You've recorded everything, but still need to put the separate elements of recorded music together? Sound control software and tools can seem intimidating, as they have a lot of knobs and code words that you may not be familiar with. Here's a quick guide that explains the most basic steps for mixing songs.
Step
Step 1. Listen to all the tracks of the song together on repeat
Get a "feel" of the song: what the song is about, where it's headed, and how all of the elements complement each other. Start with all the fader knobs set to half volume, and adjust from there. If the snare sound is too strong, lower the fader volume; if you have trouble hearing the rhythm guitar sound, turn up the volume.
Step 2. Listen to other music
Listen to similar songs to find out how they use each instrument to produce a complete track. You may also want to listen to very different (but still related) music to find new ideas about this mixing process. Who knows, listening to jazz in soul tones will influence you to mix different genres in your R&B songs. There's nothing wrong with looking for inspiration and references from other songs.
Step 3. Perform staging (placement of musical instruments in an artificial room/stage)
One of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the process of mixing a song is staging. The brief here is aimed at adjusting all levels of a song's tracks so they don't interfere with each other. If you don't do this process, you will get unwanted distortion in the mixing process. Keep your music level conservative and you'll be more likely to mix well. A good conservative level to start with is -18dBVU, staying away from red levels as a general reference.
Step 4. Determine the relationship between each track
Which parts complement each other? For example, rhythm guitar tracks may be alternated to produce a silent effect every few beats. Is there a track that seems completely useless? Try sliding the fader knob all the way down and check if removing this track will affect your song. Remember, there is no point in maintaining a sound if it will interfere with other sounds. The most captivating songs are those where each part has its own melody and complements each other to make a symphony.
Step 5. Mix in a bottom up way
Think of a song as a pyramid: its lowest and heaviest parts (bass drums, bass guitar) will form the foundation for all the other elements, with vocals and leads at the top of the pyramid. Parts such as guitars, keyboards, and other percussions will fill the space between the top and bottom of the pyramid.
Step 6. Don't be afraid to experiment with the equalizer/EQ
The EQ can be a good tool for focusing the sound of an instrument by increasing or decreasing the low or high frequencies of the sound. There are two ways to amplify the sound of an instrument: you can increase certain frequencies, or eliminate others. Typically, the snare drum will sound louder with an increase in low frequencies, while hi-hats and tom-toms will sound sharper and louder as the low frequencies are reduced.
- EQ is not only used for fine-tuning purposes; EQ is also useful for much more practical things if something goes wrong or is of low quality. You can use EQ to work around this by reducing high-frequency feedback (high-cut EQ), or removing infrasound (low-cut EQ).
- EQ is also very useful especially when you are using a drum set. Usually, when recording for this drum set, the microphone is placed very close to each part, to avoid any other sound leaks that might affect your track. However, the vibrations propagated in this drum kit will sometimes resonate in other parts (for example, step on the bass pedal on a drum and you will hear a sound on the snare). EQ allows you to reduce these lower frequency responses.
- Furthermore, when a microphone is placed very close to an instrument, it naturally picks up tones with lower frequencies, which usually slow down as the distance increases. To get a more natural sound so you don't seem to be placing the microphone directly on top of a musical instrument, reduce the low frequencies picked up by the microphone by using EQ.
Step 7. Use a compression tool to ensure a track has a constant volume
Compression is crucial for getting a constant sound, especially in the bass rhythm parts. Human error ensures that the dynamics of a musical instrument will never be constant throughout the recording process. The compression process can correct this by amplifying quieter sounds (upward compression), or reducing louder sounds (downward compression), while ensuring that sounds within the desired dynamic range are not affected.
Step 8. Check the sound of the drums and bass
The sound of each part should remain real, but also blend well. If an instrument is very real or indistinct, the sound will sound odd. Think of your song as a chorus: each piece should be heard beautifully separately, but also work together as a whole.
Step 9. Use a noise gate
Basically, a noise gate works by eliminating all sounds that do not meet a certain minimum volume size. The noise gate is very useful when recording is done in an area where there is a lot of background noise, so that all the "buzz" can be removed. Of course, it may seem easier to slide the fader knob down when an instrument is not being played (for example, if the lead guitar is only played a few times), but actually using a noise gate is a much more practical step for percussion sounds. This is because cutting every sound between the percussion “hit” sounds is cumbersome and requires a lot of work. Experiment with noise gates for a sharper, “cleaner” sound.
Step 10. Play around with the middle
Do this by changing the stereo effects. Have you ever listened to a song with headphones and heard different tracks in each ear? Try it yourself. Usually, the bass parts will sound best when set to the center, while rhythm guitar and percussion sounds will be interesting if played from side to side alternately. A slightly off-center keyboard sound would also be interesting. This setting gives a song a three-dimensional feel because your ears will automatically pick up sounds coming from different directions.
Step 11. Try adding chorus effects
This makes your song sound like you have multiple instruments playing a part by adding layers to the same track, in only slightly different tonality and intonation. In general, this effect will sound bad on a keyboard, but it will work very well on parts of guitar playing.
Step 12. Use process automation to create a more musical song
Automation can be used in a variety of ways to create musicality. There are so many different approaches you can take here that they can't be described in just one article. Here are some that are commonly used by professional songwriters:
- Using automation for the master buss section to make the chorus a little louder than the verse.
- Using automation for the effect return section. Sometimes, you may be able to reverb or delay a sound to produce more or less real parts of a song.
Step 13. Put it all together
Make small adjustments to each track, but make sure you keep the whole thing in mind, listening in between each adjustment you make. Even if the individual parts sound good, the end product should sound good as a whole.
Step 14. Don't be afraid to break the rules
Everything you read about the mixing process, whether it's a "fact" or a technical opinion, can sometimes make you lose your creativity. Always trust your ears and don't be afraid to break the rules. If you think you need to add 10 dB of sound at 10kHz, do so. If the results sound good, then you're right.
External Link
Mixing a Song: A Beginner's Guide
