Adjusting the faders while mixing can end up a cyclical process. It’s easy to overdo it with faders. Instead of judging the quality of each adjustment on the spot, try what Roey Izhaki calls the Extremes-Inward experiment. By having a rough idea of where each fader should be, you can avoid over- or under-adjusting any of the tracks.
You an read the full details here: http://audioundone.com/working-with-faders
Archives for January 2013
Avoid Recording Mistakes
Some problems are easy to avoid when recording, but a pain in the rear when mixing. With so many things to remember, a checklist can help you avoid some of the most common problems while recording. Taking a few extra minutes to double check for the smaller details, like phase and placement, can save a good bit of headache later.
You can read the full article here: http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/in_the_studio_a_recording_session_checklist/
EQ Bass With Harmonics
Getting the EQ for your bass line to sound just right can take patience. It’s not just about boosting the frequencies you want to hear more of and cutting the frequencies you want less of. Other tricks to EQ, like boosting the harmonic multiples of the frequency, can help with the overall sound of a track.
You can read the details about using harmonics with EQ here: http://www.audio-issues.com/music-mixing/eq-bass-harmonics/
Mixing With Reaper
Reaper is a powerful digital audio workstation, but that power can be intimidating. Putting features of the software to work for you may save you time or even improve the quality of your mixes. The Reaper Blog, linked below, is a great way to pick up new tricks and information. The link is about the mixer control panel in particular, but browse around to see if you can learn something new.
Take a look at the full article: http://reaperblog.net/2013/01/reaper-101-mixer-control-panel/
Drum Inspiration From Classic Rock
Knowing that a drum set at the hands of Neil Peart or Keith Moon can sound like magic may not be very useful to an audio engineer. Having a set of clear, objective qualities to try and emulate, either in the studio or while mixing, can be tremendously more helpful than just asking for the percussion to “sound more classic”.
You can read more here: http://audio.tutsplus.com/articles/general/essential-listening-the-sound-of-rock-drums/