The Art Of Mixing - David Gibson

1. Visual Representations of Imaging:

a. Soundwaves vs. Imaging
b. The Limits of Imaging.
c. Crowd Control: We can place any sound en the field with 3 elements: Pan, Vol and EQ. the
secret is control how much space the sound will take.
i. Masking: When a sound hides another sound when they are in the same place.
ii. The space issue:
1. Bass: Take more space between the speakers. They mask.
2. Loud Sounds Mask other sounds

d. Moving Sounds Around with Panning, Volume and EQ:

i. Left – Right: Pan. An Illusion of sounds on a place
ii. Front – Back.
1. Volume:
a. Up: Front
b. Down: Back
2. Compressor: Front.
3. EQ: 800Hz to 5k: Front.
4. Short Delays: Less than 30ms. Front
5. Reverb: Back.
6. Other: Bigger speakers…bigger illusion.
iii. Up – Down:
1. Highs.
2. Lows.
e. The Amount of Sapece Delays take up, particularly fattening: The Delay and the “oval
sphere”. A Delay less than 30ms on L stretched to R, will “stretch” the sound (omnipresent).
This can also be controlled by Pan, vol and EQ.
f. The Space Reverb takes up, and how it can be placed.
g. An introduction of structures of Mixes.
h. The mix should fit the music and song.
i. How technical Equipment relates to music and songs.

2. Visual Representaions of Studio Equipment

a. Overview
i. Sound Creators
ii. Sound Routers
iii. Sound storers
iv. Sound Transducers

(*)Easy listening; Traditional pop music of the pre-rock & roll era; and, later, revivalist recordings of the style Orchestral ballads;
Show tunes; Smooth jazz melodies; Soft rock songs and melodies
 v. Sound Manipulators
b. Volume controls
c. Panning.
d. Compressors/Limiters
e. Noise Gates
f. Equalization.
g. Delays
h. Flanging, chorusing, Phasing
i. Reverb.

3. STRUCTURES OF MIXES: Musical Dynemics created in the Control Room:

The job is to enhance the musical dynamics with the equipment. This can be attained with one
of the 4 tools we have: Volume, EQ, Pan and Effects.
a. Volume:
i. Differences: Placing faders on specific points and live them there. We don’t want
everything Even. There are different traditions for different types of music. (We’re
talking “apparent” volume). There are 6 different levels of volume. All approx.
1. Apparent Level 1: 140 dB: Shocking Sounds: Explosions, primal screams, etc.
2. Apparent Level 2: 130 dB: Lead Instruments and vocals. Big Band, Barry
Manilow, “Midddle of the Road”*, when lyrics are main attention, great
singer, Boom on rap, Kick Drum and Toms on Heavy Metal, Horns on Big
Band
3. Apparent Level 3: 110 dB: Main Rhythm: Guitars, Keyboards, Lead Vocals on
Rock and Roll, Kick Drum on Heavy Metal, Snare on Dance Music, Most
Toms, Cymbals, Hi hat occasionally at this level, except Jazz and dance that
always put it here. Reverb on Drums for Phil Collins, Organs, Synths
4. Apparent Level 4: 70 dB: Secondary Rhythm. Rhythm Pads, Piano, Keys,
Other Guitars, Piano, Drums on Jazz, “Middle of the Road” Music, Reverb is
Normally Here, Background Vocals and strings
5. Apparent Level 5: 30-50 dB: Effect, Background Sounds: Kick drum on Big
Band, Effects like Reverb, Delays, Some BGVs
6. Apparent Level 6: 15 dB: Subliminal Sounds: Very soft.
7. Examples
a. Vocals:
i. Middle of the Road: LVL 2.
ii. Folk: LVL2
iii. Big band/Jazz: LVL 2
iv. Country: LVL 2
v. Alternative Rock: LVL 3
b. Snare:
i. Big Band/Jazz: LVL 4
ii. Easy Rock/Ballads: LVL 3-LVL2

(*)Easy listening; Traditional pop music of the pre-rock & roll era; and, later, revivalist recordings of the style Orchestral ballads;
Show tunes; Smooth jazz melodies; Soft rock songs and melodies
 iii. Rock and Roll: LVL 3
iv. Dance Music: LVL2
v. Rock: LVL2
c. Kick drums:
i. Big Band/Jazz: LVL4 even LVL5
ii. Jimi Hendrix: LVL 4
iii. Heavy Metal: LVL2
iv. Rap/Hip Hop: LVL 2
d. Bass:
i. Big Band: LVL 4
ii. Smooth Jazz: LVL 3 – LVL2
iii. Rock: LVL 3
iv. Rap: LVL2
v. Rock and Roll: LVL 3
vi. Reggae/Blues: LVL3 – LVL2
e. TOMS:
i. Low

ii. Patterns: Depending on the style the range (softest to loudest) where instruments
are mixed might vary. On New Age the space is very narrow. Sometimes there are
no movements. On the other hand some styles are mixed with extreme ranges:
Example Rock, Big Band, Pink Floyd. You can choose depending on the mood of the
song.

