Mixing on the Installment Plan

[Anderton]

After many years in the studio where mixes were always done over a compressed time period, I've really enjoyed the unlimited time of the home studio. But...how to make best use of that unlimited time? Lately I've been doing what I call, for lack of a better term, "mixing on the installment plan."

 

Because I threw away the memo that "it's a singles world," I still think in terms of albums/collections of songs/continuous DJ mixes, although the end result's time is more like an album side - 20 minutes.

 

After doing rough mixes, I string them together. Then, I play back the results when I take a walk. I bring a notepad and if anything bothers me, I write it down. "Bass +1 dB in 2nd song" "Inconsistent vocal levels on verse" - that sort of thing. 

 

Next time in the studio, I make those fixes, and run off another image of the entire album and listen to it.

 

Over about a month, the fixes keep getting fewer. It occurred to me this is just like beta-testing software, and squashing bugs. It also has the advantage of providing distance between listens, to gain a bit more objectivity.

 

When I have the equivalent of a "release candidate," then I listen over different systems and under different circumstances to make sure the mixes translate well. The payoff is that when I feel the project is done, it's done because there's nothing more that I would change. 

 

What method do you use for finishing mixes? Assuming, of course, that mixes are ever finished 🤣

 

 

 

 

[KuruPrionz]

Assuming that I'm done with tracking (I often create multiple parts and may only use a bit of some of them), I also allow my mixes to evolve over some time. 

I'm not a fan of trying to get it done all at once, it never happens anyway. 

 

You may do what I'm about to mention: I'll go at a mix a few different times and ways and if I get to a point where I feel like I have something I do a "save as". 

That saves the previous mix and provides a new mix that I can do whatever I want to without worrying about losing anything. It's happened that I've changed some things and decide to change one of them back, I can just go grab it from the previous mix. 

 

My translation tests are studio monitors, headphones, speakers in laptop and email an .mp3 to myself so I can play it back on my cellphone. If it works on all of those it should be pretty well dialed in. Finally, I email it to a friend and he listens to it on his phone. If he likes it, I'm done.

 

Currently playing with another Metapop remix, it's been a couple of years so I decided to try one now. I've listened to it for a couple of days and my ideas regarding how to treat it have changed considerably. That's maybe more about tracking but I find it impossible to completely separate tracking and mixing. 

Part of the luxury of having a home studio is that I can do whatever I feel like doing. 

[Paul Vnuk Jr.]

I have worked multiple ways over the years. 
 

Typically most of the work I do is for clients so I am used to spending a week getting mixes close, I send those to them and then they come in for a final day or two with notes and we tweak and print the finals. 
 

As such I take this approach for myself as well. My most recent (and yet still unreleased album) was recorded over a ten year span.
 

Because I want a project to have an identity and a consistency, I will set aside a finite period of time and do all of the final mixes through the same gear, with the same mindset. It could be a week, could be a weekend. 
 

One definite philosophy I have is mixing is level rides, panning, EQ, compression, effects to sweeten and spatialize. Mixing is NOT fixing like tuning, quantizing, comping, de-noise, etc. Those must all be done first. 

[Anderton]

Clients (mostly mastering and audio-for-video) are definitely a different matter. There I need to set aside a block of time and get things done.

 

I don't do mixes for other people anymore, except for collaborations with Brian Hardgroove from Public Enemy. But, those are by definition on the installment plan because he lives in Santa Fe and I'm in Nashville. So, there are discrete passes back and forth. 

 

The fastest project was a Chuck D remix. You don't have to do anything to his voice. Well, except make sure you pressed record

[Bill Heins]

My first rule of mixing....don't mix till all the material is ready! I'm working on my third album and have 6-7 tracks finished and ready to mix but I won't start until the whole album is ready. I do this to keep continuity with the overall mix "sound". I do sometimes do pseudo mixes for posting and for my personal listening and study.

 

The fun part of posting rough mixes is having people not understand what rough means

 

Bill

[Old No7]

I'm new to all this, so I really appreciate all the ideas and feedback above.  Keep it coming!

 

Cheers to all!

 

Old No7

[Anderton]

On 12/2/2022 at 6:24 PM, Bill Heins said:

My first rule of mixing....don't mix till all the material is ready! I'm working on my third album and have 6-7 tracks finished and ready to mix but I won't start until the whole album is ready. I do this to keep continuity with the overall mix "sound".

 

In a way, that's not all that different from what I do. My "real" mixing doesn't start until the roughs are done, and they're done in context with each other. However, I have a little more latitude because my songs are all quite different, even if they are part of the same "theme."