Audio Mixdown Techniques MUSM 362

1. Audio Mixdown Techniques MUSM 362 Minimum Prerequisite MUSM 344 or equivalent Highly Recommended MUSM 355

2. Mixing • Requires tools, knowledge, experience, time, willingness to experiment, and technical and aesthetic judgments • Subjective and personal • Mixing involves alteration and addition of sounds to recorded tracks • Hearing the mechanics of the mix is often not ideal • A mix is a sonic illusion – a presentation of emotions, creative ideas and performance

3. Before Starting a Mix • Know the different mixing philosophies based on genre and style • Mixing conventions are often based on genre and style • Get input from the producer and artist • Often have to balance your ideas with others (producers, artist, audience, record company) • Know what instruments sound like or ways you want them to sound

4. Elements of a Good Mix • Level – relative volume levels • Frequency – all frequency ranges are properly represented • Panorama – placement of sounds in the stereo sound field • Dimension – ambience; depth • Dynamics – volume envelope; dynamic range • Mood – emotional content • Interest – interesting, creative, special

5. Mix Vision • Hear a version of the mix “in your head” • Start with a mix vision Vision  Action  Evaluation • Vision • How do I want it to sound? • Action • What equipment and techniques should I use? How should I use them? • Evaluation • Does it sound like I want it to? What is right? What is wrong?

6. Mix Vision • Without a mix vision or clear idea, how can you critically evaluate the mix as you are doing it? • Tend to get stuck in a loop of action and evaluation without a mix vision • Develop a mix plan!

7. Preparing to Mix • Before starting to mix, have • Documentation • Client guidelines and input • Lyric sheets • Supplies • Clean and comfortable work area • Working equipment • A sense of the monitors and room sound and influence

8. Preparing to Mix • Audition the tracks – learn the musical piece, mood and emotional content; identity important elements and problems • Qualities and Characteristics to Notice and Know

9. Technical Tasks • Neutralize settings (zeroing) • Housekeeping – file naming, location, backup • Track layout – order, colors, groups • Location marking • Control and audio grouping • Phase check – deal with phase issues • Editing – editing, comps, performance and arrangement fixes • Cleaning up and restoration – fixing unwanted sounds, noise, pops, clicks, etc.

10. Editing • Selective • Choosing the right takes • Comping • Arrangement modification • Corrective • Repairing bad performances or sounds (e.g., quantization, sound replacement) • Is it acceptable to add or remove instruments to a mix at the mixing stage?

11. Usual Mixing Task Order • Faders (level) • Panning • Processing (EQ and compressors) • Modulation • Delay • Reverb • Automation • Processing replaces original sounds while modulation, delay and reverb adds to sounds. Reason for processing first.

12. Mixing Approaches • Mix perspective • How the individual elements contribute to the mix • Individual perspective • How the mix is shaped by the individual elements • Usually better to use more of a mix than an individual perspective

13. Mixing Approaches • Static mix • No changes of mix parameters or settings during the song • Dynamic or Active mix • Changes of mix parameters or settings during the song • Usually required in a better mix

14. Mixing Approaches • Natural sounding mix • Like playing in front of you • May not always be best and can be ordinary • Artificial sounding mix • Bigger or different than life • Mixing radicalism is often unperceived by the average listener. The final mix is exciting or boring, or they feel it or not

15. Mixing Approaches • Sparse arrangement • Creating a mix from little • Busy or dense arrangement • Creating space in the mix for each instrument • Harder to feature a specific instrument or emphasize a detail

16. Mixing Approaches • With a lot of tracks……. • There is a need to sculpt more space for each track if each one is to be heard with clarity and definition • Often have to make some parts smaller sounding to avoid sonic conflicts • Every part does not need to be present at its full sonic range to be clearly heard or sound good in a mix • Bigger is not always better

17. Mixing Approaches • Serial Approach • Start with a few tracks, listen in isolation, mix then continue to add more tracks • Typical order • Rhythm – drums, beats, bass • Harmony – rhythm guitars, keyboards, pads • Melody – vocals, solo instruments • Mix the most important tracks first while there is still lots of space. Least important tracks when there is less space.

18. Mixing Approaches • Parallel Approach • Bring all or most of the faders up and set rough levels • Set panning • Mix individual instruments in the desired order • Nothing gets mixed in isolation • Often use a mix of serial and parallel approaches

19. Mixing Approaches • Iterative Technique • Existing mix is adjusted to accommodate newly introduced or processed tracks • Use a coarse to fine approach • Less time is spent in the beginning stages (coarse) and more time in the later stages (fine) • Most attention is given when and where the subtlest mixing decisions are made • Mix in order of the sections of importance (e.g., chorus or hook) or chronologically (start to finish)