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own, and a third for a utility verb. Some specialized ones, for maybe strings or pads, might come in later in my mix. I also begin setting up any master bus processing I might use. For the last few years I have pretty much had an Empirical Labs Fatso Jr, API 2500 eq and a UBK Clarifonic eq strapped permanently to my mix bus. I now want to start mixing through these devices and not add them to a finished mix! Get it in focus Regardless of musical style, good mixes share similar qualities: Focus, depth, energy, dynamics, space. Hopefully at this point you really know the song, have a good sense of its natural dynamics, and can start focusing on the shape you want the mix to assume. Let’s say for example that we are working on a rock/pop tune with a verse-chorusbridge form. How can we build the mix to complement and differentiate the sections?

verse and big stereo chorus can really give the song impact. Many engineers also like to ride the overall chorus a bit louder than the verse—more punch and energy overall. Carry on throughout the tune; maybe the bridge gets wetter perhaps, or more expansive yet... the goal is to focus the listeners’ attention on what you want them to hear. It is a lot like a magic trick—you redirect the listeners’ attention to keep their interest, to surprise them, or to really focus them. I also often use layers of sounds to create what I call “sandwiches”. For instance I may layer an acoustic guitar with a Rhodes and a lap steel to create a composite sound. I don’t want the individal elements to shine through, it is the composite sound I’m interested in achieving. I love when people say, “What is that?” As I’m building my arrangement I am using automation and eq to help me shape the blends and to rough in my final levels.

Lastly I look for ways to improve spatial qualities; I often time my reverbs and delays very specifically and refine them at this point. I will often use short stereo delays to create the instrument’s position in the mix. For example, a stereo delay with no delay on the left and say 10–20 milliseconds on the right with give you the impression that the sound source is coming from the left. I find it more effective for creating directionality and spaciousness than panning. This is a complex subject and could be the topic of an entire article in itself! I’m getting close to a final mix for the day. I make adjustments to my bus eq and compression, double-check my gain structure, and start printing a mix or two to live with. One thing I should mention is that working at consistent volume levels is a good idea; while setting automation I actually mix pretty quietly. And I try to stay at that

One approach I use is to establish the tune with a pared-back number of instruments. For instance, define the first verse with as little instrumentation as possible to get the feel and vibe of the tune. Bring your listener in. You can always add more stuff if it’s too exposed. As you build to a chorus you can start to bring in more elements. I usually prefer staggering my entrances so I don’t wind up with 10 new things all hitting on the downbeat of the chorus. I might bring a new element or two into the mix 4 or 8 bars before the chorus. When the chorus arrives I will often up the instrumentation by adding new elements. One other thing I often do is to widen the stereo image of my chorus. For instance I may keep my opening verse very mono, say bass, voice and even rhythm guitars in the center or panned only slightly. Even the drums might be less hard panned or close to mono—you can easily automate this, especially if you use drum buses. Then when the chorus hits I bring in some hard-panned element like doubled guitars or keys hard left and right, more stereo to the drums etc.. This lifts and expands the chorus, makes it bigger! The contrast of the “mono”
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I usually spend a good deal of time riding the lead vocal before I use much compression; I try to even it out and build the dynamic to a place I’m happy with, then I see what some compression will add to the sound. I like optical compressors the most on vocals, things like LA-2A-style compressors, but also some FET compressors with slow attacks and very fast releases. After I get the vocal in a good spot I actually start mixing the other instruments around it. I find if I wait too long to get the shape of the vocal I have more difficulty getting a good balance with the band. As I refine rhythm-section levels I will often go back and do a complete pass on the vocal in trim mode to refine and improve its position in my mix. I like to do these in uninterrupted runs through the tune so I really react to the song form and the playing. This is also a time when I do some more eq refinement, to carve space in the mids for example, giving more clarity to overlapping parts and any counterpoint lines. This part of the process can be painstaking but rewarding, as your mix takes further shape. Another hint here—use those markers! Drop markers at the top of verse, chorus, bridges etc again to easily navigate the song!

level right up until I’m ready to print, then I listen louder and also very quietly, to see if my focus elements—snare, vocal, etc.— are sitting in a good place. With that said, I do prefer to eq my tracks at a bit louder volume. I find my ears are more sensitive to equalization at louder volumes, but more sensitive to level changes at low volumes. At any rate, it works for me! Checking your mix visually with a spectrum analyzer can also be a good last-minute way to confirm what you are hearing— I often put one over the final stage of my mix bus. In early mixes I keep my bus compression light, a few dB at most, but as I become more confident in my mix I will add more if needed. The same goes for bus eq—think subtle here and work in stages. Save your mix, walk away, and listen in a few hours or the next morning and see how it holds up! Scott Petito (petito@recordingmag.com) is a bassist and producer who has produced and recorded a wide variety of Alist artists, often at his NRS Recording Studio in upstate New York. Check out his website with audio and video of many of his clients, at scottpetitoproductions.com.

http://www.scottpetitoproductions.com

Recording - October 2012

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