Running Stems Through Analog Gear: Simple Tricks to Improve Your Mixes Now

Okay, so yesterday I spent the whole afternoon messing around in my studio, trying to get a warmer sound out of some digital tracks. The idea was to run my stems through some of my favorite analog gear and see what kind of magic we could cook up. Let me tell you, it was quite the process, but totally worth it.

First off, I had to get everything set up. I dusted off my old mixing console, the one with those sweet-sounding preamps. Then, I hooked up my go-to compressor and that vintage EQ I scored at a garage sale last year. It’s always a bit of a cable jungle, but once everything was plugged in and powered on, I was ready to roll.

Running Stems Through Analog Gear: Simple Tricks to Improve Your Mixes Now

I started by exporting all the individual stems from my DAW – drums, bass, guitars, vocals, the whole nine yards. Then, I routed each stem through a separate channel on the mixing console. This is where the fun begins. I started tweaking the preamp gain on each channel, listening closely for that sweet spot where the sound starts to get a little crunchy, but not too distorted. It’s a fine line, but when you hit it, it’s like the track suddenly comes alive.

  • Sent the drum stem through the compressor next. I wanted to give them a bit more punch and control, so I dialed in a medium attack and release, and adjusted the threshold until the compressor was just kissing the peaks.
  • For the bass, I used a combination of the console’s EQ and the vintage EQ. I boosted the low end a bit on the console and then used the vintage EQ to add some warmth around 250Hz. It’s amazing how a little EQ can make such a big difference.
  • The guitars were a bit trickier. I wanted them to have a bit of an edge, but without sounding harsh. So, I ran them through the console’s preamp, adding just a touch of gain, and then used the vintage EQ to roll off some of the high frequencies and boost the mids a little.
  • Vocals are always the most important part, so I took extra care with them. I used the console’s preamp to add some warmth, and then used the compressor to even out the dynamics. Finally, I added a touch of reverb from my outboard reverb unit to give them some space.

Once I was happy with how everything sounded individually, I started mixing the stems together, just like I would on a regular mix. But this time, I was using the faders and pan knobs on the console instead of my mouse. There’s just something about mixing with real faders that feels so much more natural and intuitive.

After a few hours of tweaking and listening, I finally had a mix I was happy with. I recorded the whole thing back into my DAW, and then listened back to it a few times, making some final adjustments. The difference was night and day. The analog gear had added a warmth and depth to the tracks that just wasn’t there before. It was like the music had been given a new lease on life.

So, yeah, running stems through analog gear is definitely a lot of work. But in my opinion, it’s totally worth it. If you’re looking for a way to add some warmth and character to your digital recordings, I highly recommend giving it a try. You might be surprised at what you can achieve.

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