The Art of Mixing

Here are few ideas that I wish someone would have shared with me and that I don't much of in other tutorials on mixing.

I tend to think of mixes as stories...

Every mix has a setting, which is dictated by the genre and narrative of the song. We wouldn't treat a country song the same as we would an r&b tune. Neither should we treat a sad song the way we would a more festive/happy one. Let what's coming out of the speakers help direct you.

Every mix has "main characters". The main character in a jazz tune could be the band leader's trumpet or the tap of the ride cymbal or the double bass. Listen and discover who's taking the lead and who's supporting the leads, such as; clean jazz guitars, marimba, or congas.

The lead characters should stand out more and therefore receive more of your attention, while the supporting characters should sit more in the background and not draw attention away from the leads. 

Unless they have a solo, then it's time to shine the attention on them. 

Tip: Scientific research states that the human brain can process two sounds at one time. All the other sounds it will sum into one sound (background). 

If a song is sad and somber, let the mix convey that emotion and if the message is more upbeat, the mix should follow suit. 

A mix doesn't need to sound perfect. Sometimes being too clean can subtract from the intended sound of the song. 

If you're mixing an old Chicago blues band, the mix should sound like an old blues bar. Too much sheen and we take away from the authenticity. 

Just like if you're mixing a classical quartet you shouldn't use the same tonal choices you would for the blues band. Look for the tonal and spatial choices that make the song sound authentic.

There's enough songs to last us a lifetime, and the public probably aren't looking for another one, but there will always be room for songs that make people feel something. 

Mixing is about reducing. Your ears are very small and logically speaking, trying to fit in a bass sound the size of the Grand Canyon just doesn't leave much room for the other music. 

We need to evaluate and get rid of what you can afford to get rid of. 

All those frequencies that don't create the bulk of the recorded sound, you can get rid of them. 

Make twenty voices sound like one choir, turn twelve violins into one violin section, and turn 90 musicians into an orchestra. 

Reduction ushers in clarity and clarity of this kind makes for a more enjoyable listening experience. 

Mixing is also about compromise. 

Do you have a bass guitar with a lot of sub-harmonics or a kick with strong sub-harmonics? You can't have both at the same time and have clarity in either. 

The next thing you'd need to evaluate is do you want the bass to come in "waves or strikes"? Meaning, if the bass is holding out long extended notes that sustain for a long period of time, then you would want the kick to come in as "strikes" (faster transients). Or you could reverse it and let the bass be 'plucky' and the kick sustain. Either way, this mentality adds to cohesion in the low end while maintaining clarity.

Last but certainly not least, mixing is about bringing out the emotion of the song, allowing the song to speak as it wills without distractions. 

A mix doesn't have to sound like Michael Jackson's "Thriller" or Steely Dan's "Aja" to be good. 

There are many mixes that stray from the modern convention and reach the song's goal, some examples would be; Neil Young "Rockin' in the Free World", Nirvana "Heart Shaped Box", Camel "Slow Yourself Down", The Replacements "Bastards of Young", Drake "Headlines", Taking Back Sunday "Cute Without the E", Foo Fighters "All My Life", The Stooges "Raw Power", and many more. 

These are only guidelines that if they suit the goal of the song, follow them, but if following them deviates away from the intended effect of the song...then break them! 

Music is for people and people since the dawn of time have enjoyed music. If you make your mix for the individual(s) who created the song in mind and not for awards or to follow some checklist of guidelines...then you're bound to succeed. 

To close it off I'll leave you with a quote from the late Denny Purcell, "Years from now, people will listen to what we've done and know we were here. They may not know or care who we were. But they'll hear our music speaking for us. And just maybe they'll understand something. That's they way it's supposed to be. The players come and go, but the music lives on. Eternity will take care of the rest".

Happy Mixing.