WHAT THE HELL is MIXING? by Nigel Lord Even so, the general principles o !

i"ing hold good# $e ore %e loo& at these principles, a %ord abo't the basic re('ire!ents# )irstly, yo'r ears# *eep the! resh +and clean, o co'rse,# Never ever atte!pt to !i" a piece o !'sic at the end o a long listening session# Ta&e a brea& o at least an ho'r and pre erably overnight# The h'!an ear is incredibly good at identi ying proble!s %ith certain so'nds, b't not i it-s had ti!e to get 'sed to the!# .econdly, yo'r !onitoring syste!# It goes %itho't saying that yo' sho'ld b'y the best e('ip!ent yo' can a ord# Witho't a reasonable syste! yo'-ll have no idea ho% acc'rate an i!age o the !'sic yo'-re getting# $'t even i yo' do splash o't on an a!p and spea&ers, ho% do &no% yo'-re getting a tr'e pict're? The ans%er lies in listening to yo'r !i"es on as !any other syste!s as possible, so that yo' &no%, or e"a!ple, i yo'-re tending to !i" a little bass/heavy or aren-t adding s' icient top end# )inally, don-t thin& abo't !i"ing thro'gh headphones# Irrespective o %hat it !ay say on the bo", headphones do not reprod'ce !'sic in stereo# They reprod'ce it -bina'rally-, %hich is ('ite di erent, and !a&es it all b't i!possible to set 'p an acc'rate stereo !i"# )EEL 0123 WA0 0o' can ta&e any approach to !i"ing yo' eel is appropriate to yo'r !'sic, ro! the -%all o so'nd- + avo'red by people as disparate as 4hil .pector and hardcore g'itar bands,, to a cleaner, !ore considered approach %here space is created aro'nd each instr'!ent in ter!s o both re('ency and ti!e# The latter approach is 'ndo'btedly the !ore ti!e cons'!ing# 0o' need a good ear to deter!ine the area o the re('ency spectr'! in %hich each so'nd predo!inates and to prevent too !'ch overlap# $'t that-s %hat pro essional st'dio engineers and prod'cers are able to do, and the res'lts 's'ally spea& or the!selves# The !ost basic 'nction o !i"ing / the balancing o levels bet%een individ'al instr'!ents +or trac&s, / is not so!ething anyone can advise yo' abo't# 0o' &no% ho% yo' %ant yo'r !'sic to so'nd and the level controls are in yo'r hands# $'t do bear in !ind the li&ely destination or a partic'lar !i"# There-s no !ystery here# The pri!ary re('isite or the dance loor is a rhyth! trac& %hich to hit the p'nters in the solar ple"'s# $'t apply the sa!e botto! end to a song destined or so!eone-s car stereo, and it-ll ca'se !a5or proble!s# $ass needs to be tailored ('ite speci ically to the needs o a partic'lar trac&# 2sing E6, it-s possible to strip a%ay lo% re('encies to ('ite a high level be ore the ear %ill tell yo' anything is !issing +tho'gh this is %here having an acc'rate !onitoring syste! is so i!portant,# 7ery lo% re('encies are o ten not a'dible b't %ill soa& 'p a high proportion o a spea&er-s available energy# )iltering the! o't can act'ally increase the perceived vol'!e o the a'dible bass and %ill certainly red'ce distortion at high so'nd press're levels# As e ective as E6 is in s'ch applications, it can be so!ething o a !i"ed blessing in the %rong hands# 2se it to correct !inor proble!s %ith individ'al so'nds and to create space ro'nd certain instr'!ents by iltering o't 'n%anted re('encies, b't don-t rely on it as a 'niversal panacea# 1bvio'sly, !'ch %ill depend on the versatility o the controls8 s%eep and para/!etric E6 is !'ch !ore e ective at ho!ing in on proble! areas o the re('ency spectr'!# $'t they can 5'st as easily be responsible or raising the pro ile o certain so'nds till they 5'st don-t it in any !ore#

