Thoughts for Engineers
Here is something for the engineers. I have been working as an engineer for almost a decade and have come to find a few elements the new found engineer can implement to get them started!
When you first have your mix, it might be hard to grasp but finding balance is key. Start your mix by simply adjusting the volume faders and panning knobs to 1. Create your stereo image and 2. Keep away from any un needed processing that might over saturate or damage your mix in the long run. When you do this, imagine that this is all you have to mix with and keep an eye on your master bus to see what is peaking above -6 dB and note it down as the first things you will approach along with anything else you see fit with dynamics, frequency or busing.
Once you have a balance go ahead and briefly solo out certain elements that you prefer to start with. For me, i solo my kick and snare and sweep for clashing frequencies within each. I always start with subtractive EQ before my compression to only compress the frequencies i see as needed or as “the good ones”. Once i have removed frequencies i do not like, i will throw them back into the mix and make minor adjustments without making arbitrary changes that suck up time and that could lead to a foggy direction for the mix eventually ruining it. I repeat this process with very minor removals until i feel i have a good foundation setup.
Side Note: Always focus on your subtractive EQ. You are more likely to find good results in removing bad frequencies which allow the positive ones to show themselves and breathe especially after compression. Boosting to much low, mid or high can result in a muddy, boxy and airy end point in your mix. While boosting is beneficial in many ways you want to boost with closure and know exactly what you want to bring out with said boost. A good example is with bass. I will dual process the bass which entails one low end track and one high end track containing the grit or clank. To really grasp the clank, i will either use a saturation plugin (Fab Filter Saturn) and boost the 2khz-3khz range or simply boost this region with a multi band EQ like Fab Filter Pro Q or SSL’s Channel. If i did not know what i had been looking for i would not have boosted to begin with but considering this range is the attack and grit and i want it brought out, i chose to boost it.
Once i have gotten a foundation, i will then apply Waves L2 on my master bus with a dB and LUFS level that is fitting for the time being. As i achieve certain milestones i will adjust my limiter to a commercial volume level to sort of guide the mix as i go. This helps me focus on sounds that need relief rather than crushing my mix with a limiter after my mix which could result in thinned out sounds especially when clipping elements like snares, kicks and vocals.
Side Note: With every single move i make and more specifically EQ i implement the LDFC method. Listen, Diagnose, Fix and Compare. This will keep you grounded to your moves and make them happen with the reassurance that they are there for a reason. When i first started mixing, i found myself making moves without knowing what i was doing. This is obviously a n00b move, but without starting and actually applying these tools like EQ, Compression etc i would not have gotten better.
After i have gotten my EQ some what out of the way, i move to compression. This is usually done by instrument for me but it never hurts to change up your work flow. If you have a good dB balance paired with a good frequency balance you will be able to hear which areas need tamed dynamics and or punch and attack. Depending on your instrument and what you want to pull from it, you will want to approach your compressor a little differently.
Side Note: I want you to know that a great place to start is to find a signal chain of your own that you are comfortable with tool wise and that is logical to your work flow and use this over and over again starting from scratch every time. You do not want to simply copy and paste the same chain on every vocal as every performance is different and every recording is as well. Doing this will help you grasp the tools and how they work together and become familiar with where they should be used and how heavily they should be worked next time. Remember this: There is no magic button, signal chain or piece of gear/plugins that just make it great. It requires time and effort and real work to learn how to get a colorful and punchy mix.
These two elements (EQ and Compression) once mastered will absolutely bring out what you want from your recordings. There is no simple way to achieve a good mix other than by starting and repeating a process that hones in the skills you desire to get a colorful and bright vocal, guitar or drum track.
If this helped you in anyway i am glad! I hope you the best in your mixing journey as i know it has been fun learning and advancing every mix for myself. If you are looking to produce, write or compose songs please follow and look back at my thoughts for song writers! These posts are all first hand from my experience and i love sharing the information with you and hope you learn from it!
-Andrew Giordanengo
-Audiohut
