AKARSH SHEKHAR
How To
Improve Your
Mix Without
Changing
Any Gear
Protect your ears Healthy monitoring levels are a start , but since we ’ re ultimately dealing with our perception of sound , the other side of the equation is our ears - we need to optimize them to monitor accuracy . We don ’ t want to turn this article into a public service announcement , but what we ’ re essentially talking about here is staying healthy . Classic scenario : you mix a song for 15 hours , adjusting it to perfection . You play it the next day and it sounds absolutely terrible . Assuming you have a modicum of engineering talent , accurate monitors , and a decent crew to work with , hearing fatigue is the most likely culprit . Just as strong monitoring fatigue the ears , so does critical listening at nominal monitoring levels for hours on end . So , take breaks , rest your ears , and know when to finish , before you hit the point of diminishing returns . Get a good night ’ s sleep and be fresh again the next day . ( If you are nocturnal , the principle is still valid ). This will make your mixes sound better and protect your ears from damage in the long run .
Visualize your mix in three dimensions As you record , overdub , and rough mixes , you ’ re developing a mental picture of your final mix , or at least you should . In cognitive science , this is called structural visualization , and it ’ s a skill shared by architects , astronauts , and yes , successful recording engineers . Visualize your mix in a manner of height , depth and width . Your universe is populated with objects ( instruments , voices , and effects ), each of which has a frequency range ( height ), a stereo pan position ( width ), and a relative volume ( depth ). If you make your recordings in such a way , your mixes will be far more interesting than normal .
Use high quality tracks This first one may be a no-brainer , but it ’ s quite possible that if you ’ re having a hard time mixing a song , the tracks themselves may be the problem . Garbage in , garbage out , as they say . It goes without saying that all instruments and voices must be in tune . In the setup , make sure there is no excessive frequency clumping ( this can be mitigated a bit , but not fixed , with EQ ). Maybe that dubbed rhythm guitar part would sound better one octave or would be played on a different instrument . You ’ re painting with sound , a delicate touch here , a bold brushstroke there , and you need high-quality sounds in your palette .
Set your monitor to a reference level Hollywood movie mix soundstages are calibrated to 85 dB and stay there , so re-recording engineers
have absolute reference and are never fooled by fluctuating monitor levels . According to the Fletcher- Munson curves , 85dB is where the frequencies sound flattest . Loud reproductions accentuate your ears ’ perception of bass and treble frequencies and consequently tend to make mixes sound more punchy than they actually are . In contrast , quiet monitoring levels attenuate the extremes , leaving the mid-range . Mix with high monitoring levels and you ’ ll end up with a negligible mix . Monitor too quietly - your mix will have tons of highs and lows , and vocals and other midrange instruments won ’ t be loud enough . You get the idea . Use an SPL meter for calibrating your monitors . Of course , 85dB is a good starting point , but in smaller rooms , it can be uncomfortable . Having a reference in the range of 70dB - 80dB in such cases is fine . You can still enjoy very loud playback with the band from time to time , and of course , check your mix on small speakers . But doing your most critical work at your established benchmark level is a big step toward achieving radio-ready mixes that adhere to the Goldilocks principle : the right thing to do .
The Score Magazine highonscore . com
31