What’s the greatest number of tracks you’ve mixed?

[CrowsofFritz]

I just finished mixing a song with over 80 tracks!

[Greg_L]

Hmmmm, about that many for me. Maybe up to 100 tracks. Don't wanna do that again.

[CrowsofFritz]

Hmmmm, about that many for me. Maybe up to 100 tracks. Don't wanna do that again.

Yeah, it sucked. Doesn’t even sound like it was 80+ tracks. I didn’t even use all of them. I deleted a good 15.

[Farview]

146. There was a lot of bussing to make it easier to deal with.

[Armistice]

Probably mid 50s,

[vomitHatSteve]

Around 70 is my go-to for a full production. Sometimes up to the mid 90s.

[CrowsofFritz]

They added more tracks. Now it’s up to 120.

[Tadpui]

I think I average around 20, sometimes 30 tracks. That's including buses and FX tracks.

I'm curious...how does one populate 100+ tracks in a project? Is it just little 1-off things that happen in the timeline and need to be stuck on their own track? Or are you spot-miking a ton of different stuff?

[CrowsofFritz]

I think I average around 20, sometimes 30 tracks. That's including buses and FX tracks.

I'm curious...how does one populate 100+ tracks in a project? Is it just little 1-off things that happen in the timeline and need to be stuck on their own track? Or are you spot-miking a ton of different stuff?

I’ll show you the song after the mix is done. It really is a lot of stuff. Probably around 35 vocals that could have been cut down to 10. 20 different effects that needed their own track. 20 tracks for the percussion, though you’ll only perceive maybe 5 of those tracks. 14 different guitars, though you’ll only perceive maybe 4. 15 different keyboards, all of which needed their own track. Basically, it could have been cut down to 60 tracks if they recorded, say, a harmony all in one go rather than having one track for verse harmony, one track for chorus harmony, one track for bridge harmony, etc. But this was very well tracked, and I can’t complain about having the extra tracks as it gives me more flexibility to change and less to automate.

[Greg_L]

My typical dumb gregpunk project is:
10 tracks for drums
1 bass
4 guitar tracks - two rhythm takes, double mic'd.
2 lead tracks - one lead double mic'd
1 main vocal
Varying backing vocals, usually 4

That's about 22 tracks usually.

[JD01]

Typically I have:
1 100% wet track for reverb.
5-10 tracks for drums depending on programme
1 or 2 for bass, usually 1
Anything from 3 to 9 for guitar.
Maybe a piano thrown in.
Vocals normally ends up as 5 or 6 tracks depending on quantities of double tracking and harmonies.

I reckon a complex project ends up as about 30 tracks.