There-s no clear dividing line bet%een the t%o, e"cept to say that the ear is !'ch !ore orgiving o re('encies %hich aren-t there than those that are# .o %herever possible, try c'tting the re('encies yo' don-t %ant, rather than boosting those yo' do# WET, WET, WHAT? 1ne o the areas o controversy %hich has divided !'sicians and prod'cers or years is %hether to record trac&s -dry- or -%et-# No, it-s nothing to do %ith to%elling yo'rsel o a ter yo' get o't o the bath, it-s do%n to %hether yo' add e ects s'ch as reverb and delay be ore yo' record the! or %hether yo' leave the! dry and add yo'r e ects d'ring the !i"ing process# There are pros and cons to either approach %hich need to be care 'lly considered# 3ecord yo'r trac& %ith e ects and they-re i!possible to re!ove s'bse('ently# I at the !i"ing stage, yo' decide yo' have too !'ch reverb on the vocals, yo'-ll have to live %ith it, or re/record the per or!ance# 1n the other hand, yo' !ay only have a single e ects processor and %ant to 'se this or another e ect on !i"do%n# .o 'nless yo' do %itho't the vocal reverb, yo' have no choice b't to record %ith it# 7ocals need reverb li&e England needs Michael 1%en b't overdo it and it-s dead easy to lose the voice in a sea o !'sh# 3everb o ten has the e ect o p'shing vocals bac& in a !i"# Great or preventing the! so'nding li&e they-re sitting on top o it +as they o ten can %hen recorded dry, b't not so good i it-s !as&ing an other%ise e"cellent per or!ance# 0o' can get ro'nd this by introd'cing a pre/delay to the reverb# This can be set 'p on !ost e ects processors and can be applied to !any instr'!ents, b't is partic'larly 'se 'l or creating space aro'nd a vocal or bringing it or%ard %hile giving it an -a'ra- o reverb# 0o'-ll need to e"peri!ent %ith the pre/delay setting, b't aro'nd 9:/;:!s sho'ld do# The tendency o reverb to cl'tter 'p a !i" is so!ething yo' need to listen or very care 'lly# And it-s vitally i!portant that yo' choose a progra! %ith the right reverb ti!e or each trac&# -Hall- progra!s so'nd great in isolation b't can clog 'p the !'sic ('ic&er than the !'d at Glastonb'ry# .hort reverbs are great or creating interesting roo! a!biences and don-t ta&e 'p as !'ch space in the !i", b't can so'nd 'nnat'ral# This is one arg'!ent or not adding reverb 'ntil !i"do%n# When all yo'r instr'!ents are -in place- yo' can properly assess the type and ('antity o reverb yo'-ll need# I this isn-t easible +perhaps yo' only have one e ects processor, try to &eep reverb to the !ini!'! needed to achieve the desired e ect and li!it reverb ti!es# Long reverbs o ten don-t have ti!e to s'bside be ore being retriggered and can acc'!'late in yo'r !i" li&e Glastonb'ry !'d +yes I &no% I-ve said it already, b't yo' sho'ld have seen it,# 2se pre/delays i they-re available and don-t re5ect the 'se o gated progra!s# The over'se o gating e ects on dr'! so'nds in the late <:s !ay have contrib'ted to their c'rrent 'npop'larity, b't they can be e"tre!ely 'se 'l in chopping o 'nnecessary reverb tails and creating space# Another tric& is to li!it the re('ency response o reverb 'sing either yo'r !i"er-s controls, or yo'r processor-s b'ilt/in E6 +i it has it,# This is best done by !onitoring ret'rn signals ro! yo'r reverb 'nit and c'tting any 'n%anted re('encies or li!iting those %hich appear to be obsc'ring the so'nd#

