Mixing ≠ Sound Check: Small Tips to Transform Your Audio Work
Mixing isn't just art; it's a crucial step assembling tracks into final music. Sound check is improvisation, ensuring safe, smooth stage performance. Mixing is fundamentally different.
A great mix brings out the best in your music, shining a spotlight on its most important details, adding surprise to already excited listeners, while ensuring the music sounds fantastic whether played on a transistor radio or an audiophile's dream system.
Theoretically, mixing is simple: adjust knobs until everything sounds good. Reality is rarely so kind.
For the mixing engineer, mixing is as challenging as playing an instrument. Let's examine each step closely.
Start by analyzing mixes by top engineers/producers: Bruce Swedien, Roger Nichol, Shelly Yakus, Steve Albini, Bob Clearmountain. Focus on the mix, not the music. Try to hear each instrument, even the "room sound," as each element occupies its acoustic space.
Also, note frequency balance: sufficient highs without harshness, solid lows without muddiness, and a clear, present midrange.
A great reference tool is a CD player and a brilliantly mixed CD (e.g., Tom Petty's *Damn the Torpedoes* sounds great on any system). Connect the CD player to your mixer; frequently compare your mix to the reference CD. Match their peak levels on the mixer's meters. If your mix sounds quieter despite higher peaks, the reference CD likely uses heavy compression limiting dynamics. Quality studios have at least one top-tier compressor and operator.
Appropriate Monitoring Level
Loud sound fatigues ears. Lower levels keep ears "sensitive" and less fatigued; high levels energize but mask subtle level changes.
Many studios have noise issues; headphones seem ideal. While excellent for catching details missed on speakers, headphones aren't best for mixing; they exaggerate certain details. Use headphones to *check* mixes, not *create* them.
Don't Let Equipment "Dirty" the Sound
Prepare for mixing during recording. Key to a great mix is clean source tracks.
Remove all unnecessary devices between source and recorder. Bypass signal processors during recording to preserve signal purity.
If possible, record directly (using a separate high-quality mic preamp), bypassing the mixer.
For single sounds, direct vs. mixer recording differences might be subtle. But a song comprises many tracks; accumulated "dirt" degrades mix clarity.
Arrangement
Consider mixing during arrangement. A common home studio pitfall is overcrowding. Filling the structure early leaves no room for new ideas. Remember: Fewer notes make each note more impactful. As Sun Ra said: "Space is also an expression."
Tips:
● If arrangement feels bloated, edit the song structure.
Like many, I compose while recording in the studio, leading to temporary, improvised ideas. Deleting parts makes songs concise, pleasant, and clarifies the overall vision.
● Try building songs with vocals/melody instruments, not rhythm.
Record basic drums, bass, piano for tempo, then record vocals meticulously. When adding rhythm, you'll be sensitive to vocal nuances, intuitively knowing where to emphasize or subdue rhythm.
● Sequencers with digital audio (e.g., Opcode Studio Vision, MOTU Digital Performer, Steinberg Cubase Audio, Emagic Logic Audio, Cakewalk Pro Audio) make recording/editing vocals easy before adding dense textures. Arranging around vocals makes instrumentation tighter.
A great mix brings out the best in your music, shining a spotlight on its most important details, adding surprise to already excited listeners, while ensuring the music sounds fantastic whether played on a transistor radio or an audiophile's dream system.
Theoretically, mixing is simple: adjust knobs until everything sounds good. Reality is rarely so kind.
For the mixing engineer, mixing is as challenging as playing an instrument. Let's examine each step closely.
Start by analyzing mixes by top engineers/producers: Bruce Swedien, Roger Nichol, Shelly Yakus, Steve Albini, Bob Clearmountain. Focus on the mix, not the music. Try to hear each instrument, even the "room sound," as each element occupies its acoustic space.
Also, note frequency balance: sufficient highs without harshness, solid lows without muddiness, and a clear, present midrange.
A great reference tool is a CD player and a brilliantly mixed CD (e.g., Tom Petty's *Damn the Torpedoes* sounds great on any system). Connect the CD player to your mixer; frequently compare your mix to the reference CD. Match their peak levels on the mixer's meters. If your mix sounds quieter despite higher peaks, the reference CD likely uses heavy compression limiting dynamics. Quality studios have at least one top-tier compressor and operator.
Appropriate Monitoring Level
Loud sound fatigues ears. Lower levels keep ears "sensitive" and less fatigued; high levels energize but mask subtle level changes.
Many studios have noise issues; headphones seem ideal. While excellent for catching details missed on speakers, headphones aren't best for mixing; they exaggerate certain details. Use headphones to *check* mixes, not *create* them.
Don't Let Equipment "Dirty" the Sound
Prepare for mixing during recording. Key to a great mix is clean source tracks.
Remove all unnecessary devices between source and recorder. Bypass signal processors during recording to preserve signal purity.
If possible, record directly (using a separate high-quality mic preamp), bypassing the mixer.
For single sounds, direct vs. mixer recording differences might be subtle. But a song comprises many tracks; accumulated "dirt" degrades mix clarity.
Arrangement
Consider mixing during arrangement. A common home studio pitfall is overcrowding. Filling the structure early leaves no room for new ideas. Remember: Fewer notes make each note more impactful. As Sun Ra said: "Space is also an expression."
Tips:
● If arrangement feels bloated, edit the song structure.
Like many, I compose while recording in the studio, leading to temporary, improvised ideas. Deleting parts makes songs concise, pleasant, and clarifies the overall vision.
● Try building songs with vocals/melody instruments, not rhythm.
Record basic drums, bass, piano for tempo, then record vocals meticulously. When adding rhythm, you'll be sensitive to vocal nuances, intuitively knowing where to emphasize or subdue rhythm.
● Sequencers with digital audio (e.g., Opcode Studio Vision, MOTU Digital Performer, Steinberg Cubase Audio, Emagic Logic Audio, Cakewalk Pro Audio) make recording/editing vocals easy before adding dense textures. Arranging around vocals makes instrumentation tighter.