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Forums > Hangout > Stems or Multitracks: Bob Clearmountain Clears It Up

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Always bugged me too. But Im guilty as well. After digging in a little, here's how Isotope sums it up. https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/stems-and-multitracks-whats-the-difference.html 

When I first started doing this, I thought a stem was part of a plant. No one mentions the 'Sep'. Is that something we just made up? Im having sep anxiety

#4515 Posted Tue 22 Jun, 2021 12:15 pm
This is good info, especially when working online. I had never heard the term Seps prior to K-Town. Short for Separate Track?

Another confusing issue is when uploading tracks for mixing... Should tracks always be rendered at (0) volume and centered?
#4516 Posted Tue 22 Jun, 2021 1:24 pm

Always bugged me too. But Im guilty as well. After digging in a little, here's how Isotope sums it up. https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/stems-and-multitracks-whats-the-difference.html 

When I first started doing this, I thought a stem was part of a plant. No one mentions the 'Sep'. Is that something we just made up? Im having sep anxiety

Originally posted by V1CTOR on Tue 22 Jun, 2021

That's good info - and from what the article Drew found says, it seems a 'Sep' is really a Multitrack :-)

Maybe the term Sep is just someone making up a new 'unnecessary' word!

#4517 Posted Tue 22 Jun, 2021 1:57 pm
This is good info, especially when working online. I had never heard the term Seps prior to K-Town. Short for Separate Track? Another confusing issue is when uploading tracks for mixing... Should tracks always be rendered at (0) volume and centered?

Originally posted by DrewRoss on Tue 22 Jun, 2021

That's what I believe is right Drew, but I'm no engineer - just what I've always been asked to provide:  0 volume, no panning, no reverb or effects unless they form an integral part of the sound - I'm sure someone will have a different view though :-)

#4518 Posted Tue 22 Jun, 2021 2:00 pm

Always bugged me too. But Im guilty as well. After digging in a little, here's how Isotope sums it up. https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/stems-and-multitracks-whats-the-difference.html 

When I first started doing this, I thought a stem was part of a plant. No one mentions the 'Sep'. Is that something we just made up? Im having sep anxiety

Originally posted by V1CTOR on Tue 22 Jun, 2021

I was always under the impression that 'sep' was short for separate tracks.  So when someone says, "Please upload your seps" I would upload my raw individual tracks. 

As far as a 'stem' - sometimes I'll upload a stem (or what I perceive to be a stem) for the mixer to get an idea of what I had in mind for the song. 

So I will take all of the individual tracks and edit/compile them into one track (stem) so the mixer can get an idea of my vision.  I also upload all of the unedited individual tracks so the mixer can work his magic and come up with his own vision for the song.

#4521 Posted Tue 22 Jun, 2021 2:32 pm

That's what I believe is right Drew, but I'm no engineer - just what I've always been asked to provide:  0 volume, no panning, no reverb or effects unless they form an integral part of the sound - I'm sure someone will have a different view though :-)

Originally posted by Vuya on Tue 22 Jun, 2021

Yeah, I have rendered and uploaded both ways, but I was never sure what was correct. Depending on the situation, I have also started rendering stems for uploads on things like guitar where I may want the panning preserved. I can't count the number of times I have uploaded a left and right raw track only to have them both panned dead center in the mix and the stereo imaging is lost.

#4522 Posted Tue 22 Jun, 2021 3:31 pm
I've never been a fan of the kompoz-centric "seps" term at all. Multitracks, separate tracks, individual tracks, or stems all work for me, but I tend to avoid things like lol, bro, sup, etc. like the plague. Then again, like they say...you do you as long as we understand what is needed, right? :)
#4524 Posted Tue 22 Jun, 2021 10:34 pm
Wait I thought a sep was a file with a super loud sync tone attached upfront to wake up your entire household after you've loaded the 14 tracks of drums made with toontracks that have fake bleed through all the close mikes.
#4525 Posted Wed 23 Jun, 2021 5:25 am
I thought the sync tone went on the end
#4526 Posted Wed 23 Jun, 2021 10:00 am
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