Welcome to In the Mix. This page is a sub-lens to my master-lens on Producing, Mixing & Mastering Dance Music. This module covers the creation of digital soundscapes for electronic dance music.
My Other Lenses
- Producing, Mixing & Mastering Dance Music
- The master-lens for this sub-lens.
What is Mixing?
Mixing is the process, or rather the art, of creating a pleasing and balanced musical soundscape. Each element of a song must be placed in the mix using a combination of EQ, panning, and effects. Think of your mix as a three-dimensional box. An individual element can be brought forwards or backwards, left or right, and bigger or smaller (taller or shorter if you will). When a listening to live band, the sound doesn't come at you entirely from one point. Rather it comes from all around you.
Perhaps the tambourine player is to your right, the drummer in the back left, the pianist the back right, and the lead vocalist right in front of you. With a digital mix, all of this needs to be re-created. With modern close-micing techniques and the use of disparate, sampled audio, it's become more important to place elements appropriately in the mix. A good mix will be easy to listen to, comprised of clear and distinct elements, each complimenting and supporting each other. A bad mix will be a sloppy collage of cluttered, muddled elements all stepping on each others toes and fighting for space.
Perhaps the tambourine player is to your right, the drummer in the back left, the pianist the back right, and the lead vocalist right in front of you. With a digital mix, all of this needs to be re-created. With modern close-micing techniques and the use of disparate, sampled audio, it's become more important to place elements appropriately in the mix. A good mix will be easy to listen to, comprised of clear and distinct elements, each complimenting and supporting each other. A bad mix will be a sloppy collage of cluttered, muddled elements all stepping on each others toes and fighting for space.
The Tools
- Equalization / EQ: An EQ is a device that allows you to manipulate level of frequencies. It allows you to shape audio to remove unwanted frequencies and enhance favorable ones. EQ is use on every element of a mix. Any sequencer will have its own built-in EQs, but you may want to use VST EQs as they usually have more features, configurability and larger graphical displays.
- Panning: Panning changes the balance of an element by placing it to the left or right in the soundscape. It is used to arrange elements in a mix so they do not conflict with each other, and to create an exciting, wide sound. A panner is one simple control (usually a slider or a knob) that is calibrated in % left or % right, although sometimes it is expressed in terms of the clock (ex: 3 o'clock being 50% right).
- Effects: Effects are used to make an element pop out and seem close to you or to set it back in the mix and make it seem farther away. Compression and distortion bring elements forward in the mix, while reverb and delay set them back.
EQ Basics
EQs have three basic controls: frequency, boost/cut, and Q. Frequency allows you to select the center frequency point in Hz for the manipulation you are applying, boost/cut determines dB of change in volume, and Q sets width of the area affected (with lower values being wider and larger values being narrower). Most EQs will also have a bypass button, which allows you to perform comparisons between the original and affected signals easily.
Think of EQ like a carpenters' chisel. It is used to cut away unwanted frequencies such that piece you are EQing will fit cleanly into the structure (song) you are building. There is one golden rule to EQ: don't boost when you can achieve the same result by cutting. EQ is best used subtractively. This is because whenever boost is applied it introducers phase shifting and noise which colors the sound and makes it more difficult to fit into the mix. This is not to say that you should never boost, but rather that you should do so judiciously.
Think of EQ like a carpenters' chisel. It is used to cut away unwanted frequencies such that piece you are EQing will fit cleanly into the structure (song) you are building. There is one golden rule to EQ: don't boost when you can achieve the same result by cutting. EQ is best used subtractively. This is because whenever boost is applied it introducers phase shifting and noise which colors the sound and makes it more difficult to fit into the mix. This is not to say that you should never boost, but rather that you should do so judiciously.
EQ Tips
The purpose of EQ is to increase clarity and to help elements fit into their own space in the mix. Many original recordings sound dull and lifeless to our ears, or do not accurately recreate the sound of the actual instrument. EQ is used to fix problems with a recording such as line noise or low-end rumble. It is also used to add sizzle and excitement to an instrument.
- Use a small Q value (wide frequency range) for boosting and a large Q value (narrow frequency range) for cutting.
- Small adjustments of 1-2 dB often suffice and sound more natural.
- Boost a small amount at two different frequencies rather than a large amount at one.
- Avoid EQing with the element on solo! The goal of mixing is the get the element to sit right and sound good as part of the whole. Often, properly mixed elements will sound bad when monitored by themselves.
EQ Frequency Scanning
When using EQ to affect an element, a technique called frequency scanning will help you to analyze the signal and decide what needs to be done. To do this you use the EQ like a magnifying glass to zero in on the key frequency.
- Set the Q value to a moderate level (1 or 2).
- Apply 8-10 dB of boost or cut (depending on what you are trying to achieve).
- Sweep up and down through the frequency spectrum to find the area that needs to be adjusted. The high amount of boost or cut will act as a magnifying glass, enhancing your ability to identify specific frequencies.
If you're trying to reduce a problem frequency, scan for the point that makes it the least noticeable.
When attempting to enhance an element, scan for the frequency that makes it the most clear. - When you find your frequency, you may want to fine tune the Q value.
- Adjust the boost or cut to an appropriate level (usually less than 8-10 dB).
by Vespers
Vespers, A.K.A. Andrew Betts, has been a musician and performing artist since the age of 5. While most kids were doing finger paintings in pre-school...
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