‘Get great results fast’, ‘Save time’, ‘One click and it’s done’. In audio production we see this message over and over again. You might wonder what the hurry is. If you’re doing something you enjoy, and doing it as well as you can, then why not take your time? It’s not because engineers are lazy, it’s not even because “time is money” (though for busy professionals it clearly is), it’s because a fast mix is usually a good mix. Steve DeMott explains…

I see an ever increasing mentality of overthinking the mix process. Overthinking which EQ or compressor to use. Overthinking the order of processing. Overthinking the how or why of so many small parts of a mix. Just overthinking things that don’t require that much thinking to begin with.

A mix should deliver the emotion of the song as clearly and powerfully as possible. This means that you need to react emotionally as you mix. If you are overthinking every fader move & every EQ or compressor setting you are taking your emotions out of the decision making process and doing the mix a great disservice. You’re using your head instead of your heart to make decisions about an art form that is all about emotional communication.

Problems Arise

Now, be very clear that I am not saying that there aren’t times you need to step back & apply grey matter to a problem. There are many tasks that we have to tackle that require more cerebral involvement. These will mostly fall under the ‘problem solving’ umbrella. That is a reality of mixing now. We have to play editor as part of the mix process, and that’s ok. We just need to be able to turn that off when we get back to the art of mixing. 

Mix Fast

So, how can you mix faster and stay more emotionally involved in the mix process? Here are some suggestions:

Use Templates

It takes a lot of time to setup a mix, and you are likely setting up the same thing for just about every mix you do. Why not have an all encompassing template that you can use to get started in 5 minutes rather than 40 minutes of prepping plugins & routing to get started mixing. A good template will have tracks setup for everything you might need for a mix, with processing and routing in place. I also recommend settling on just one EQ & compressor to use on all your channels, saving specialty processing for submixes & the final 2-bus. 

Separate Tasks

Try to identify & address edits & fixes before you get into the mix, or step out of mix mode when you do come across sections that need you to apply your brain to problem solving. Once completed you can get back to feeling more than thinking.

Feel The Mix

Try to react to the emotion of the song as you mix it. Make decisions based on what your emotions are wanting. Do you want to feel a big guitar entrance,? A huge tom fill? Whatever it is, let your emotions dictate the moves you make. This also applies to processing. Think in broad terms: less mud, more bite, bigger low-end, tighter, louder, or softer. Let these broad terms guide your mix moves.

Hands On Control

I really recommend getting a control surface. I find it really helps reset how I approach a mix when I have my hands on faders rather than on a mouse and keyboard. The less “data” I see about my mix, the easier it is to remember that it is an artistic process first.

Be Bold

Wether you have physical controls or just the digital controls in your DAW, be bold. Make bold moves. In the words of the poet William Blake “how can you know what is enough unless you know what is too much?” Get in there & be bold. Push things to see where the limits are. 

Automate From The Start

There have been some really good articles about automation features recently on the blog. Like this one where we share Advanced Automation tips or this one on Capture Mode Get comfortable with automation & use it from the start. Capture your initial reactions to the mix process & refine as you go along.

What do you do to keep yourself from getting too analytical about mixing? Share your thoughts below.

Photos by RODNAE Productions, OLEG PLIASUNOV