zen's 10 steps to better mixing

7/31/2019 Zen's 10 Steps to Better Mixing

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I wrote this particular article in response to another post contain-

ing a wholly different list of 10 steps. The original list was nothing

more than a clinical step-by-step cookbook approach to mixing. I

cant think of anything more useless. Anyone can push up a fader,

turn a pan pot, and boost an EQ. This wasnt useful information

least of all for people looking to learn how to actually mix. Learn-

ing about mixing isnt like learning about signal flow. Mixing is

neither a linear process nor a technical one. Its a musical process,

and as such, a mix is something that one performslike an artist.

Frankly, I was incensed when I read this particular post aboutmixing. I know that sounds silly, but it used to drive me crazy to

read all the appalling misinformation on the Internet about

recording. As was often the case, perhaps too often in those early

years, I was compelled to correct the record. I could barely type

fast enough as I came up with my own steps. They poured out of

me so quickly I was done in less than five minutes. Remarkably,

since writing that article, Ive been unable to improve upon it in

any significant way.Dont be thrown off by the age of the article. I can assure you

where mixing philosophy is concerned that there have been no

great technological advances in the last 30 years, let alone the last

10. It makes no difference if youre mixing on a DAW or using an

analog machine through a Neve 8068 consolethe artof mixing

remains the same.

Mixermans 10 Steps to Better Mixing1 Mixing is an attitude.

2 If the song sucks, the mix is irrelevant.

3 Working the room, keeping people happy and relaxed,is half of mixing successfully.

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4 Putting everything proportional in a mix is going tomake for a shitty mix.

5 Gear used on a mix are tools that will make your lifeeither easier or more difficult; they are not what makes

a mix good or bad.

6 A mix can be great and not have great sound.

7 If the mix doesnt somehow, and in some way, annoysomeone in the room, the mix likely isnt done.

8 Mixing cannot be taught; it can only be learned.

9 The overall vibe of the track is much more importantthan any individual part.

10 Just because a part was recorded doesnt mean it needsto be in the mix.

11 Be aggressive! (Oops, thats 11!)

I know what youre thinking. Thats not a list of steps at all!

This is true, but as Ive already pointed out to you, mixing isnt a

linear process, and as such there really arent any steps to actually

tell you about. Thats one of the major points of the article. Im

also fairly certain that number eight on the list caught your eye. I

know it would have caught mine were I in the market for a book

on the subject of mixing.

Mixing cannot be taught; it can only be learned.

Isnt that just great? A book about mixing in which the author

admits he cant teach you how to mix. Hopefully youve already

bought this book, but just in case youre still in the bookstore right

now, worry not. Remember, Im going to teach you how to think

about mixing, not how to mix. The learning how to mix part is on

16 Zen and the Art of Mixing

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you. If you change how you think about mixing, youll be well on

your way to learning how to mix.

Now, Im presenting these steps to you here in the Introduction

because were going to discuss them in detail throughout the

course of this book. I dont offer you these steps as some sort of

outlineits far too limiting a list to be that. Its just that every-

thing in a mix is interdependent, and this book is much like

mixing in that regard. I spent an inordinate amount of time figur-

ing out the best and most logical way to present the art of mixing

to you, and Ive determined that there isnt one, so I guess yourein for a wild ride.

Communication and Compromise

Seeing as half of mixing successfully has to do with people skills,

Im going to devote an entire chapter to the subject. Even if your

work is wholly self-contained, dealing with others in the creation

of art is a critical skill to develop. Furthermore, the informationcontained here regarding bedside manner can be just as useful for

dealing with clients as for becoming a good client yourself.

Whether or not you intend to become a professional mixer, your

interpersonal skills are a vital part of any creative process. It doesnt

really matter what your role is in the creation of a recording;

disagreements will come up, compromises will be made, and

negotiations will ensue. Hell, when Im mixing, I spend half my

time negotiating with myself. Such is to be expected for an activityso tied to the art of compromise.

Anyone whos spent any amount of time attempting to make a

kik drum work effectively with the bass understands compromise

as it relates to mixing. Still, the real art of mixing lies not in negoti-

ating with oneself (Im thinking youre always going to win that

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one), but rather in negotiating with those who have hired you in

the first place.

I really cant overemphasize just how critical communication is

on a mix session.As the mixer, you must be able to explain relatively

complex concepts in easily understandable terms. These cant be

meandering speeches that lack focus. You need to be concise and

to the point. Your arguments must be demonstrable. Even when

the producer is in the room, youre the leader of the mixing

process, and as such you should be clear in how you express your-

self. Conversely, you have a responsibility to guide your clientstoward good communication habits themselves.

I cant tell you how often I come across a clients debilitating

inability to state with alacrity a specific problem with the mix

particularly when were in the home stretch of the process. There

is a point in the mix where most solutions involve nothing more

than half a dB change in level. Still, it seems theres always the one

client who prefers to offer absurdly complex solutions to simple

problems. Its at this point in a mix that I interrupt pointlessmeandering with an almost militant command:

Instrument. Section. Up or down.

