>I know you're never supposed to apologize for your performance in advance,
>but I would like to say that I don't know jack squat about mixing down
>audio, so this sounds really bad. If you have any suggestions, I would
>love them.

Funny you should mention that....

I recently read an article in Electronic Musician on mixing (which can be
found at:
http://industryclick.com/magazinearticle.asp?magazineid=33&releaseid=5638&magazi\
nearticleid=66703&siteid=15
).

As I read the article, I thought to myself that I could share my own
experience and opinions about the art and science of mixing. I've been
wanting to contribute something to the resource article archive, but hadn't
been able to think of what.

so, here goes...

Disclaimer:

I am NOT the world's best mixdown engineer. I am FAR from it. I just have
learned a thing or two down the road... And I'm also not saying that I'm
able to achieve all these wonderful ideas in every mix. In a lot of ways,
I'm like the sunday school teacher that needs the lesson as much as the
students.



Part one: The gear and the environment.

I always feed my mixes through a compressor. Especially if I'm going to do
something for the web. A compressor with trim off the sharp "transient
spikes" of a wave form and even out the volume level. That way, the
perceived volume level can be higher with out distorting or clipping the
signal. It also enhances some of the mid-midrange frequencies and makes it
all punchier.

The compressor needs to be in between the mixer and the mix recorder (a CD
burner or a tape machine). Otherwise, you're only compressing the sound in
the speakers and not what's being saved.

Because I have such a (basically) cheezy system, I also use an Alesis Micro
enhancer to replace some of the high end that my system loses.

I begin my mixes using mid-grade computer speakers, turned to a relatively
low volume. Why not my sweet JBL studio monitors? After all, I paid a
pretty penny for them, why not use them? I will, but not yet. If I can
make it sound good and punchy in a difficult situation, then it's more
likely to sound good in the great speakers.

Also, my audience is downloading my songs, so they're going to be listening
to it for the first time on mid-grade computer speakers.

Why low volume? Because you lose low end in the lower volumes. So, if you
get the bass and the kick drum sounding full in small speakers, it will
sound great in the big ones at higher volumes. Conversely, if you get it
set right in the big speakers at high volumes, then turn it down, the bass
and low end vanishes.



Part two: setting up the mixer.

First, I dial out all of my reverb and my effects, and I pan everything dead
center.

Reverb can muddy things up quite a bit. If I start dry, then it will be
easy to bring it in to the right levels. I've found that if I add reverb to
each part as I bring it into the mix, by the time I'm finished, I'm in a
fog.

There's a couple of reasons why I mix in mono first. One, it's always good
to have a mono-compatible mix. If someone is listening on TV, or a low-fi
mono stream, you still want your mix to sound good.

But the big reason is that if I can get everything sounding clear and out of
each other's way when everything is right on top, then when I start
separating things out into the various speakers in the stereo field, it
opens up even more.



Part three: starting the mix


If I were approaching a song to mix it for the first time, I'd bring
everything up and just listen to the parts for one or two passes.

Since I've usually been working with the tune for a long time, I already
know what's there, what's on each track, etc...

I turn off everything but the lead vocals. I make sure that it sounds
clear, and if it needs some extra "air" I might dial in some high end, or
pull out some low-mid. I'm still listening to it dry at this stage.

Then I pull up the Kick drum, and I EQ it punchy and solid (which is usually
more adjustments in the 1-2K region, not in the bass).

Third, I pull up the bass, and EQ it so that it has body (usually about 750
to 1K). Remember that in the cheezy speakers, there usually isn't much low
end, so just turning up the bottom isn't going to help much. Still, if it
needs some bottom, I'll give it.

Then I pull up the kick, the bass, and the vocals. I was told a long time
ago to use those three as anchors. I mix the faders on these three channels
so that all three "sound" like they are the same volume level. They should
be EQed to be out each other's way, and should not sound like they are
competing for "space".

From that point on, I will rarely touch the faders of those three chanels.
I used to find myself falling victim to "mix creep". That's where you start
with things at a reasonable level, then you gradually tweak each part,
nudging it up in the mix and before you know it, all your faders are slammed
to the top. With these three as anchors, I can relate everything else to
them, and I rarely creep.

Usually at this point I'll add the snare drum, and possibly the rest of the
drum mix.



Part four: the instruments.

At this point I begin bringing in the instruments. The guitars, the
keyboards, etc. The trick, since everything is panned mono, is to EQ
everything so that it is out of the way of everything else, especially the
vocals. NOTHING should compete with the lead vocals.

One way to do this is to place things in three dimensions. Brighter sounds
seem to come from a higher place, toward the ceiling. Bassier sounds tend
to come from a place closer to the floor. That's one axis. Once we pan
things stereo, we will add the L-R axis, and things can be placed in the
stereo field. We can also add a close-far axis.

There are three ways to make something sound more distant, and they all need
to be used.

One is to add more reverb. Well, not just add more reverb, but make the
amount of the dry instrument be closer to the amount of the reverb in
volume. If something is distant, you'll hear more equal amounts of
reflected sound (reverb) as direct sound (dry). The way you shape the
reverb also makes a big difference, but that's a topic in and of itself...

Also, our human ears are most sensitive at 3kHz. That means that if a sound
is distant, it will have a more narrow frequency range, centered around 3k.
Dial out the bass, the high-end, and most of the lower mid, and it will
sound more distant.

Finally, distant sounds are quieter.

I usually have about four "layers" in my mixes. The lead vocal/lead guitar
right up front in my face, the harmony vocals a little back from that. The
rhythm instruments (drums, bass, guitar, piano) form the next layer, and the
most distant are the sweetening layers (strings, pads, horns).

As I'm mixing, I'm constantly using the mute switches to check the sound of
each individual instrument, and then again checked against the lead vocal,
then against the whole. Everything should have its own place. I'm also
checking between the computer speakers and my mains.



Part five: finishing up.

The next step is to add the reverb and the effects. I still keep it mono so
that I can hear the way the reverb changes the mix. This keeps me from
adding too much 'verb.

Finally, I pan it stereo. Toms go hard left and right, stereo pads and
strings go hard LR, as do any doubled guitars (sometimes). My piano I'll
sometimes lean opposite some other rhythm instrument, just slightly to
either side. Harmony vocals I'll just put slightly on either side of the
lead.

You should be able to close your eyes and point to each instrument.



Step six: burning

I like to set up my tracks and my recording so that I don't have to do a lot
of fader moves during the final pass to tape/CD. Sometimes I do anyway. I
don't have automation, so that can't be done beforehand.

I'll always burn two copies. One full mix, and one minus mix (no lead
vocals - for performances).

Often, in the big time, a producer will rezero the board and do another mix
or two from scratch, then pick the best one to release.





Well, hopefully, this has given a few thoughts to mixing. It's not the only
way to do it, and I make no claims that it's the best, either. But it works
well for me.

MRKH





+++++

Mark Hansen

+++++

LDS inspirational rock music live! Performances by Mark Hansen for
firesides, youth activities. Free song!
http://markhansenmusic.com

Song downloads:
http://www.mp3.com/ajoyfulnoise




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