Mixing

Mixing is an art form; a practical and creative treatment, done in order to produce a sound that is more appealing to listeners. A poor mix can ruin a great song. A great mix can bring out the creative elements and take it to a higher level. The mixing engineer is similar to a band member, creatively bringing all the tracks to life. Yes, there is a generous share of technical skill implemented by the engineer to make it sound radio-ready. But more important, the mix needs to depict the artist’s story and vision. The mixing engineer will blend proper frequency content. Mixing includes – Editing, Compression, Equilization, Tonal Balance Between Tracks, Critical Listening, Vocal Tuning, Comping, Panning, Summing, Efffects/Reverbs/Delays, Noise Reduction.

When it comes to properly mixing a song, our professional engineers provide masterful attention to editing, time-correction, vocal tuning, drum replacement, compression, EQ, limiting, reverb, delays, and other special effects. Once mixed, we will send you an MP3 version of your song that you can listen to and inform us of any changes you might need. We provide two rounds of revisions per song. When you have approved the final mix, we will then provide you with the AIFF or WAV stereo mix and any stem mixes you request (mixed stems are provided at an additional cost) such as; vocal only, instrumental only, etc.

The Basic Workflow:

1. Evaluation – listening over the track a few times making quicks notes on what needs to be accomplished, along with the overall vibe of the track.
2. Organization – Color coding, labeling, makers, and organizing the session based on instrumentation, arrangement.
3. Basic Mix – Basic balance of volume between tracks, subgrouping, sends, vocal comping based on what I think needs to stand out.
4. Editing – Apply vocal tuning if needed, fix any pops, cut out noise and bleed, create proper fades.
5. Processing – Apply filters, equilization, and compression to the things that NEED tonal balance.
6. Effects – Apply reverbs, and delays.
7. Final Touches – Create stems, sum down similar tracks, and printing the final track through our Class A converters.
8. Delivery – Mixes will be delivered via Dropbox for the client to listen – 2 complete revisions allowed per track.

Method 1 – All tracks should be bounced or exported out at a Bit Depth of 24 and the Sample Rate which recorded at.
All tracks must be consolidated and lined up correctly so everything is synced once imported into the session.
Method 2 – Session can be zipped and sent directly (Pro Tools Sessions Only).
Sessions can be sent online via host sites such as Dropbox, Megaupload, or Sendspace.

The Ins & Outs:

All tracks are mixed down on a Pro Tools HD3 Accel system through Apogee converters monitoring on custom Manley ML5s. Mixing “In the box” has become something of the norm today. For instance, with the quick editing capabilities, recall, and availability of todays plug-ins some have not had the chance to hear what a great tube compressor can accomplish on the master buss, or how a passive EQ can add beautiful harmonics naturally shaping the tone of the signal. We provide a service that incorporates the best of analog and digital technologies. With a wide variety of outboard gear, and a powerful HD system, we are able to get the best of both worlds. The difference of incorporating both…..you will hear.

Pricing:

The quote of the project will depend on the Track Amount (songs with 10 to 20 tracks will have different quote then a song with 50 to 100+ tracks), whether the artist is an Indie artist or with a Major Label and if the project is a Single, EP, or Album. Please Contact Us for a specialized quote!