MAN OF MANY REMIXES

By Mike Levine

Joe Bermudez (www.joebermudez.com) is a producer and DJ who has worked with a range of artists including Mariey Carey, LL Cool J, and Shakira. Bermudez is an expert remixer, and he talks here about Cubase mixing features.

How do you prepare for creating a mix with regard to track setup, naming markers and so on?

I tend to mix as I go. A session can be pretty overwhelming if you wait until the end to start mixing. Mixing as I go lets me to hear exactly what it is missing; it keeps me from having to guess. I like to be organized and name everything. I group all the different elements together such as drums, bass, and vocals. This comes in very handy for recalls later on.

Any tips regarding Cubase's automation features?

Keeping in mind that I mix as I go, I like to keep things simple. It can be hard to hold back sometimes with a program that lets you automate virtually everything. Before you know it, you are lost in a sea of automation windows, which can kill your groove.

Do you like to use volume automation for leveling out vocal tracks, or do you use compressors for that?

I use both. First, I use a slight compressor which isn’t about getting a rough level on a vocal, but more about giving it some warmth and attitude. Then I automate the track and take care of nasty peaks and soft spots. There is nothing worse than over compressing or automating so much that you take the life out of a performance, though.

Do you use any of the effects plug-ins included with Cubase? If so, which ones?

They are all very useful, but some of the ones I tend to use often are the Bitcrusher, Vocoder and StepFilter.

Give an example of what you'd use Bitcrusher for and how you'd typically set it?

Sometimes things sound a little too polished, so Bitcrusher is great to give your track some grit. I have used it primarily to process drum sounds, which gives them an edgier feel on the dance floor. Saving one of your drum tracks in 8-bit can really sound cool in the mix and add an unexpected punch to your track. The distortion also gives synths and guitars a brand-new feel, so it's worth experimenting with.

What about StepFilter?

That’s a pattern-controlled, multi-mode filter with tempo sync, which allows you to create mini-filter riffs that appear as pseudo-drum sounds.

What’s your advice about using the routing features of the Cubase Mixer?

The new mixer is great. It is starting to feel more and more like a traditional console. Above each channel, you have your inserts and send controls, and on the left side are options to bypass them. An important feature is that you can use external effects gear in those, as well. More importantly, you can do an instant recall with these effects as if they were internal VST effects. You can also hide these controls to give it an old-skool VST feel.