50 PREMIER GUITAR NOVEMBER 2009 www.premierguitar.com
“Mixing in the Box” is a well-worn production
term that has countless opinions attached,
both good and bad. So this month, let’s take
a look at exactly what it means and talk to
a few professionals in the field about their
experiences with it.
With the advent of well-developed DAWs
(Digital Audio Workstations), high-resolution
audio and powerful computers, “Mixing in
the Box” (MITB) has taken on a new reality.
Whereas traditional mixes were done using
only a hardware console, many of today’s
engineers, composers, producers and artists
now choose to bypass that method and keep
all or most of it inside the computer.
Programs such as Digidesign’s Pro Tools,
Steinberg’s Cubase, Apple’s Logic, MOTU’s
Digital Performer and others include fully
developed software mixers that allow for an
arsenal of software plug-ins and instruments
to be applied. From vintage EQs and compressors to high-end reverbs, guitar amps,
processors, delays, and almost anything else
you can think of, they’re all available right
onscreen—with no cables to worry about.
Sure, some sound better than others, but the
point is there is a lot of power at the fingertips of an MITB mixer. Another important feature is the ability to recall a mix 100 percent
as you last left it, right down to the latest EQ
knob twist, allowing you to tweak until you
get it right (which may be never).
When combined with a hardware interface,
(such as a Pro Tools 192 I/0), you can also
choose to mix and match by inserting your
favorite outboard gear into the audio. For
example, I have a Manley Massive Passive
hardware EQ that I place on my Pro Tools mix
bus, allowing me to get some high-end tube
warmth into the signal path. I’ll often place a
stereo tube compressor into the signal path
as well (or sometimes just on a channel or
two within the mix). Some mixers also choose
to use a fader-based control surface, which
gives them a good ol’ console feel.
The use of summing mixers is another option
that combines in-the-box and analog hardware
mixing. For example, the Dangerous Music
2-BUS offers 16 channels in with two channels
out. This then allows you to output up to 16
channels from your DAW into the analog mixer
and sum it to a final stereo mix. Many claim
this adds more analog punch and creates wider
mixes with more depth. Again, there’s no shortage of opinions in our business, so it’s important that you judge for yourself.
To get some industry veterans’ takes on
the matter, I spoke with D. James Goodwin
(Norah Jones, The Bravery) and Grammy
winner Bob Power (Erykah Badu, A Tribe
Called Quest, Macy Gray). “MITB has com-
pletely revolutionized the way I mix,” noted
Goodwin, “I have fewer technical boundar-
ies now, and the ability to mix remotely with
almost complete recall has made it easier for
me to really be more creative. Most impor-
tantly, it’s presented me with a completely
new way of working, which has been a wel-
come challenge to old habits and patterns.
My mixes have become much more adventur-
ous since I made the change.” Power added,
“I like being able to work on something else,
get some fresh perspective, and then come
back at the touch of a button to where I left
off. Keep in mind that I do have an analog
stereo bus chain, but recall is all of ninety
seconds. Also, in terms of ease of use, a
huge benefit is that recalls are almost instan-
taneous. Although given the natural creative
insecurities that are almost always a com-
ponent of artistry, the bad thing is also that
recalls are more instantaneous.”
When I asked them what they don’t like
about MITB, Powers said, “I think that we
all have to stop complaining, ‘it doesn’t
sound the same.’ Of course! It’s something
different. So work with that different, and
make it appealing within that framework. The
tools get better and better all the time. We
need to get better at using them.” Goodwin
added, “My biggest dislike is that things
change so rapidly in terms of software and
platforms. I feel like I am constantly trying to
keep up with various performance upgrades,
and it takes a lot of time to stay on top of it.
Also, I don’t like the tremendous amounts of
data I now have to deal with.
“But my favorite part is the ability to really
manipulate things quite easily and extensively,” continued Goodwin. “Much to my
surprise, I have also enjoyed mixing more visually. I can almost sit and visualize how things
work together, and I have more opportunity
to refine certain ideas because I can work a bit
more efficiently. Frankly, I also love the ability
to insert five API 2500 compressor plug-ins
and have it sound pretty damn good without
having five units in a rack behind me.”
Powers puts it a bit more blunt: “Wake up,
everybody. Just like the holdouts when MIDI
first came around, you’d be unbelievably
shortsighted not to accept that this is not
simply the future. The future is now!”
RICH TOZZOLI
Rich Tozzoli
Rich is a producer, engineer and mixer who has worked
with artists ranging from Al DiMeola to David Bowie . A
life-long guitarist, he’s also the auther of Pro Tools Surround
Sound Mixing and composes for such networks as Discovery
Channel, Nickelodeon and National Geographic.
ON TRACK
Mixing in the Box
Dangerous Music 2-BUS analog summing mixer
