Recording - September 2017 - 24

A Beginner's

TOP 3

MIXING

STRATEGIES
suspect frequency is. Once you find it,
create a notch filter by maximizing the
'Q' setting and making a significant cut.
The 'Q' setting on an EQ refers to how
wide or narrow the curve is. The value is
somewhat counterintuitive, because larger Q values create a narrower curve.
After you make a couple of subtractive
EQ moves, the source audio usually
cleans up well enough that additive EQ
isn't necessary. If you find you still need
to make a boost, it will likely be a subtle
one by this point.
Compression takes a lot of practice to
use effectively. It depends a lot on the
source material, the type of compressor,
and the role you want the compressor
to play. Most importantly, understand
that not everything needs to be compressed. Sometimes, the best possible
solution is just to automate a couple of
volume moves rather than slapping on
a compressor to do the work for you.
Working the faders more and relying on
compression less makes a huge difference
in the end.
That being said, there is a specific
tone you can get by using a healthy
amount of compression, and as long
as that's your intention, go for it! For
example, for rock or pop tracks, I like
to run serial compression on the lead
vocal. This is a commonly-used compression technique, because it sounds
great when you get it dialed in. Set the
first compressor to have fast attack and
release times, while applying about 3
to 4 dB of gain reduction on the peaks

of the vocal. Set the second compressor
with a slower attack time, just enough to
tickle the gain reduction every so often.
Also, for this compressor, it works nicely
to choose a piece with a bit of color,
something to add a little warmth and
character to the vocal. I recently had a
vocal session and used this technique
with a Universal Audio 1176 driving
into a Tube-Tech CL-1B, but there are
comparable plug-ins depending on
what you have available.
Reverb is another powerful tool that
takes a lot of practice to dial in. I usually
apply it last, after I have the overall
balance in a good place. Reverb is
obviously a case-by-case application,
but I can tell you a couple of general
guidelines for where I like to start. First,
always create discrete returns for each
group of instruments. I know, it's easy to
make one reverb tank and send everything to it, but it's cleaner to send guitar
tracks to a designated guitar reverb,
and vocals to their own reverb. Shorter
reverbs are a safe bet for rhythmic
instruments, to not muddy up the mix
with unwanted decay. Longer reverbs
are suitable for strings and brass, or to
automate onto the vocals when the
arrangement calls for it.
Depending on the recording techniques used, there may not be a lot
of room sound on the close-miked
instruments. To add some dimension,
sometimes I will use a convolution reverb
on the guitars or drums. A convolution
reverb is like a snapshot of a room's

Yes, it goes without saying that investing
in high-quality gear is important. Just don't
forget to invest in yourself along the way!
24

RECORDING September 2017

acoustics, made by recording an impulse
response (IR) of a physical space.
Universal Audio's Ocean Way plug-in
is great for this, as well as Waves' IR
convolution reverb. Both plug-ins come
with IRs of great-sounding rooms. I also
tend to lowpass-filter the reverb a bit,
as high-frequency content in the decay
tends to be distracting for most sources.
In the end, there are no set rules, but
the goal is to add depth and character
to the recording, not to add effects for
the sake of doing so. Always let the song
dictate stylistic mix decisions. And getting
back to my original point, a little goes a
long way! Whenever I'm unsure of how
much compression or reverb to use, I start
by getting it to where I think it sounds
good, then proceed to cut that amount in
half. This technique hasn't let me down,
especially in longer mix sessions when
fatigued ears may be taking a toll.

Tip #3: Practice the
art of panning
Taking full advantage of the stereo
image will add depth, clarity, and a
feeling of envelopment to your mixes.
Effective panning is vital to your mix,
and shouldn't be an afterthought to leveling
and processing.
The two methods of panning are
referred to as static and dynamic. Static
panning is when the microphone or
instrument has a fixed location, while
dynamic panning occurs with the
motion of a sound source during a mix.
For music mixing, the majority of material
is made up of static panning, as dynamic
panning is typically only used as a
special effect.
The first decision to make in regards
to panning is the sense of perspective.
Songs can be mixed from the audience
perspective, the drummer's perspective,
or a creative non-standard format if the
arrangement calls for it. I typically mix
from the drummer's perspective, but it
just comes down to personal preference.
It's a good rule of thumb to always
keep low frequency content mono and
panned to the center. I've had success
with this concept going as far up as 200
Hz; the mix generally sounds much tighter
and cleaner. I usually start around 120
Hz, and adjust as needed. There are a
couple of techniques to make sure the
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