While this may seem somewhat abrasive on the surface, I can

assure you it serves a very useful purpose. You dont really need to

hear your clients reasons why she might want the piano, on the

third chorus, louder. For starters, you cant judge the merits of

any particular mix note until you listen to it. The detailed philo-

sophical reasons as to why the piano, in the third chorus, shouldbe louder is useless information until youve determined whether

you agree with the note. If everyone agrees (and in particular if

you agree), there is no debate. Besides, you could very well bring

the level of that piano up and have your client instantly declare

herself wrong. If you allow your client to argue endlessly all her


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reasons for a simple mix note before its actually implemented and

evaluated by everyone, your client unwittingly puts herself in the

position of having to defend her note regardless of the results. By

steering your clients toward clear, concise communication, you

allow yourself the opportunity to avoid a total breakdown of it.

Once you hone your ability to communicate effectively, youll

have an edge in negotiating through the varying needs of the A&R

rep, the band, the artist, the manager, the producer, the managers

girlfriend, etc. Believe me, each and every one of those people will

have an opinion and an agenda, all of which will have to be dealtwith appropriately. Even if its your own music, and none of those

people are involved in your project, or even if youre a young

mixer in a small city working with self-funded local bands, youre

going to have to deal with multiple, and often unwanted, opinions.

Feedback is generally a good thing, but when the managers girl-

friend is complaining that you axed her favorite parta part that

was long abandoned or forgotten about and for whatever reason

was never deleted from the sessionthis kind of feedback is nothelpful to the process.

A large part of communicating effectively requires respect. Its

always somewhat awkward when a band girlfriend gets in your

face because she doesnt get why your opinions are deemed more

important than hers. Believe me, I know. Been there, done that.

While its certainly not necessary to get the girlfriends respect, the

same cannot be said about your clients. If you dont have their

trust and respect, you need to gain it somehow, or youll find your-self unable to perform your job effectively.

Making a record under the best of circumstances is an emotional

process. Metaphorically speaking, youre dealing with someones

baby. Thats how personal art can be to its creator. If you treat that

art with respect, youll have a much easier time acquiring respect

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yourself. Of course, there is one simple way to gain everyones

respect: Deliver a great mix. But therein lies the rub.

Caveats and Definitions

Anything and everything that has to do with mixing has to do with

perspective. How the listener hears the relative vocal balance within

a track is perspective. How loud your particular track sounds com-

pared with someone elses track in iTunes is perspective. This well

talk about, but as we do, you should also take into account my per-spectives as a professional, particularly as they relate to your own.

Ive been a freelance mixer and producer for nearly 20 years.

The sum total of my experiences as a freelance mixer wont corre-

spond perfectly with someone who owns a full-blown recording

studio and must deal with the realities of a massive monthly

overhead, nor will they correlate exactly with the professional

songwriter looking to improve his or her own mixes. Since I must

assume that the overwhelming majority of those reading this bookare not currently, and may never become, professional mixers, you

will surely come across some information in this book that has no

direct relevance to your circumstance. That doesnt mean this

information wont have relevance in the future, and it most certainly

doesnt mean the information contained within these pages wont

prove useful in the broader context of creating music.

If you understand the thinking that goes into a successful mix,

and if you understand your ultimate goal with a song or a produc-tion, you understand how to set yourself up to succeed in making

music regardless of your role in that process. It would be impossible

for me to discuss mixing without also discussing songwriting,

arrangement, performance, and recording. Everything that happens

before a mix affects the mix itself. Therefore, understanding what


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goes into effective mixing will only serve to make you better at

everything that comes before the mix itself.

Just so theres no misunderstanding, this book was not written

solely for those who wish to become professional freelance mixers.

I can assure you, I wouldnt bother writing a book for such a

miniscule audience.Zen and the Art of Mixingis for people who

want to understand the kind of thinking that goes into high-level

mixing. If youre involved in music in any way, theres plenty in

this book to help you improve your craft.

For reasons that will soon become obvious, I will spend muchof our time together hammering on the importance of the vocal.

Certainly there will be occasions when there is no vocal in a mix.

For ease of writing and reading, you can consider the melody

instrument to be equivalent to the vocal. For the most part, they

serve the same role.

As youve probably surmised, Ive spent most of my career

mixing on an analog console. While Im most comfortable mixing

in this manner, there will be far more of you who use DAWs andplug-ins exclusively than who work in fully analog studios or even

in hybrid situations. Lets face itif you know how to use a con-

sole, you know how to use a DAW. The same cant necessarily be

said for the reverse. Given this, anything that translates to either

medium will generally be discussed from the perspective of the

DAW.

I will often use the term clients in a rather global manner.

This basically refers to anyone in the process who has veto power.This can be the artist, the producer, the A&R rep, the band, the

manager, the investor, etc. If they have a say in the product, then

you have a responsibility to make them happy.

The term parts refers to instrumentation. There are drum

parts, guitar parts, keyboard parts, percussion parts, etc. This is

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just an easy way for me to describe the instruments that are con-

tained within an arrangement.

Lastly, and most importantly, the concepts involved in music

and mixing can be remarkably complex. Any general rule I might

provide you regarding music or mixing will likely have more than

one exception. This book would be 10 times longer and impossible

to get through were I to go through every exception to every

rulenot that I could actually think of them all. For this reason,

from the long view of your overall career, you can treat any rule

that I present to you as a tool. Use the tools where theyre warranted,abandon them where theyre not, and understand that the more

tools you use and the better you implement those tools, the more

effective your mixes will be.


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