Right now we are in the era of the DIY musician, and thanks to advancements in technology, it’s easier than ever to mix our own music at home. That being said, the majority of us aren’t professionals. We recognize that first and foremost, we are artists and songwriters, and most of our time and energy is put toward the creation of new music. Similarly, mixing engineers have dedicated their lives to the craft of making our songs sound great. Almost always, the difference between mixing our own music and hiring a professional to do it is night and day, however every so often I still encounter musicians (including myself) who drop a lot of money to get their music mixed, but aren’t happy with the results. After assessing many musicians’ disappointments with their mixes, as well as talking to mixing engineers and getting their perspectives, I’ve put together a list of the “dos and don’ts” of getting your music mixed.
1. You didn’t get the sound you wanted at the source
One of the most common errors that musicians make going into the recording process is overestimating the abilities of the mixer to completely alter the timbre of an instrument. If we think of a sculptor, they can shape and mold the clay to enhance its figure, but they cannot magically turn the clay into marble. Similarly, you can’t record a Les Paul on the bridge pickup and later ask the engineer to make it sound like a stratocaster on its neck + middle pickup. There are certain ways you could achieve a similar effect, but it won’t come as close to recording with an actual stratocaster. Not to mention, it would be a waste of precious mixing time.
If there is a drum sound on a record that you want to emulate in your own mix, ask your drummer what drums and cymbals they can use to achieve that sound, or at least get close to it. They will take the appropriate steps to choosing the gear, which will in turn make your engineer’s job quicker and easier. The best practice is to record your music as if no mixing will be done on it, and the sounds that went into the microphones are what will come out the speaker. By doing this, you avoid any disappointment later on.
2. You thought that “studio magic” would make it better
To build on the last point, for one reason or another you thought that the mixing would make your song or your performance better. There is still a prominent stereotype that modern artists don’t have any talent, and that they completely rely on studio technology to hold up their performance in the studio. Even if musicians don’t necessarily hold this view, many of them still go into the studio with an overestimation of the editing and mixing process, whether they realize it or not.
Don’t rely on pitch-correct software to put your vocal in tune; practice until you can sing the song in tune. If the drummer keeps rushing, don’t say that you’ll fix it in editing; practice until the groove is tight. 99% of the time, putting in the extra effort to get a great sound and performance during the recording will save you many hours trying to fix it later. Note that a lot of these issues should be resolved in the pre-production process and during rehearsals, not on the recording session. As a side note, I’ve also found that too much editing and processing will start to make your mix lose its life and even sound unnatural if you push it too far. Editing and mixing might make you sound better, but it won’t make you a better musician.
3. The song arrangement is weak
Many beginner songwriters overlook the connection between the arrangement and how it will translate to the recorded medium. For example, they may have the keyboard player and the guitarist playing chords in the low-mid range at the same time, making them difficult to distinguish from one another, and therefore muddying the mix. The engineer can use subtractive EQ to tame the low-end energy in both instruments, but she/he can’t change the voicings of the instruments after the fact; those are locked in.
Another example might be the dynamics in the song. If the band is playing softly in the recording, but you decide later that you want that section to be more intense, asking the engineer to turn up the volume or add compressors won’t increase the intensity of the music. This is because most instruments’ timbre will change depending on the velocity or energy you exert on them. If you record a drummer hitting a snare drum as hard as they can, and then record them tapping it lightly, even if you volume-match them in mixing, your ear will still be able to discern the difference in intensity because the timbre changes. This is why you should make sure you’ve thought about your song’s dynamics beforehand, and that the band is playing those dynamics during the recording process.
Before going into the studio, make sure you are happy with your song arrangement, because it’s impossible to change later through editing and processing.
4. You tried communicating your ideas in technical terms to the engineer
I’ve produced and worked with artists who dabbled in mixing. This is an excellent skill to have, as it makes you more independent and also more understanding of the mixing process. However, the artists would sometimes insist on being more involved in the mixing process than was necessary. I once watched as an artist sat next to the engineer throughout the session and gave suggestions on EQ and compression settings, to the point where the engineer became visibly frustrated.
Trying to give suggestions such as “boost 2dB at 340Hz” or “you should reduce the compressor ratio to 1:3” may seem helpful on the surface, since you know exactly what you want after all. However, chances are the engineer has put many more hours into mixing than you, and probably knows what needs to be done, assuming you gave good references with specific points on what you liked about them. Perhaps you think setting the compressor ratio to 1:3 is the right thing to do, but the engineer is far more likely to know what settings need to be adjusted to get the sound you want.
In simple words, put your ego down and let the professional take care of it. Mixing engineers are not dumb; they are huge fans and big listeners of music, and oftentimes they are musicians themselves, so don’t be worried that they won’t get your vision.