4/28/2015

Gmail4coreconceptsyoumustknowinordertomixonanyDAW

AshokeBhattacherjee<ashoke.bhattacherjee@gmail.com>

4coreconceptsyoumustknowinordertomixonanyDAW
1message
TheRecordingRevolution<graham@therecordingrevolution.com>
ReplyTo:TheRecordingRevolution<graham@therecordingrevolution.com>
To:ashoke.bhattacherjee@gmail.com

Mon,Apr27,2015at9:30PM

IdontcarewhichDAWyouuse,ifyoucangraspthesefourconceptsyoucan
churnoutagreatmix.
Consequently,ifyouknowtheseconceptswell,youllneverbelockedintoanysingle
DAWormixingplatform.Youcanmixonanything!
Whyisthisimportant?
Becausetobeawellroundedmixengineer,youwanttohavethemixingtheorydown
sothatyoucanremainflexibleandwellequippedtoworkwherever,onwhateveris
available.

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Gmail4coreconceptsyoumustknowinordertomixonanyDAW

CoreConcept#1Balance
Ifyouhadtoboiltheentireprocessofmixingdownintooneworditwouldbebalance.It
trulyisthesecrettogreatmixing.
AndwhenIsaybalanceImthinkingoftwothings:volumeandpan.
Thefoundationtoeverygreatmixisasuperwellthoughtoutvolumebalanceof
eachtrackagainsteachotheraswellassometastefulpanningdecisions.
Sureyourmixwilllikelyinvolvesomevolumeorpanautomationtomakethingsworkat
everymomentofthesong,butingeneralyoushouldbeabletofindtheoptimumfader
andpanpotpositionsfor85%ofthesong.
Mygoalistospend10minutestoanhoursimplyloopingthesongoverandoverwhile
IadjustvolumefadersandpanpotsuntilIfeelthesongcomingtogetherinawaythat
makesmenodmyheadandconnectwiththevibe.
Ifyoudontdothisstep,thentheremaining3willsuffer.
Thegoodnewsisthatthisstepissupereasyasitinvolveszeropluginsor
knowledgeofthecurrentDAW.
Justopenupthetracks,findthefaders,andgo!
CoreConcept#2EQ
Onceyouveestablishedasolidbalance,itstimeforthemostimportantpluginever:
EQ.
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WeuseEQtochipawaywhatyoudontneedandrevealthesonicgreatnessthatlies
withinyourtracks.
LikeIsharedwiththestudentsduringmyCreativeLivemasterclass,EQissimply
likeavolumefader,onlysmarter.
ThegoodnewsisthateveryDAWshipswithatleastoneEQ.Evenallthefree
softwareoptions.
IfyouunderstandhowtowieldEQ(i.e.themindsetbehindit,notjustthetechnical
prowess)thenyoucanthrivewithanyEQinanyDAW.
ButEQisonlyoneofthetwomusthaveplugins.Canyouguesstheotherone?
CoreConcept#3Compression
Awellbalanced,wellEQdmixisripeforsometastefulcompression.
Compressionisasuperhelpfultoolthatcangiveyourtracksmorepop,smack,
fatness,power,punch,andasmootherperformance.
Weusecompressorsindifferentwaysfordifferentpurposes,butingeneralif
youhavealreadycarvedoutsomenastinesswithEQ,thecompressorwillbe
yourbestfriend.
Dependingonhowyouusetheattacksettingsyoucangettwowildlydifferentresults
withthesamecompressoritsjustthatversatileofatool.
Andthatsoneofthegreatthingsaboutcompressorsonceyouunderstandone,you
understandthemall.
Sofar,ifyoucanworkavolumefader,anEQ,andacompressor,youcanmixin
anyDAWonplanetEarth.
Buttheresonemorepowerfulconceptthatwilltakethosefirstthreetothenextlevel
andgiveyouanedgenomatterwhatyouremixingon.
CoreConcept#4ReferenceTracks
IftherewereonemixinghackthatIhadtosayisthemostuseful,mostlifesaving,and
mostconsistentlypowerfulofthemallitwouldbemixingwithareferencetrack.
Thereisnowaytodescribeitbutasmagical.
Whatisreferencing?

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Itssimplythehabitofimportingaprofessionaltrackthatyouknowsoundsamazing
andhappenstobeinasimilargenrewithsimilarinstrumentationtothetrackyoure
currentlymixingandthencomparingittoyourmix.
Thatsit.
Whyisthatmagical?Whyisthatpowerful?
Becauseittellsyouyourbenchmark.Ittellsyouwhatagoodmixsoundslike,in
thatDAW,onthosespeakers/headphones,inthatroom,onthatday.
Howelsecanyouknowwhatyoursnareshouldsoundlike?Oryourvocals?Orhow
loudyourkickdrumshouldbe?Orwhattheoveralltoneofthemixshouldbe?
Yourmemory?
Nah,itsworsethanyouthink.
Andthatassumesyouremixinginaperfectlyflatandneutralenvironment,withoutthe
sonicproblemsinherentineveryroominyourhouse.
Sobysimplybringinginareferencetracktocheckwithperiodicallythroughout
yourmixyouinstantlyimproveyourchancesofdeliveringawellbalanced,well
EQd,wellcompressed,mixthatwilltranslateontojustaboutanysystemorset
ofspeakersoutthere.
Yourewelcome.
MixingInGarageband
ThesefoursconceptswereinvaluabletomelastweekasImixedthesongforour
$300StudioChallenge.
Incaseyoudidntknow,IusuallyworkinProToolsbutforthischallengeIwantedto
recordandmixanentiresongonapieceoffreesoftware,Garageband.Andon
headphonesIdneverused.
Ihonestlydontknowmywayaroundtheprogram(andamunfamiliarwiththe
EQcurveoftheheadphones),butIknowtheseconceptswell.
AllIhadtodowasplaywiththevolumeandpanpots,locatetheEQandcompressor,
andthenimportareferencetrack.
Thesesimplemovesgotmesofarwithmymix.Iinstantlyfeltcomfortableandhad
direction.

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Gmail4coreconceptsyoumustknowinordertomixonanyDAW

AndhonestlyitstheonlywayIwouldbeabletochurnoutagoodmixonthisforeignof
asetup.
AreYouComfortableWithTheseConcepts?
Soletmeaskyousomething.
Howcomfortableareyouwiththesefourconcepts?Andareyoucurrently
usingallfourinyoursessions?
Ifnot,whatistheoneareayoufeelweakestin?Isitbalancing,EQ,
compression,orreferencing?
Leaveyouranswershereandletmeknow.

Thanksagainforbeingasubscriber!Here'stomakingbettermusicnow!
GrahamCochrane
TheRecordingRevolution.com

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