objectively good mix or aesthetic or functional standard out there in the world to reference as such ? Is Mix A a good mix ? If Mix B objectively better than Mix A ? I was curious about how musicians and engineers thought about these ( and other ) questions and deployed a survey last month as part of my ongoing PhD research around Philosophy of Sound .
According to nearly 300 surveyed self-identified professional audio engineers , there is such a thing as ‘ good ’ sound ( or ‘ bad ’ sound ). 43 % stated that they strongly agree . Another 31 % said that they somewhat agree . So roughly 3 / 4 of sound engineers have a sense that some objectively ‘ good ’ sound is out there to be found . ( Quick philosophical aside : further research is needed to draw out just what / where this ‘ objective ’ standard is . Just how objective it truly is in their opinion was not a question included in the survey .) For those in the cohort of some version of ‘ objectively good sound does exist ’, the results of research like what Algargoosh put together can be a tool to get them closer to finding that good mix . If a good mix exists , having a wetter mix should guide us closer to it in most cases .
For those who fall outside of the belief in an objective standard for ‘ good ’ sound , it would be interesting to find out whether they view their mix quality ( and sound in general ) as being more ‘ in the eye of the beholder ’ or whether their issue with accepting an objective standard lives in another philosophical area . Personally , I don ’ t think that there is an objectively good sound or mix out there ( I ’ m in the minority with that view ), but rather only a convention that generally holds as to what societies at particular times , and in particular places , decide to label as ‘ good ’. Even as I hold this view , it is still the case that best practices and research like the Algargoosh study can inform me as to what techniques are most likely to guide me to those accepted norms for sound and mix attributes . I can still create a generally wetter mix rather than a totally dry mix in an effort to reach this accepted convention . So , whether you are in the objective sonic goodness camp or not — hopefully this article has been a good resource and got your wheels spinning ! Happy mixing !
Jeff Hawley A 20-year music industry veteran — equally at ease behind the console , playing bass guitar , leading marketing teams or designing award-winning audio products . He currently heads up the marketing for Allen & Heath in the US .
102 March 2024 Subscribe for Free ...