Create a Rough Mix - A guide to mixing music - Part 11
LearningIn the last installment, I gave you an overview of the mixing method I'll be presenting in the upcoming articles. In that workflow, one of the first things you need to do is create a rough mix, and i…
A Method to Your Mixing - A guide to mixing music - Part 10
LearningThis time, I will give you an overview of the mixing method we will follow in the coming weeks. I don't intend it to be "The Method," since there are lots of other ones that are just as valid. Howeve…
Critical Listening - A guide to mixing music - Part 9
LearningBesides guaranteeing "virtual headroom" and an optimal level to process each track with any plug-in or outboard gear, the "gain staging" method described in the last installment also allows you to ma…
It's Your Gain! - A guide to mixing music - Part 8
LearningIn this installment, we will examine the first practical task of your mix, which also happens to be the last purely technical one. Once you've done it, you will finally be able to confront your visio…
Start Small, Think Big - A guide to mixing music - Part 7
LearningFrom what we've seen up to now, we could deduce the following: Mixing can be assimilated to assembling pieces of a 4D puzzle according to a given tempo to form a sonic moving picture. But what can we…
Time Is on Your Side - A guide to mixing music - Part 6
LearningAs eloquent as it may be, the puzzle analogy for mixing conceals a major aspect of music ─ in the end, the puzzle represents only a static image, yet music is essentially dynamic. So it's only natura…
Putting Together the Puzzle - A guide to mixing music - Part 5
LearningSometimes the best way to make people really grasp an idea is to resort to a fitting metaphor. That's why, today, I'll show you a way to visualize a mix that ought to allow you to understand the whol…
Go Safely and Back Up - A guide to mixing music - Part 4
LearningBefore getting into the heart of the matter, I deem it necessary to deal with a subject that isn't only limited to computer music, namely backups.
Better Tracks Through Editing - Part 2 - How to replace bad notes or chords via copy and paste
LearningIn part 1 of this article we discussed using cut, copy and paste editing techniques to fix rhythmic mistakes. This time around, we'll use those same edit tools to replace notes that are the wrong pit…
The Prerequisites for a Relaxed Mixing Session - A guide to mixing music - Part 3
LearningThe simple act of clearing certain technical and practical tasks in the earliest stages of the production of a song can have miraculous effects, not only in terms of efficiency, but also from a creat…
Better Tracks Through Editing - Part 1 - How to Fix Rhythmic Mistakes in a Recorded Track
LearningToday’s DAW software — not to mention a slew of third party plug-ins — offers you powerful processing options for manipulating the time and pitch of your audio. But did you know that you can fix a lo…
Mixing with Myself…or Not! - A Guide To Mixing Music - Part 2
LearningWe'll devote this second installment of our mixing article series to a bit of advice that is worth its weight in gold: Whenever possible, let someone else mix your songs and/or recordings
Improve Your Mix with A/B Referencing -Part 2 - What to Listen For When Comparing a Mix
LearningIn part 1 we looked at different ways to setup your gear for an A/B comparison. This time, we’ll offer some suggestions for specific aspects to focus on during your referencing session.
Tips on Recording Vocals for Musicians - Vocal Recording Clinic with Kris Crummett
LearningNo matter what musical style you're into, if you own studio gear, you probably record vocals at least some of the time. So when we had a chance to tap into the expertise of Kris Crummett — a prominen…
Key Concepts for Instrument Miking - How to Get the Best Results When Recording Acoustic Instruments
LearningIf you’ve ever recorded an acoustic instrument, you already know that there’s more involved than just sticking a mic in front of it. Factors that influence how the recording will come out — besides t…
