The Mixing Engineer's Handbook, 4th Edition

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