Ok. My next question for the mixers/masters

[jmarques]

Do you guys have a preconceived notion of what music should sound like?

I feel as though I'm flowing in hot water here, but what I'm trying to say is do you feel that when you are placing tracks are you trying to notch them specific area or are trying to more creative and randomly place sound or is it a little of both.

What do you think makes it all work? Sorry I'm not trying to sound insulting I'm just investating in different philosophies.

Maybe if also you stated your background and what types of music are you typically involved in. That might help other people as well.

 

[Massive Master]

When I was a tracking/mixing guy, without question, I had a "vision" of what a finshed track "should" sound like when completed. Everything else - Instrument selection, core sounds, mic placement, preamps, technique, room selection and incorporation, mixing style, processing - All came from that vision.

Of course, some projects or individual mixes would stay "on course" and others would go off in a different direction in the middle of the project. But yes, no doubt, there is a "end game" in mind. IMO, there almost has to be. Otherwise, you're shooting in the dark.

The mastering game isn't much different - I listen to a track for the first time and almost immediately have a "finished" sound in my head. The processing applied is dictated by that "finished" version (otherwise, I'd be shooting in the dark - also, the supreme reason why mastering one's own mixes can be less than ideal... If you already tracked your vision and mixed your vision, why do you think your vision will suddnely change during the mastering phase?).

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Do you guys have a preconceived notion of what music should sound like?

Absolutely. Putting together a mix without a preconceived plan is about as good as putting together a building without a blueprint.

To answer both of your threads, here's Audio Engineering General Rule #3.14159:

It's the tracking engineer's job to make the mixing engineer's job easy.
It's the mixing engineer's job to make the mastering engineer's job easy.
It's the mastering engineer's job to make the listener's job easy.

G.

 

[Jamz0r]

It's the tracking engineer's job to make the mixing engineer's job easy.
It's the mixing engineer's job to make the mastering engineer's job easy.
It's the mastering engineer's job to make the listener's job easy.

Great rule that 3.14.....

Hmm, wonder if we have any pie.....