4ANNING )13 G1L=

The art o panning instr'!ents and so'nds to create a convincing stereo i!age is one o the !ost i!portant in !i"ing, yet is re('ently !is'nderstood# .o o ten, yo' hear de!o tapes %here the instr'!ent placing appears to have been carried o't ('ite arbitrarily# It-s li&e sharing s%eets> one or this side, one or that side, and one in the !iddle or l'c&# 4anning is an essential part o !i"ing8 a !eans o achieving balance in yo'r !'sic as %ell as creating the transparency o a stereo i!age that %e all ta&e or granted in co!!ercial recordings, b't %hich can be di ic'lt to reprod'ce# Tho'gh I-! loathe to tal& abo't %hat 's'ally happens in a !i" -'s'ally happens-, %e-d still be playing %histles and banging are a e% basic gro'nd r'les %hich yo' really can-t get a%ay that the do!inant, lo%/ re('ency instr'!ents invariably so'nd aro'nd the centre o the !i"# +i %e all did %hat hollo% logs,, there ro!# The irst is better placed at or

I-! tal&ing here abo't the bass dr'!, the bass g'itar or synth and any deep perc'ssive instr'!ents yo' !ay be 'sing# 4an the! too ar le t or right and yo'r !'sic %ill so'nd o /centre# )ine, i that-s %hat yo'-re ai!ing at, b't there are !'ch better %ays o getting creative %ith yo'r pan controls# 1ne o the best is to set 'p so!e interesting rhyth!ic interplay 'sing yo'r di erent perc'ssion so'nds# 1bvio'sly, i yo'-re 'sing a sa!ple loop or the dr'! trac& this !ay not be possible, b't yo' co'ld al%ays a'g!ent it %ith additional perc'ssion +s'ch as cabasa or claves, and pan these to the le t and right# Alternatively, try setting 'p a delay on one o yo'r instr'!ents and panning the dry and delayed signals to opposite sides o the !i"# Lead vocals are also placed at the centre o !i" in !ost recordings, tho'gh this has !'ch to do %ith %here yo'-d ind the singer at a live per or!ance# There-s is certainly nothing to prevent yo' e"peri!enting %ith the positioning o the vocals, partic'larly %here yo' also have bac&ing vocals as %ell %hich can be placed in a si!ilar position on the opposite side to the lead vocals, to balance things o't $'t again, hard panning le t or right o any vocal parts can be di ic'lt to live %ith# I sho'ld also re!ind yo' that pan controls are not static, and there-s nothing to prevent yo' ro! panning instr'!ents le t and right d'ring a recording# It-s easily overdone, b't in !oderation it can provide a real sense o !ove!ent +('ite literally, %ithin a !i"# A !ore s'btle alternative %o'ld be to 'se a stereo chor's progra! on a e ects 'nit %hich eat'res a'to/panning# This leaves the dry signal in place, b't shi ts the chor'sing bet%een the le t and right spea&ers# And tal&ing o e ects brings 's bac& to reverb %hich can be 'sed to create a convincing stereo i!age ro! any !ono so'rce# $y panning o'tp'ts le t and right, yo' can 'se reverb to prod'ce a !'ch broader, !ore e"pansive so'nd, even at short reverb ti!es# 1n the other hand, reverb !ay be 'psetting yo'r stereo i!aging by changing the apparent location o a speci ic instr'!ent# I this does occ'r, try panning the reverb to e"actly the sa!e point in the stereo ield as the dry signal, pre erably stic&ing to a !ono e ect#

IN.TANT MIX )IXE. To ro'nd things o , ho% abo't a co'ple o %ays to provide an instant i" or yo'r !i"? I yo'-ve already !i"ed do%n to stereo and o'nd the res'lt disappointing, try stic&ing the entire !i" thro'gh an a'ral enhancer# Tho'gh not al%ays s'ccess 'l in treating a co!plete !i", they can alter the overall so'nd in s'btle and distinctive %ays, partic'larly processors %hich a ect the stereo i!aging#

Alternatively, give the trac& to so!eone else to !i"# The res'lts !ay not be to yo'r li&ing +at irst,, b't I g'arantee they-ll reveal a side to yo'r !'sic that %o'ldn-t have e!erged had yo' been sat behind the !i"ing des&# What have yo' got to lose?