The Mixing Process, and Why I Used To Hate It
Posted September 4th, 2009 by Robert
The mix process is debatably the stage where the producer/engineer has the most creative input. Often, artists will have an idea of what they want the final recordings to sound like, or perhaps what they want individual instruments to sound like. A good mix engineer will have an idea of what effects and techniques to use to get the desired sound. This skill can take years to get a grasp on, and a career to perfect.
First, a quick overview of terminology. There are several steps involved in the recording process. Tracking is the process of recording the instruments into a recording device, whether onto tape or into a digital audio program like Pro Tools. The engineer’s role in tracking is to get the best sound out of the microphones, preamps, and instruments. The producer’s role is to help the artist or band play the best performance they can, and ensure the sounds and tones being created are in line with what the artist wants the end product to sound like. Often the producer and engineer roles are served by one person. Mixing is the process of taking all the instrument tracks and blending them together using various effects and techniques. When the mix is complete, the engineer/producer renders all the instrument tracks into a single stereo file, which is then taken for mastering. The mastering engineer enhances the final stereo mix with specialized mastering equipment.
I’ve always been a detail-oriented person, and I’ve come to love mixing by seeing it as a series of steps, rather than mammoth task requiring extreme creativity to tackle. When I first started mixing, however, it wasn’t so easy.
I mixed the first few projects I recorded after having watched other producer/engineers mix, but without any real idea of what I was doing. Looking back, I must have done a half-decent job, because those artists have since brought additional projects to us. I saw mixing as a massive creative project, without any clearly defined steps or guidelines. And in a way, that’s correct. Until a person has mixed enough to figure out their own particular style and methods, it can be a very daunting task.
I’ve come to the point, having worked with Daniel for a couple of years, where mixing involves a good amount of prep work. The actual mix process is just a case of balancing levels, and adding some creativity here and there. We’ve got it down to a science in that we know what to expect of the individual instruments and how they fit together, and the creative part of throwing some twists in the mix is actually fun. And I think that’s how mixing is and should be for other mix engineers. Just as a cook would feel completely overwhelmed without knowing how to properly prepare vegetables to be used in a particular dish (i.e. Should the vegetables be chopped? How finely? With what kind of knife? Should they be seasoned before/after?), a mix engineer will be overwhelmed until there are some steps to take to get to the creative part.
I used to hate mixing because I didn’t have enough experience to discover the tools I wanted to use to achieve the desired sounds. Now, I enjoy mixing because I follow a method using trusted tools and techniques. The creative element is not as daunting as it once seemed…I can save creativity for adding the finishing touches and a few nuggets of production gold.
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DaveLopez
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pimpfresh
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Robert Dyson
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DaveLopez