Mix Preliminaries: The Essential Mix(Letto 24 volte)

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At this stage we will first need to build a basic mix that contains only the primary and essential elements of the arrangement.

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The stages of the mix

At this stage we will first have to build a essential mix which contains only the primary and essential elements of the arrangement.

This mix must be carried out with the utmost care, combining the few elements that compose it in a precise and balanced way in terms of volume, dynamics, timbre, even paying attention to the environmental effects, with the highest possible sound quality, as if it were the final mix.

The purpose of this operation is to build a sound hub solid, around which the other secondary elements can subsequently be glued.

We will then proceed through 2 processing steps:

1. Essential mix
2. Final mix – which we will see later

Dividing the processing of a very complex mix into two steps will make the approach to mixing much easier for the following reasons:

• It will be much easier to obtain an excellent mix in a short time when the ingredients are few and when each of them occupies a precise space and a complementary role to the others in the soundstage
• It will be much easier, subsequently, to add the remaining elements, proceeding one at a time, from the most important to the least important, trying to use the right volume for them, shaping the most appropriate sounds in order to favor the maximum tonal and dynamic interplay, without invading too much the space of the main mix ingredients, and without having to modify any settings of the latter.

N.B.

As a reference for additional adjustments to be made to the tracks, it may be inspiring to preview the following sections, regarding source processing.

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Identifying essential traces

So what are the most important tracks to include in this essential mix?

To answer this question, we must first analyze the song and the content of the tracks.

Let's suppose, for example, that we are examining a hypothetical pop song.

Listening to the various tracks, among them we will have to identify, in order of importance, the following (if present):

• The soloist principal and secondary soloists – let's say for example a voice and a sax
• the instrument (or instrumental section) that most of all constitutes the rhythmic harmonic structure of the piece – let's say for example a piano, or a guitar or a string quartet
• the rhythm instrument par excellence – let's suppose for example a battery
• the tool that performs the bass line

N.B.

In reality there are many selection criteria and the above is just one example.

In truth, these criteria differ greatly depending on the musical genres taken into consideration and the sound arrangement.

There can be mixes made up of so few ingredients that the essential mix coincides with the final mix.

In other cases, however, where we will proceed in two steps, the only real criterion is the determination of the few essential elements, also trying to choose elements with very different and complementary functions.

When the elements of the essential mix have been carefully chosen, it will sound as if it were a possible finished mix.

A listener unfamiliar with the final arrangement plan should not notice any missing elements when listening to the essential mix; rather, the result should appear complete, balanced, and enjoyable, as if it were a finished work.

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Preliminary leveling of volumes

As we know, the essential mix must be performed with tracks previously subjected to the preliminary mix referred to in “Chapter 8”, in order to obtain clean, precise sounds, with a full and clear sound and free from defects.

The first thing to do is to open the tracks and level them without making any adjustments in order to obtain the greatest possible balance in volumes.

At this stage, you should not use automatic adjustments, but simply set the average adjustment criteria, which will therefore apply to the entire song.

However, you can level the volumes of the various segments recorded in the same track, to eliminate any imbalances that may arise during the corrective recording phase of performance errors.

Another intervention that can be done during the essential mix phase is the leveling of entire musical periods with respect to others.

For example: it often happens that the lead vocal is noticeably and consistently louder in the chorus than in the verse.

In this case, it may be advisable, after finding the right average volume for the verse, to slightly lower the volume of the choruses; not too much, however, because this adjustment should not sound false (ideally, the sound engineer's hand should never be perceived by the listener).

In this sense, some small interventions of 1 to 3 dB will certainly be sufficient.

In the essential mix, which is always relatively rarefied due to the few elements that compose it, it will not be difficult to achieve this important starting balance.

In any case, the primary goal is to determine a balance of volumes such that listening to the entire piece appears generally absolutely balanced.

Only when this balance is achieved will it be possible to finally use the processors, timbre, dynamics and ambient, and finally the automations, to further refine the sound result.

At this point you can start making corrections, acting only where you see the possibility of a concrete improvement, especially in terms of obtaining better sound and dynamic interplay between the tracks.

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Leveling compression

Generally, I would suggest using dynamics processors first, and compressors specifically, to create a greater level of smoothness in the tracks to prevent temporarily too high dynamics from overwhelming the other tracks, or conversely, temporarily too delicate dynamics from disappearing.

Remember to compress the minimum necessary to achieve the above, so as not to dull too much the expressive dynamic range of these sources, which play a primary role.

In particular, maintaining dynamics is important for soloists and for the instrument (or instrumental section) that forms the rhythmic-harmonic backbone of the piece.

However, it will be possible, in general, to enhance the compression a little more in the instruments that have a rhythmic support function, especially those with a lower range such as the bass drum and the bass, and those that constitute the dynamic support point of the rhythm of the piece, such as the snare drum.

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Mix Equalization

Subsequently, you can proceed, only where absolutely necessary, with small equalization adjustments.

At this stage the equalization should:

• highlight sources that tend to get confused with others
• improve the overall balance of the tonal range resulting from the sum of the sound of the sources in the mix

Improving the tonal balance and aesthetics of the sound, in fact, should not be necessary if you have carefully performed the preliminary equalization operations.

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Environmental treatment

For the setting, start from the main soloist.

Establish the most suitable ambient field for it to create the right expressive suggestion, suitable for the main element of the mix.

In doing this, use all the necessary resources, be they reverbs, echoes and/or other, until you achieve the best result, the one that most functions with the meaning of the piece.

Subsequently, assign the fields to the other sources in the mix, taking care to appropriately vary the sensation of presence and depth of each source, in order to construct a mix in which a broad horizon and a wide spatial placement of the elements are perceived.

You will obviously take care, barring any exceptions, to assign maximum presence to the solo elements and gradually less presence to the other elements.

N.B.

Sound elements with a low range and/or a dark timbre, such as the bass and bass drum, should have a smaller amount of proportional ambience in order to maintain a good presence, to counteract their natural tendency to be perceived as less present than instruments with a higher texture.

Once you have completed the Essential Mix, which, I repeat, must sound perfectly good, as if it were a finished mix, you can finally move on to the Final Mix, during which you will have to "glue" the remaining tracks onto the essential mix, one by one, starting from the most important and working down to the less decisive ones.

Between the two phases, however, take a sufficiently long break in order to resume working with freshness.

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Introduction to the final mix

Up to this point, we've considered the possibility of performing a so-called essential mix, in order to build a solid and perfect sound architecture that, encompassing all the song's main elements, also serves as a reference point for the insertion of other sound sources. Although secondary, they act a bit like salt and pepper, capable of giving the arrangement and ultimately the sound a more captivating and complete flavor.

Before performing the Final mix You should read the following chapter, which is dedicated to the specific treatment of springs.

It lists the preventive and post-treatment treatments to be carried out source by source, in order to provide a practical reference guide.

Subsequently, in the Chapter 11 dedicated to the “Final Mix”, you will find the detailed description of the Mix operations to be performed after the essential Mix, which include:

• inserting secondary tracks
• their volume leveling
• their tonal, dynamic and environmental adaptation

After that, with the appropriate refinements, the mix will be completed.

But let's proceed step by step with the next chapter dedicated to the “Treatment of sources”.

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For more information on Digital Audio Mixing