What is mixing all about, in a nutshell?

L

LZoSo

New member
I'm a newbie starting out, I mixed some of my solo guitar stuff (electric, classical) and from online resources (Mixing Secrets).
My conclusion of mixing is simply to make a great performance sound better using EQ, compression, gating etc...
But I feel that there is something missing in my mental approach, even though I watched many YouTube videos about the subject and read quickly through some books.
Is mixing all about: a. even leveling, b. EQ+compression by need and using my ears, c. reverb... or other ways people on YouTube and books say?

Thank you in advance
 
It's about getting the song to sound the way you want or the artist wants/intends.

Getting there requires some knowledge, the tools (plugins, outboard gear, decent monitoring, etc), and a willingness to spend the time adjusting and experimenting. Being creative with the tools is a bonus, but you have to first know what they do and how to use them to be inventive. Time takes time, so it's really about spending time experimenting as much as it is watching tutorials. Tutorials will teach you the mechanics, but experimentation is where the 'art' takes place.
 
Welcome to the forum LZoSo!

Mixing can make a song sound radically different that what is was before. However, going overboard with effects. EQing, and compression might distort what you intended to create in the first place. I recommend using only the basics at first and gradually learn and add to your repertoire.
 
The sculptor said "..It's easy. You just chip away what you don't want".
:>)

Hey.. I just realized! 'Sculptors only have cut eq :listeningmusic:
 
LZoSo said:
Is mixing all about: a. even leveling, b. EQ+compression by need and using my ears, c. reverb... or other ways people on YouTube and books say?
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Some of the best mixes I've done had no EQ, no compression, no reverb (except the room) and anything but "even" levels.

Mixing is all about taking the source and turning it into the mix that's in your head. Sometimes it takes barely any effort, other times it's not even possible -- At which point, you do what you can to make it sound like you did it that way on purpose.
 
Mixing is learning to hear what you're listening to in addition to everything already stated. Have to be able to hear first.
 
Massive Master said:
Some of the best mixes I've done had no EQ, no compression, no reverb (except the room) and anything but "even" levels.

Mixing is all about taking the source and turning it into the mix that's in your head. Sometimes it takes barely any effort, other times it's not even possible -- At which point, you do what you can to make it sound like you did it that way on purpose.
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I like this a lot!
And I read the last part -in my world translates as 'we ended up 'here' and have this -the raw tracks, there's where and what we'd like it to have been, but here's the reality of it and see where it can lead.

I see this as the difference between the best case scenario -totally pro team effort getting it right from every step, to mine; band comes in, wham bam, then into that journey.
:>)
Shoot, I expect though even at the higher end of the spectrum there's still a lot of following discovery and honing in on the final.
 
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Mixing is like language. You are taking a bunch of individual words and making them into a cohesive sentence.
:D
 
One of the best analogues I have read about 'mixing' is that you view the various signals as a 'landscape'?

Not only do signal exist in a loudness domain but also in a place between the speakers. A reproduction of the 'live' setup, as you would do for instance for a jazz quartet would be as they appear on, stage for most rock music the singer would be panned centrally or near it but a good deal of music does not exist in any real 'space' so YOU can chose where you want to place people and instruments.

I don't mix, I no longer have the hearing nor access to any original material but I would say that when you start adding FX, especially dynamics you are entering into Mastering territory? THAT is a rather different box of fishes!

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
One of the best analogues I have read about 'mixing' is that you view the various signals as a 'landscape'?

Not only do signal exist in a loudness domain but also in a place between the speakers. A reproduction of the 'live' setup, as you would do for instance for a jazz quartet would be as they appear on, stage for most rock music the singer would be panned centrally or near it but a good deal of music does not exist in any real 'space' so YOU can chose where you want to place people and instruments.

I don't mix, I no longer have the hearing nor access to any original material but I would say that when you start adding FX, especially dynamics you are entering into Mastering territory? THAT is a rather different box of fishes!

Dave.
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Hmm. Nah. Most would probably see mixing and mastering quite separate, but I'd consider most of the dynamics used is, typically by a long shot in the mix stage. Definitely in the number and places it's used.
 
mixsit said:
Hmm. Nah. Most would probably see mixing and mastering quite separate, but I'd consider most of the dynamics used is, typically by a long shot in the mix stage. Definitely in the number and places it's used.
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Sure. But I can't say where Dave mentioned mastering. And I absolutely agree that mixing is about creating a sonic landscape.
 
gecko zzed said:
Sure. But I can't say where Dave mentioned mastering. And I absolutely agree that mixing is about creating a sonic landscape.
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ecc83 said:
[snip]..I don't mix, I no longer have the hearing nor access to any original material but I would say that when you start adding FX, especially dynamics you are entering into Mastering territory? THAT is a rather different box of fishes!
Click to expand...
But I could have misunderstood his meaning too.
 
Keeping with the visual analogy- creating a sonic panorama. Or even sonic architecture to jump to a build analogy. I tend to think of tracking as capturing a performance, or as often happens today, creating a performance ITB. Mixing I think of as developing the performance in such a manner as to result in something that causes the listener to react to it in whichever way you have planned. Mastering I think of as taking the developed performance and giving it the polish so that it can be presented to the listener in optimal manner to insure the mix is properly represented at "all" times, something like that.
 
gecko zzed said:
I stand corrected. Now why didn't i see his last sentence?
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Heh! Not sure if I am still angel or devil here! MY understanding of the Black Art of mastering is that it is a place where dynamics are a large part of the process? Note, I DID say "entering into" and added a "?" I also finished with "another box of fish" meaning another area of audio processing.

I am MUCH better wiv VALVES!

Dave.
 
Your ears will be the best bet in the long run. Experimenting with effects in your daw will take time, but, when you find that sound you're looking for , remember it . redo , tweak, and let your ears ( always good to have another pair of ears for feedback) make the final decision. On another note, know when stop.
 
Mixing to me is more than just leveling its sonically shaping sounds and most importantly a vibe that a song carries, less is definitely more and what you hear in your head is often very hard to duplicate when first starting out.

You can get lost in effects and compression to where it changes the entire feel of your song..you don't want to do that.

slowly try different effects and EQ, turn knobs lightly to hear the difference a small adjustment makes and most importantly take the time to learn your equipment inside and out. In the end it will help you to easily recreate what you are hearing thus a better overall mix.
 
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