When we mix a record, the initial idea is to set the balances between every element in the arrangement. This includes setting levels, getting the tone of everything working with EQ, sculpting the dynamics with compression, and adding a little flavor to our elements with FX like saturation, delay and reverb. This is our primary mix.
2 comments:
This article is really interesting to think about. I think when most people think about writing songs, they think about the lyrics, the structure of the song (verse, chorus, etc), and the chords. Rarely do people think about the actual "sound" of the song. Using reverb, delay and other automation in a song is actually heavily used in just about any new pop song that comes out. Most people think of this as auto-tune, and while most pop songs do use that function, the artificial sound that many people think is auto-tune, might just be automation. Adding reverb and delay creates a sometimes artificial atmosphere to the song that doesn't sound like what the artists sing live. Post-production and producers use automation to create the sonic landscape for the artist to sing into. If the artist, like in Katy Perry's "Rise", wants the sonic landscape to feel big and powerful, then they use heavy reverb and delay to create the impression of a cavernous room that Perry is singing into. Most people do not think about this part, but automation is a great way to create a good song become interesting and catchy. This article does a really good job at describing that process.
Automation is a really useful tool and I like the tips this article gave. I was told by a sound designer teacher that in the old days, when oe was working on a song, they’d write down all the changes that had to be done by hand on a mixing board and when they had to happen. That sounds like a real challenge to make it the same every time. When the tape is rolling and you’re playing it back for the final track, there isn’t a lot of room for error. Now with software, this stuff can all be preset digitally, which is super exciting because there are all sorts of new things that can be done with sound that just wouldn’t have been possible before, make new sounds, and old sounds more dynamic and interesting. As the article states, automation is great for changing all sorts of things because listeners get tired of hearing the same thing over and over. Making a song louder, or more booming as it goes on will combat listener fatigue, just like lighting designers worry about eye fatigue.
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