Mixing Tip

As I mentioned before, I've been spending the last few weeks trying to finish mixing and mastering Stacy's album.  I'm learning a lot, and thankful for the chance to sharpen my mixing skills a bit.  I thought I'd share something I learned yesterday.

I did not go to school for music production, and I have a bit of a rebellious nature towards people that did.  Whenever I hear someone say, "When mixing, you should NEVER ________" I automatically want to do whatever it is I should never do.  Whenever I hear someone say you have to make a cut between 400-1500hz on the drum kit, I will make a boost!

However...

You should never put your low end elements anywhere but center of the mix.  It's painful for me to say those words, but I've found it to be true.  We have a song where we recorded multiple takes of marching bass drum with a mallet.  Since we used the same mic, and same drum, I didn't want to put them in the center of the mix (because they would phase).  So I panned them hard left and right.  I knew it was unconventional, and against the rules, but again, I'll try anything.  It sounded fine in the mix to me for a while.  But when I got into trying to master it, the low end was ambiguous, and undefined.  Those drums that seemed so punchy and defined on their own, seemed to by trying to hide in the corners.  I tried all sorts of things in mastering to fix this (since for a while I didn't realize the problem) but no amount of eq could really clear up the problem.  So I went back to the mix and panned them near the center, and gave them both a unique eq from each other to prevent phasing.  Problem solved.

I guess I shouldn't say "never", since I recall the Beatles did on more than one occasion pan all of the drums (including the kick drum) to one side.  But that's my mixing tip for today.  Keep your low end elements centered- almost always.  Thanks for reading.

Jeremy

Comments

[Trev]

I feel you!! This guy has been a life saver for me in the past http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Phazer

[Gary Fisher]

Its nice to read someone of your experience owning up to mistakes. It gives us complete amateurs the fact that no matter how long you have been in the business you are always learning.

[Christina]

Thanks for posting your trials and errors in mixing and mastering and being so honest about them. My interest was originally piqued by your work with Stacy (I'm a fan of Eisley's), but now I am so intrigued by these posts on how to mix. It's such a rarity to come across another person who hasn't been tainted by formal training in recording and is so frank and easily conversational (aka not snobby) about it all. Keep doing what you're doing, and so excited to hear the fruits of all your hard labor!