Here's the gig: I am starting a mixing project for an artist here in Austin. It was tracked all at home mostly in his kitchen on a four track in the ol' Latin Playboy's tradition. Not a crappy poorly tracked demo thing, he is an amazing writer and player with several major label releases behind him This is a side/solo thing for him between his band releases.

Actually, I know that DAvid McNare (if you're out there), you've worked with this guy in the past.

Anyway, If anybody has any thouhgts on how to get the most out of these tracks, I would be in your debt. I'm not too worried, the sounds are all compelling and often really cool. There is usually a stereo submix of drums (mono), bass and acoustic guitar(s) and then two tracks of vox, solos, percussion, and random stuff.

My biggest battle will be to get as much clarity out of the low end. The drums and bass are often mashed together in the center with guitars and stuff panned hard out. It can sound a little weird to leave the panning as is but then moving anything in the submix means moving the drums. Also he often used an old Maranrz tape deck as a compressor and some drums are VERY compressed, how do you guys expand if you have to?

I have tried a bunch of things and I am curious to hear what y'all (I've been in Tx. WAY too long) would do. .multing off the submix?...spltting frequencies up?. M-S encoding?.

Thanks,

Charles Rieser
Southwind Studios
Austin, Tx