Top Audio Mixing Tips: You Have Spoken

This week, I put the question out on facebook and twitter, “what’s your best mixing tip?” I had no idea what types of answers I’d be reading.  A few were funny but I found many of them to be the same.  Without anything more needing to be said, here is a list of some of those tips.

Top Audio Mixing Tips

• Be careful not to pan so hard that people on opposite sides of the auditorium hear different mixes.
• Get yourself and the band relaxed. Oh and smile it could be a lot worse.
• “Can hear all the instruments” doesn’t necessarily mean “at the same time.” (Another “less is more” variation.)
• 1) take notes during rehearsal and follow them. 2) stop messing with stuff (this one bit me in the butt this weekend)
• Less is more.
• subtract before you add
• NEVER mix w/ ur eyes. It only “looks right” when it sounds great.
• Fix it at the source. And parallel processing for drums whenever possible.
• Reduce before adding when mixing monitors.
• Show up.
• Know who and what you’re mixing. How they should sound.
• Pan L/R to make separation for each item
• 1. Turn up early and test everything. 2. Once the gig starts, your priorities are vocals first 3. Know your equipment
• Open your eyes, open your ears. Don’t get distracted by the shiny LEDs on the mixer
• ” Nobody leaves the concert humming the kick drum “
• Listen! Put your headphones down and go stand in the audience / congregation and listen. Does what they hear sound like it should?
• Have fun with your mix and flow with the band,“Music not in a box”
• Mix with your ears, use headphones only for checking levels.
• Develop a relationship with the band you are mixing. Allows them to trust you.
• Pay attention… Mixing is active and responsive. Don’t ever give in to a single channel of “Set it and forget it” in your mix.
• Love your music team and be one of them… Worship leading is truly a team sport.
• EQ with your ears, not with your eyes.
• Don’t destroy the sound of an instrument with eq-ing it, try to give it, its most natural sound. Mic placement helps a lot with this.
• Start with the on-stage volume level of drums & guitar amps (assuming you don’t run in-ears for everything!). Once that’s perfect the rest of the mix is a breeze! After 20 years it’s still the hardest thing to manage, especially with younger musos. You don’t want discourage them but they need to learn the discipline. Talking small auditorium (300-350 seats).
• Whatever you want to sit in the front of the mix…mix it last during the sound check. And mix with your ears not LED lights and level meters!
• Know where your feedback thresholds are. Are you mixing at the threshold or are you well inside the gain before feedback margin. Your first job, No Feedback!
• I find that some people will mix to their favorite instrument, making it louder than everything else. Kill these people on sight. It’s all about the blend.
• “Mix it up” – don’t just focus for example on the guitars. swell different instruments at different times in the song(s)
• Listen to what is coming to the desk – the muso’s are giving *you* the raw ingredients, it is up to you to blend it and present something sweet to the congregation. Oh, above all – keep the Lead Vocal(s) loud-and-clear… Finally – “have fun”
• LESS is much better than MORE

Question: What tip would you add?