MIXING—IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS BY RICH TOZZOLI
Details, details, details. Many PG readers own
home studios where we can
record, edit, and mix. Most
of us are probably using a
computer-based digital audio
workstation (DAW) running
software like Apple Logic,
GarageBand, Avid Pro Tools,
Propellerhead Record, MOTU
Digital Performer, Cakewalk
Sonar, or whatever. With all of
these, you can automate virtually every mix element at your
own pace. While some say this
can be bad because you can
go on and on without making final decisions, I think it’s
a good thing. With a mix, it’s
truly all in the details.
Mixing can be the most
frustrating part of any project.
While it seems like writing and
recording all the elements would
be the hardest thing (which it can
be), mixing is the last stage—and
thus your final opportunity to
make it all work together. The
pressure is on you or whomever is
mixing the music to get the kick
to be heard with the bass, every
vocal level balanced with just the
right amount of EQ, every guitar
lick punched through, and every
reverb just right.
And then, of course, you
have to output a stereo mix in
the proper format for either a
mastering engineer or a direct
purchase. With some projects
having more than 100 channels (yes, the big ones are that
brutal), the task ahead can be
daunting. Like anything else,
mixing is an art form that takes
time to get right.
But therein lies the value
of a DAW. Many of us, myself
included, choose to mix “in
the box,” which means the
entire production stays within
the computer, with no (or very
little) outboard gear involved.
The only external piece of hard-
ware I run through is a Manley
Massive Passive tube EQ—and,
even then, it’s almost always set
up precisely the same. Working
this way, every single element is
stored with automation: Every
time you call up a mix, it’s
exactly as you last left it. This
means you can listen to, reflect
upon, and analyze the music—
focusing on all the small, but
important details—and make
changes accordingly.
Using automation, you can precisely adjust a track’s volume levels
and pan positions, as well as toggle solo and mute buttons on and off,
change EQ and effects parameters in real time, and more. In this mix,
the horizontal yellow lines indicate automated volume levels.
Sometimes I’ll listen to the song as a whole,
while other times I’ll focus intently on just
a single element—such as how the kick and
bass work together or how the delay and
’verb blend on the guitars.
listen at my leisure. To keep
track of any changes I want to
make on a given version, I’ll
type instructions into the Notes
App on my iPhone and email
them to myself.
I’ve found it’s best to do
multiple kinds of listening.
Sometimes I’ll listen to the song
as a whole, while other times I’ll
focus intently on just a single
element—such as how the kick
and bass work together or how
the delay and ’verb blend on the
guitars. I’ll also listen without
thinking—try to experience
the song almost unconsciously.
Does something stick out? If it
does, I’ll make a note of it.
The next day, I’ll call up the
mix, check my notes, and make
the fixes. With DAW automa-
tion, you can compare every
change to the previous version.
Depending on the project, I’ll
go through this cycle more than
10 times per song. It can be
arduous, but it gets the details
right. For example, yesterday I
was doing an unfocused listen
during a hike, and I noticed one
song’s vocal reverb was too dry.
Switching my brain to a focused
listen, sure enough, it was. But
I hadn’t noticed it on previous
listening sessions because I was
too focused on other details. I
made the fix later that day, and
then output a new mix and
stored it in my iPod.
RICH TOZZOLI is a
Grammy-nominated engineer and mixer who has
worked with artists ranging
from Al Di Meola to David
Bowie. A life-long guitarist,
he’s also the author of Pro
Tools Surround Sound Mixing and composes for the likes of Fox NFL, Discovery
Channel, Nickelodeon, and HBO.
