Does playing a certain instrument affect your mix?

[squibble94]

Hey guys

I was browsing through some posts, and someone said "This song sounds like it was mixed by a guitarist." The thought popped into my head that any instruments you play affect your mix... For example, if you are a drummer, you make the drums louder in the mix than if you were a guitarist.

Do you guys find yourself doing this?

 

[moresound]

I've seen this more than once! especially when the mix engineer is on the recording.
It will all most always have a ME factor.
But not so much in the real pro line of work or the guy doesn't get to much work.

 

[RAMI]

It can work both ways if you're thinking too mcuh about it. I've had many mixes where I over-compensated, being a drummer, and been told that the drums have to come up. I was obviously too pre-occupied by trying to NOT mix it like a drummer that I lost perspective and thought they were too loud no matter what. .

 

[philbagg]

Hey guys

I was browsing through some posts, and someone said "This song sounds like it was mixed by a guitarist." The thought popped into my head that any instruments you play affect your mix... For example, if you are a drummer, you make the drums louder in the mix than if you were a guitarist.

Do you guys find yourself doing this?

I'm a guitarist, and the loudest things in my mix are the drums, and maybe bass. In fact, when I compare with other "pro" songs of similar genre, the guitars are much more out there and in your face. As Greg said, the most important thing in a good rock mix, is good drums.

But he only said that because he's a drummer

 

[moresound]

Good thing I'm only a theremin player not much call for one now a days.

 

[NYMorningstar]

I think the best thing to do is to learn play many instruments. Not only will it lend to better mixing but you'll learn more about your own instrument. There's an old saying: You don't really know your own language until you learn another.

 

[M1Fanatic]

I try to be as objective as possible while mixing. I play or program all of the instruments so I don't really have more 'me' factor over one instrument or the other.

Try and keep the different instruments from stepping all over another and know what your basic groove tracks are, besides the obvious bass and drums, that keeps the mix together.

 

[mattr]

I've seen this go the other way, where the person subconsciously ends up burying their parts in the mix because they're not happy with them, don't like hearing their own voice, etc.

 

[miroslav]

Play on a several tracks, and a few different instruments...that way you won't be partial to any one thing.


I've always just focused on the song when tracking/mixing, rather than any one part or one element that I might like a lot or that maybe I played exceptionally well.

 

[LDS]

Good thing I'm only a theremin player not much call for one now a days.

Maybe you should branch out to cowbell?

 

[Chibi Nappa]

These are all reasons why I rarely record myself.

I think the best thing to do is to learn play many instruments. Not only will it lend to better mixing but you'll learn more about your own instrument. There's an old saying: You don't really know your own language until you learn another.

It also really helps in production. You can demonstrate a guitar, bass, piano, or drum suggestion much easier if you can sit down and play it.

 

[squibble94]

Yeah, sometimes I find myself making guitars quieter (I'm a guitarist). But drums and bass are what makes a song most of the time for me.

 

[nate_dennis]

I think it's things like this that drive most "professional" bands to hire mix engineers that are not connected to the project already. People get really attached to parts. But I really only do my own stuff and I do all the parts so I have some objectivity ......I think.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Has anybody ever seen a drummer sit behind a mixing board and not pan the drums to the drummer's perspective? Or a guitraist that didn't think the guitar was too quiet on the first pass?

While I think the more instruments one plays as a musician, the less biased they may tend to want to be with the mix, I think if one plays an instrument or a hundred instruments or none at all should be irrelevant. What's relevant is what hat they wear when they walk into the control room.

If one is a drummer, a guitarist or a flautist, that is the hat they need to be wearing in the live room (or when holding their instrument). But if they are going to step into the control room, they need to take their performer hat off and put on their engineer hat. Which means thinking like an engineer or producer and not an instrument player.

(If they are sitting at the front desk, that is. If they are sitting on the couch or chairs behind the engineer and producer, they need to step outside and have a smoke instead. )

G.

 

[RawDepth]

...I've had many mixes where I over-compensated, being a drummer, and been told that the drums have to come up. I was obviously too pre-occupied by trying to NOT mix it like a drummer that I lost perspective and thought they were too loud no matter what. .

The same thing happened to me recently. (I am a drummer.) My own guitar player suggested that the drums be louder on our demo recording.

Has anybody ever seen a drummer sit behind a mixing board and not pan the drums to the drummer's perspective?

I must be the exception to the rule. I always choose the audience perspective. I never understood why the drummer's.

...But if they are going to step into the control room, they need to take their performer hat off and put on their engineer hat. Which means thinking like an engineer or producer and not an instrument player...

I agree 100%. I am trying to achieve that.

However, it often depends upon the song. Some songs beg to have a certain instrument forward and not others. We need to develop the ability to sense that without bias.

 

[NYMorningstar]

.

However, it often depends upon the song. Some songs beg to have a certain instrument forward and not others. We need to develop the ability to sense that without bias.

Sounds like you're saying to do what the song is telling you to do It's Friday!

 

[squibble94]

Has anybody ever seen a drummer sit behind a mixing board and not pan the drums to the drummer's perspective? Or a guitraist that didn't think the guitar was too quiet on the first pass?

While I think the more instruments one plays as a musician, the less biased they may tend to want to be with the mix, I think if one plays an instrument or a hundred instruments or none at all should be irrelevant. What's relevant is what hat they wear when they walk into the control room.

If one is a drummer, a guitarist or a flautist, that is the hat they need to be wearing in the live room (or when holding their instrument). But if they are going to step into the control room, they need to take their performer hat off and put on their engineer hat. Which means thinking like an engineer or producer and not an instrument player.

(If they are sitting at the front desk, that is. If they are sitting on the couch or chairs behind the engineer and producer, they need to step outside and have a smoke instead. )

G.

Very well put. I do play all the instruments in my songs, so I guess I'm good

 

[miroslav]

I must be the exception to the rule. I always choose the audience perspective. I never understood why the drummer's.

Oh, oh...a rebel!
Watch out, the others will throw drumsticks at you for being disloyal!
I'm not a drummer, but I'm with you.

I think if one spends enough time on the total song production and on doing the mixing...they learn to listen to the whole song.
Most times in a typical band, there may(?) only be 1 (maybe 2) people that can step back that far to see/hear the big picture...but everyone else is usually just focusing/listening to THEIR parts mainly.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Very well put. I do play all the instruments in my songs, so I guess I'm good

Hoo boy, do I feel sorry for whoever sings the vocals! It just doesn't work when you push all the instruments up to +10dB but keep the vocals clean and unclipped...

Just kidding!

-----

I have a theory that for some bands that are used to playing live and not recording in a studio, that sometimes some of the members just get so used to how things sound on-stage form their position, that they get (consciously or unconsciously) used to things sounding like that. The guitarist under that influence wants the mix to sound like 90% guitar and 10% stage monitor .

G.

 

[NYMorningstar]

...The guitarist under that influence wants the mix to sound like 90% guitar and 10% stage monitor .

G.

Do you mean this for a stage setup where the guitarist is basically using his amp as his monitor?