What exactly are stems?

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<< I've seen reference to stems in the context of people bringing
out their stems from a DAW in order to mix on a console. This
suggests to me that they are referring to the individual tracks?
Is that correct?

Thanks >>

Stems usually refers to submixes. If you have 12 tracks of strings or 30 string
mics in a live situation you might premix it down to stereo low strings and
stereo high strings, or just stereo strings, these would be stems.

Mac

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

>I've seen reference to stems in the context of people bringing
>out their stems from a DAW in order to mix on a console. This
>suggests to me that they are referring to the individual tracks?
>Is that correct?

Stems are premixed or subgrouped tracks. Fim mixers rely on premixed stems of
Dialogue, Effects, Foley, Music, etc. to build the final mix. That model is
used by music folks as well- particularly when the number of DAW tracks greatly
exceeds the number of input channels on their analog console. Like tracks can
be grouped to a single or stereo (or surround) output stem for analog
processing at the console. I typically record each tom on its own track, but
group them to a stereo pair when I send them back to my console to mix.
Sometimes I'll group the drum room mics in with the overheads. Heavily layered
background vocals are often subbed to a single stereo pair. You get the idea.


Joe Egan
EMP
Colchester, VT
www.eganmedia.com

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Ted Spencer wrote:

> Stems are becoming more common in mastering too, particularly splitting out the
> lead vocal (with all of its reverbs and FX) from the track. It enables
> unlimited revisiting of that all-important mix relationship.

Again, furthering "mastering" into the elusive grey area. When will the
madness stop!? <g>

--
Dan DeTora

"Do not needlessly endanger your lives until I give you the signal." –
Dwight Eisenhower

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In article <20040807053459.14634.00001168@mb-m29.aol.com> prestokid@aol.com writes:

> Stems are becoming more common in mastering too, particularly splitting out the
> lead vocal (with all of its reverbs and FX) from the track. It enables
> unlimited revisiting of that all-important mix relationship.
>
> I think it's become much more common in mastering due to DAW style
> recording/mixing where maintaining perfect time sychronization of stem mixes is
> easy. It wasn't easy at all in the days of 2" analog to 1/2" analog mixing.

It's probably become necessary, too, with more mixing being done by
less experienced people monitoring in mediocre environments.

A friend used to send his DA-88 tapes and 02R mix file along with his
2-track mix to his mastering engineer (who also had DA-88s and an
02R). If in mastering, the engineer heard something that could be
better fixed by adjusting the mix, he'd just load up the source tapes
and fix it. He never had to remix a whole song, just push an
instrument or a vocal up or down a bit.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

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"Mike Rivers" <mrivers@d-and-d.com> wrote in message
news:znr1091876741k@trad...
>
> In article <20040807053459.14634.00001168@mb-m29.aol.com>
prestokid@aol.com writes:
>
> > Stems are becoming more common in mastering too, particularly splitting
out the
> > lead vocal (with all of its reverbs and FX) from the track. It enables
> > unlimited revisiting of that all-important mix relationship.
> >
> > I think it's become much more common in mastering due to DAW style
> > recording/mixing where maintaining perfect time sychronization of stem
mixes is
> > easy. It wasn't easy at all in the days of 2" analog to 1/2" analog
mixing.
>
> It's probably become necessary, too, with more mixing being done by
> less experienced people monitoring in mediocre environments.

It's definitely becoming more common, even when stuff is mixed in top-notch
rooms. When I was recording someone a couple months ago in one of the rooms
out at a studio belonging to a friend of mine, in one of the other rooms
they were "stemming" a mix that was being done for an artist under
development with (IIRC) EMI-Latin. In that case they were doing five or six
stereo stems for the particular song I heard. He's got a couple of killer
rooms, so it's not just stuff recorded by the "home studio" crowd that's
getting this treatment.
--


Neil Henderson
Saqqara Records
http://www.saqqararecords.com

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George <g.p.gleason@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message news:<g.p.gleason-DD02D7.10310407082004@netnews.worldnet.att.net>...
> In article <znr1091876560k@trad>, mrivers@d-and-d.com (Mike Rivers)
> wrote:
>
> > In article <20040806220635.15107.00001368@mb-m02.aol.com> eganmedia@aol.com
> > writes:
> >
> > >
> > > Stems
>
> I throw the stems away with the seeds :-)
> G

Dude, whoa, no way! Make tea from the stems, or put them in the
brownie mix. Toss the seeds out your car window when traveling - one
every minute or so - like that Johnny Appleseedguy. Don't waste the
earth mother's bounty, like, y'know?

Mikey
Nova Music Productions

fresh out of haiku

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Kurt Riemann <> wrote in message news:<gfuah096sls8b2c7l2jdbq1tjauh80st25@4ax.com>...

> They aren't using the term "STEMS" correctly. Stems are submixes of
> distinct part groups. Drums L&R, Stereo Guitars, Background vocals.
> Usually after a final mix is dome, stems are passed out to a DAW for
> mixes in the future where the flavor of the original will still exixt,
> but you can drop out parts. Like for a remixer or for a Walmart vocal
> edit.
>
> Sometimes after you pick up someone else's project you find poorly
> mixed stems and you have to remix some parts from the original
> masters. Looking at the tracksheet can be -
>
>
>
> Stem's Hell Research.
>

Kurt,
Ouch. Good one. Come join the Rick James Haiku thread.

Mikey
Nova Music Productions

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Ron Reagan made a speech about them. Is he a Democrat now?

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Who cares. But Betty Grable had hers insured by Lloyd's of
London.



TM

Don Cooper wrote:
>
> Ron Reagan made a speech about them. Is he a Democrat now?