Mixing . . .

Mixing is a process whereby multiple sources of audio such as live signals, recordings, samples and/ or synthesised sounds undergo treatment using specialised tools and a certain degree of technical knowledge. This process usually involves manipulating audio level, frequency content, dynamic range, panoramic positioning and can often include the addition of effects such as distortion, reverb and delay. Mixing is undertaken in an effort to achieve a sonically appealing end product when all of the individual tracks are summed together in a single or multi-channel format.

For me, mixing is the most exciting part of the entire record production process where the individual parts come together to form the actual song. Though mixing is a highly technical procedure, it is equally as artistic in nature. Establishing clarity and definition between instruments and maintaining a balanced mix that translates well to a variety of playback mediums is only one half of the battle – the technical side. The other task (and perhaps the more challenging one) is to convey the artist’s message to the listener in a way that stirs emotion.

Every mix requires a different approach. Having mixed multiple genres from folk, country, reggae, acoustic, rock, hip-hop, dance and electronica right through to instrumental, I’m confident that I have the technical knowledge needed to amalgamate the individual parts into a sonically cohesive whole but it is the attention to detail and emphasis on the song’s message that takes a mix from ordinary into the extra-ordinary. “If I knew what it is that I do, I think I’d be in a lot of trouble because then I would have reduced it to a science and you can’t do that with music. It’s all about the music.” – Bruce Swedein