Recording - September 2017 - 27

I made the investment of time and effort
(and money!) to get a degree in audio
engineering as well as a Pro Tools
certification. Taking classes to learn new
concepts from an industry professional
can elevate your skill set in a way that
a new piece of gear never could. Even
when I took the Pro Tools certification
course, the class itself was full of
industry vets who already had very
successful mixing careers. This goes to
show the importance of continued learning, and seeking outside influence to
continue to raise your bar.
If you aren't already a musician, it
will pay off to learn some basic music
theory. I pull from my music theory
background all the time for mix sessions.
For example, it's helpful to know key
signatures when you are tuning a vocal
track, or have the ability to count subdivisions to tighten up a flubbed note.
It's also valuable to talk in musical terms
with your clients; they will have more
confidence that their band project is in
good hands.
I began to spend time in "brick and
mortar" professional studios so I could

obtain mentoring, and it's something
I strongly recommend. Try to find a
studio that will allow you to sit in on
sessions-just make sure to respect
their workflow by timing your questions
appropriately, so you get invited back.
Once I started doing this, I found a
couple of engineers who really took me
under their wing. This was so valuable;
having a mentor gives you a chance to
see real sessions in action, and get an
idea of what it's like to mix with clients.
Mixing is only half the job-you have to
be good with clients to make a career
out of it.
If finding a mentor at a local studio
is out of the question, there are a ton
of classes and resources available online to up your game. Joining the Audio
Engineering Society (www.aes.org)
includes access to events like the AES
Conventions and Workshops, which
are packed with master classes taught
by those leading the industry.
The TAXI Road Rally is another convention well worth the trip, as it's free
for members of TAXI (www.taxi.com).
TAXI is geared more for songwriters,

but they also have classes that cover
music licensing and audio production
(including mixing) at the annual TAXI
Road Rally convention.
Golden Ears from KIQ Productions
(www.kiqproductions.com) is another
resource I use all the time. It's an ear
training course by Dave Moulton for
audio engineers to practice hearing
frequencies, compression, and EQ
changes. Similar to a musician learning
to identify intervals, it is vital for mixing
engineers to listen in terms of frequency.
There are no rules when it comes to mixing. Experiment, and find the work flow
that best suits your style. The song is king,
and as a general philosophy I would recommend trying to mix in small doses, at
moderate listening levels. Research and
practice using all of the resources you
have available, but getting hands-on and
moving some faders is always the best
way to learn. Happy mixing!
Alex Hawley (hawley@recordingmag.
com) is a recording and mix engineer
at Coupe Studios in Boulder, CO. Learn
more at coupestudios.com.
http://www.kiqproductions.com http://www.aes.org http://www.taxi.com http://www.coupestudios.com http://radialeng.com http://www.radialeng.com/keylargo
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