Mixing audio is extremely difficult for the newcomer.I spent hours/days/weeks/months scurrying the net, watching video tutorials and asking engineers on how to get that glassy and even sounding mix.I am in no way in the leagues of Chris Lord Alge or Andy Johns....but I manage to get some pretty good sounding mixes that have made their way into countless productions...so I must be doing something right:)
My mixes are always simple and quick.Here is a basic list of my rules that I follow.
1.Have a good source tone.If you record crappy uneven sounds it is impossible to make it sound good.
2.Learn to layer instruments properly.If you record sloppy parts tha clash it is also impossible to make it sound good.
3.Use an eq and cut all frequencies below 70-90 hz on all instruments except drums.I usually set the steepness of the highpass filter by about 24...or 36.
4.pan all instruments except drums and bass.Make sure the instruments are panned using the full spectrum in a way that mimics the way you would see them if you were in an audience.
with just these few simple tricks your mixes will start to sound much much better and detailed.
you can hear some of my examples at:
http://www.directcomposer.com
Next time we will discuss reverbs/busses/and compressor uses.
thanks,
Andrew Oye
http://www.directcomposer.com
cutting edge stock music
