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Jan 9, 2018 · Confusing mixing terms. Boomy: a build-up of low frequencies—often in low-pitched drums—that causes an overpowering emphasis on the sustain of the sound. Boxy: a lack of low and high frequencies; a sound that has too much midrange. Crunchy: slightly distorted as a result of over-compression, over-limiting, clipping, or intentional overdrive.
- There Was Much More to It Than I Thought
- Panning
- EQ
- Effects
- Automation
For the next several years, I thought mixing was simply a search for the right volume levels. While that’s not completely untrue, it was still a very incomplete picture. It wasn’t until I started interacting directly with professional mixing engineers that I finally began to fully understand how important–and complex–mixing really was. I tell this ...
In addition to volume levels, mixing engineers decide where in the stereo spectrum to place each instrument. Music is recorded and played back in a stereo field, meaning there are left and right speakers and sounds can be placed accordingly. It is imperative for all instruments to be panned to a proper place in order to get a clean mix. Not only do...
When you layer multiple instruments on top of each other, you start getting a “muddy” sound as they take up the same audio frequencies. A good mix engineer knows how to EQ highs, mids, lows, and everything in between so that a mix will sound “clean” and each instrument takes up only its intended place in the song. It takes a trained ear to recogniz...
Guitarists sometimes record with effects, but the vast majority of effects processing goes on during the mixing process. Things like compression, reverbs, delays, and many other effects are chosen and tweaked by the mixing engineer, who helps make what might otherwise be a dull or lifeless recording into something full and lush. Engineers must have...
It would be nice if mixing was as simple as setting the volume faders in one place and letting the song finish, but unfortunately it’s a lot harder than that. Because different tracks need to be at the forefront of the song at different times–lead vocals here, guitar solo there, etc.–things like volume levels, panning, and effects need to be automa...
Apr 25, 2018 · Mix bus (or Submix, Stereo output, Mix output, or Master output) - The channel that all of the audio of a session flows to. Mono - The opposite of stereo. A sound that has one source, rather than two. Pan pot (or Pan knob) - A control that places a sound in the left speaker, the right speaker, or somewhere in between.
Apr 6, 2023 · Mixing is the technique that takes individual sounds, also known as stems, and blends them the best they can into a final, ‘mixed’ track. It happens at the start of the post-production process, and if you’re mixing an album, the mix will sound cohesive when listening through each song.
- Erik Bengtson
- Boomy. Boominess refers to excessive low frequency energy that causes exaggerated sustain effects on your speakers. For example: “I want this kick to be fat, but right now it’s just boomy.”
- Muddy. Muddy generally means congestion from a buildup of competing elements in your low midrange. For example: “The whole mix gets muddy when I unmute the bass, maybe I should cut some 250 Hz.”
- Boxy. A sound or mix composed of mostly midrange frequencies with not enough lows and highs. For example: “These guitars are too boxy, we should try a mic with more high end.”
- Warmth. Warmth typically refers to harmonic distortion and un-hyped top end. For example: “Wow, adding that tube compressor plugin really warmed up this vocal.”
May 15, 2023 · Understanding What Is Mixing in Music. Mixing is the art of conditioning individual audio tracks and putting them in the best possible form. Then, fitting the tracks together, and finally bundling them in a single stereo track. This fully mixed track is ready for mastering. A perfectly mixed track should give the experience of a live soundstage ...
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Nov 9, 2023 · Listen to the mix and take notes. During the mixing process, the goal is to create a blended mix of all your sounds. To do this effectively, you need to understand each track first. Before adjusting gain, panning or effects, take a moment to listen through each track individually.
