How to make the best mix

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:13 pm

I'm just starting out in a music recording course... and I'm just trying to figure out the best way to keep my mixes consistently at a high level?

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:45 pm

have a good ear and mix until you think the song sounds the way you want it too. there isnt really any set way to do a mix. like if you gave two people with different tastes the same song to mix, i guarantee their mixes would be different.

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:51 pm

Only eat chicken salad sandwiches on Tuesdays.

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:21 pm

There are a few bog standard ways of mixing.
1) Start from left to right on your tracks. Solo them, eq, do your compression etc.
2) Start by doing a rough mix and then tweak from there, with eq and compression and the likes
3) Start with the most important object in the mix (eg a pop song it would be the vocals) and work on making that sound amazing and then go through in order of priority.

Personally I like option 2 the best Smile

Also try mixing at different volumes. Eg turning it right down will allow you to hear things that stick out in the mix. Good luck

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 3:07 pm

What do you mean a high level? As in high quality or high volume?

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:25 pm

im guessing hes saying high quality.

but im with vonrock with the chicken salad. it deffly helps

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:50 pm

For any genre of rock'nroll I'd start with the snare, because that will set your upper clipping limit. Get it to peak out at about -6db, then get the lead vocal to sit just above it (sonically, not necessarily dbwise). Then I would build the rest of the kit around that and fit the bass to the drums. But then I'm a drummer, so I'm always concered with the sound of the kit first.

Once there's an upper limit reference point and the rhythm is established, I'd figure out where to EQ and pan the rest of the instruments so that they are clearly heard without having to breach the limit set by the snare. Otherwise you just end up building a stack of blocks that clips the stereo buss and is difficult to master.

Just one way to do it. There's a good book on mixing that has a lot of interviews with industry pros and they all seem to do it differently.

Once you think you have it right, burn a CD and play it on anything and everything. You'll be back at the board in no time trying to figure out how to make it right again.

Oh, c**p! I'm a failure. I ate my chicken salad today!

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:13 am

Good advice guys . Thankyou.

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