iii. Movement: A single sound can be varied on the same song. If you show a sond on
the beginning of the song you can then turn it down the rest of the song because
the brain will already catched and assumes what it’s doing, then you can bring up
another one, you can do that with all sounds and create the illusion that ALL sounds
are loud and clear. You can use that with all the song.
b. EQ:
i. Differences:
1. Two considerations:
a. EQing SOLO: How the sound sounds by itself
b. EQing in THE MIX:
2. Natural EQ: What we consider “natural” is not the real instrument, that
definition is dictated of what we hear on the market daily.
3. Interesting EQ: The more complex the sound the more it can stand
repetitive listening
ii. Patterns:
1. Sounds are Eqed to mix well with other instruments in the mix. A lead
instrument could EQed to be more aggressive so it can grab attention. An
instrument can be given more bass to make it more danceable.

(*)Easy listening; Traditional pop music of the pre-rock & roll era; and, later, revivalist recordings of the style Orchestral ballads;
Show tunes; Smooth jazz melodies; Soft rock songs and melodies
 2. The Range to be creative with EQ is very narrow.
iii. Movement:
1. Little movement is allowed
c. Pan:
i. Differences: What kind of dynamics you can create? Panning is based in “crowd
control”. Sometimes you want to pan instruments far one from other so they don’t
interfere: this can be done in Acoustic Jazz, bluegrass. You may also want to pan
instruments in order to create a “Wall of Sound” making the mix be more cohesive,
like in alternative rock or new age music. But, panning is usually based on traditions
defining the norm. Particular music have particular traditions.
1. Traditions:
a. Drums:
i. Kick: Middle
ii. Snare: Middle. Sometimes off to a side specially in jazz
iii. HH: Halfway between the middle and the left side. When is
a spatial mix you can send it far left.
iv. OH: Completely L-R
v. Toms, HH: Pan them exactly where you hear it on the OH
Mix. Sometimes Floor tom goes center, sometimes far right.
b. Bass:
i. Middle:
ii. Side: on jazz and similar, only done when the sound of the
bassis thinner or the bass eq is rolled off to make it sound
thin
c. Vocals:
i. Middle:
ii. If recorded stereo or effected, this is evenly placed left and
right.
d. Piano: Left and Right IN STEREO, sometimes when the mix is busy is
placed off a side.
ii. Patterns:
1. Symmetrical: Love Song, Ballad, even.
2. Asymetrical: Tension.
3. Frequency Range: If a hi hat is placed left, a shaker or acoustic guitar is
placed right to balance it. Guitar on the left might balance a keyboard on
the right.
iii. Movement: Save it for special occasions, depending on the song
d. Effects:
i. Differences: Effects can FILL out a Mix to make it sound like a “wall of sound”
ii. Patterns:
1. Delays: Adding extra sounds to the mix, there are more sounds between the
speakers. With short delays (less than 30ms) you get “fattening”. Flanging,

(*)Easy listening; Traditional pop music of the pre-rock & roll era; and, later, revivalist recordings of the style Orchestral ballads;
Show tunes; Smooth jazz melodies; Soft rock songs and melodies
 Chorusing and Phasing are all based on short delay sounds so they tend to
make the mix sound bigger.
2. Reverb: Is made out of hundreds of delays. Takes a lot of spaces.
3. Effects are used when you have room for them.
4. Fuller: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock; Sparse: Bluegrass, acoustic Jazz. Ex: Steely
Dan.
iii. Movement:
1. Turn up or down.
2. Change the type of effects. You can do it but you will grab the attention.

e. Resumen:

(*)Easy listening; Traditional pop music of the pre-rock & roll era; and, later, revivalist recordings of the style Orchestral ballads;
Show tunes; Smooth jazz melodies; Soft rock songs and melodies
 f. Examples:
i. Love songs:
1. Even Volumes
2. EQ Even
3. Panning (Balance)
4. Efx Sparse and Clear.
5. No Movement
ii. Rock and Roll
1. Unveven Volumes
2. Interesting EQ
3. Unbalanced. Lopsided Panning
4. Effects. Wall of Sound
5. Lots of movement

(*)Easy listening; Traditional pop music of the pre-rock & roll era; and, later, revivalist recordings of the style Orchestral ballads;
Show tunes; Smooth jazz melodies; Soft rock songs and melodies