Product Overview
- The six elements of a mix
- The rules for arrangement and how they impact your mix
- The signs of an amateur mix
- Where to build your mix from
- Mixing tips and tricks for every genre of music
- The secrets of EQ and the "Magic Frequencies"
- Tips and tricks for adding effects, effects layering
- Sound replacement technique
- Track timing techniques
- Pitch correction techniques
- Automation techniques
The 4th edition of The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook features new sections on Immersive Audio and online mastering options, and also has a new Advanced chapter full of techniques not found anywhere else, like:
- Cleaning tracks
- Adjusting track timing
- Pitch correction
- Sound replacement
- Automation techniques
So much of today’s mixing occurs inside your computer (“In The Box”), and as a result much of the book concentrates on the finer points of working in a DAW environment. Plus there’s also a section on the relationship between the bass and drums and how to make this difficult part of mixing easy.
©2017, 312 pages
Table of Contents:
Preface
Meet The Mixers
PART 1
Chapter 1: Some Background
The Evolution of Mixing
Different Mixing Styles
The New York Style
The LA Style
The London Style
The Nashville Style
Other Styles
12 Ways Studio Mixing Is Different From Live Mixing
Learning How To Mix
Chapter 2: Monitoring
The Listening Environment
Overcoming Acoustic Problems
Monitors - Which Ones?
Basic Monitor Setup
3 Steps To Adding A Subwoofer
Mixing On Headphones
How Loud (Or Soft) Should I Listen?
Listening Techniques
Listening On Multiple Monitors
Listening In Mono
Chapter 3: Mix Preparation
Prepping Your Session
Make A Session File Copy
Tweak The Track Timing
Check The Fades
Eliminate Noises
Comp Your Tracks
Tune Your Tracks
Arrange Your Tracks
Make Your Decisions
Insert Section Markers
Create Groups And Subgroups
Create Effects Channels
Insert Compressors And Limiters
Personal Preparation
Calibrate Your Hearing
Get Your LIstening Reference Point
Prepare For Note Taking
Make Yourself Comfortable
Take Frequent Breaks
Stay Focused On The Mix
Chapter 4: The Mechanics of Mixing
Conceptualizing The Mix
The Overall Approach
Tall, Deep and Wide
The Signs Of An Amateur Mix
The 6 Elements of a Mix
The Intangibles of a Mix
The Arrangement
The Performances
The Point Of Interest
Chapter 5: The Balance Element: The Mixing Part of Mixing
The Arrangement - Where It All Begins
Tension And Release
Conflicting Instruments
Arrangement Elements
Arrangement Examples
Rules for Arrangements
Where to Build the Mix From
What’s The Genre?
Level Setting Methods
Chapter 6: The Panorama Element: Placing the Sound in the Soundfield
The Stereo Picture
The Phantom Center
The Big 3
Big Mono
Panning Outside The Speakers
Beyond Panning For Placement
Panning In Surround Sound
A Bit Of History
The LFE Channel
Surround Sound Formats
Differences Between Surround For Picture And For Music
Surround Mixing Schools Of Thought
What Do I Put In The Center Channel?
What Do I Send To The LFE Channel?
​Mixing Immersive Audio For Virtual Reality
Chapter 7: The Frequency Element: Using The Equalizer
The Goals Of Equalization
The Frequency Bands And What They Do
EQ Methods
Method One: Equalize For Definition
Method Two: Equalize For Size
Method Three: Juggling Frequencies
Finding An Offending Frequency
The Magic High-Pass Filter
The Magic Frequencies
The Relationship Between The Bass And Drums
EQ Techniques
Chapter 8: The Dimension Element - Adding Effects
The 6 Principles For Adding Effects
Using Delays
Types of Delays
Timing Delays to The Track
Setting Repeats
Typical Delay Setups
Delay Techniques
Using Reverb
Types of Reverb
Timing Reverbs To The Track
Typical Reverb Setups
De-Reverberation
Reverb Techniques
Using Modulation
Types Of Modulation
Typical Modulation Setups
Modulation Techniques
EQing Effects
On Vocals
On Instruments
On Drums
Layering Effects
Reamping
Chapter 9: The Dynamics Element: Compression and Gating
Types Of Dynamics Control
Compression
Limiting
De-essing
Gating
Using Compression
Controlling Dynamics
Compression As An Effect
Placement In The Signal Chain
Setting The Compressor
What’s The Right Amount Of Compression?
Parallel Compression
Compression on Individual Instruments
A Drum Compression Primer
Compressing Vocals
Compressing Loops
Compression on the Mix Buss
Compression Techniques
Using A De-esser
Using A Gate
Gating Techniques
Chapter 10: The Interest Element - The Key To Great Mixes
The Direction of the Song
Develop The Groove
Finding The Groove
Building The Groove
Find The Most Important Element And Emphasize It
15 Steps To A Better Mix
Chapter 11: Advanced Techniques
Cleanup
Removing Noise
Removing Clicks And Pops
Removing Count-Offs
Fixing Bad Fades
Eliminating Unwanted Distortion
Deleting Extra MIDI Notes
Adjust The Timing
Pitch Correction
Pitch Correction Techniques
Sound Replacement
Keeping The Sound Natural
Sound Replacement Techniques
Automation
Fader Automation
Drawing The Automation
Using Automation To Add Dynamics
Automation Techniques
Gain Staging
Subgroups
Headroom
Chapter 12: The Master Mix
8 Indicators That Your Mix Is Finished
Competitive Level
Hypercompression
Using LUFS For Mixing
Tips For Hot Levels
Mastering
Why Do I Have To Master Anyway?
Things To Remember Before Mastering
Online Mastering
Mixing Internet Distribution
MP3 Encoding
Mastered For iTunes
Alternative Mixes
Different Types Of Alternative Mixes
Stems
PART 2 - The Interviews
Chapter 13: Bob Brockman
Chapter 14: Bob Bullock
Chapter 15: Joe Chiccarelli
Chapter 16: Lee DeCarlo
Chapter 17: Richard Chycki
Chapter 18: Jimmy Douglass
Chapter 19: Benny Faconne
Chapter 20: JerryFinn
Chapter 21: Jon Gass
Chapter 22: Don Hahn
Chapter 23: Andy Johns
Chapter 24: Bernie Kirsh
Chapter 25: Nathanial Kunkel
Chapter 26: George Massenburg
Chapter 27: Robert Orton
Chapter 28: Greg Penny
Chapter 29: David Pensado
Chapter 30: Elliot Scheiner
Chapter 31: Andrew Scheps
Chapter 32: Ken Scott
Chapter 33 Ed Seay
Chapter 34: Allen Sides
Chapter 35: Don Smith
Chapter 36: Ed Stasium
Chapter 37: Bruce Swedien
GLOSSARY
ADDENDUM 1 - DELAY TIME CHART
