it's corrected or if you wish to leave delay.

If the lead vocal is tuned, always leave a clearly labeled un-tuned version of
the vocal.
This gives the producer and mixer the last minute option to switch to the
un-tuned track for any sections they prefer that way.

Optionally, you may leave un-tuned versions of other important tracks that
were tuned. Label clearly.

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