Mixing was never designed to be a solo pursuit. When recording and mixing first became separate processes we were still decades away from desk automation. Several people would be around the desk for a mix, assigned a few channels each, and everyone would have to remember the moves they had to make on the faders and effects sends for each section of the song. One industry veteran once admitted to me that if he didn’t like what someone else did in a mix then he would then deliberately mess up his part (”Sorry everyone - my finger slipped”) so that they would have to go back and do that bit again.

Desk Automation

Then when automated desks came in, it started to become one person’s job to do all of that, and the role of ‘mix engineer’ really took off. The thing was, these desks were extremely expensive - hundreds of thousands each - so they could only be found in expensive studios. Expensive enough that you didn’t want to have to keep coming back to these places to make changes to a mix, so when a mix was nearing completion everyone would come down to the studio - the producer, all of the band, the A&R person. Everyone with an important opinion on how the mix should sound had to be standing in the room at the end of it. Ideas were tried out, different perspectives were discussed, and after all of that back-and-forth a mix was printed that everyone was happy with.

Recalls And Solo Mixing

Fast forward to today and the above situation is very rare indeed. Almost all mixing is now done on some kind of DAW/analogue hybrid setup, if not in the box entirely. There are creative advantages to this approach, but also practical ones. For example, I would probably own an analogue desk if I knew my client was going to be with me at the end of each mix because I enjoy the workflow of desks. I know they won’t, though, as my clients live all over the world, so I need something more flexible (DAW and summing mixer with a load of easy-to-recall outboard). Now all my settings can be quickly recalled, and a new version of a mix printed and sent off - then in minutes I’m back to another track that I’m working on.

This kind of set-up is self-feeding as well. I (and many other mix engineers) have built their studios to be able to jump between mixes quickly in case revisions are needed at unpredictable times. Because of this, clients don’t come down to mix sessions as they don’t need to anymore (mixing is not the best spectator sport). So, I always work in a way that enables clients to be remote. So, all clients end up being remote to some extent, even if they’re not too far away. And so on.

Virtually Attended Sessions

This new way of working comes with new challenges. The first is one of perspective. In the older methods I’ve talked about above there was a great advantage in having all the people who mattered to the process in the room to discuss the mix as it was going through it’s final phases. They arrived when the mixer was near the end, and then with the advantage of everyone’s perspectives on the mix the track was pushed over the line. So the mixer was getting good feedback during this last stage, as opposed to today when it’s expected that the first version that a client hears is pretty close to the final mix. What can we do to make this process easier for the mixer and so more rewarding for the client? There are a few methods I’ve noticed people use, so maybe try a few and see what works for you. 

If a client is local-ish I try to get them to come down to my studio for the end of the first mix of a project. The first mix is so important in not only setting the tone of the album or EP, but also in establishing your working relationship, so it’s really good to be in the room together for that one. With that first mix done in a more collaborative way, the rest of the project is easier to run remotely.

Another approach is what I call Hybrid-Attended. This is where the client isn’t in the room with you, but is on a Zoom (or Skype, etc) call and they get a direct feed from the output of your DAW so you can discuss the mix and work on it together, albeit in different locations. Software like Audiomovers, Sessionwire and Source Elements make this sort of thing easy by making sure the client has a very high-quality real-time audio stream that can be opened and run on a web browser.

Feedback And Exchange Of Ideas

You can also seek external feedback before you present your mix to a client. This can be used in conjunction with one of the above and gives you extra confidence before you send off your first mix, as you’ll have had the benefit of someone else’s perspective already. Where you get this from is pretty important of course. If you have a trusted colleague who is available to help you out in this way, then you’re very lucky. If you’re studying on a music production course, then your tutors or lecturers can help out. Sometimes just playing it to anyone at all can give you a shift in perspective that allows you to hear your mix anew, so that is worth trying if you have none of the above. And now there are also services that can help you do this. I run The Mix Consultancy (shameless plug warning!) and that’s what it’s for - I give objective advice to people to help them get the best out of their mixes.

Finally, you can just be relaxed about doing revisions until the client is happy. If you communicate up front that this is part of the process, then your client won’t think it’s all gone wrong if they feel the need to do a bunch of revisions to get to where they want to be. But most importantly, design your studio and workflow so that you can quickly jump between mixes to tweak things without it ruining your day!

Human Contact

There’s a second important aspect of mixing alone that should be considered, however. When you are working you are alone. A lot. I know this seems self-explanatory, but if you’re aiming to become a full-time mix engineer then it’s really worth bearing in mind. Are you OK with spending the majority of your professional life in a room on your own? It’s not really how humans are designed to function - we are sociable animals (yes - even us, fellow introverts!). If you can, it’s a great idea to work into your practice the need to talk to people. You could set your studio up in a complex with other studios so that you’re always chatting to like-minded people while you make yourself a coffee. Or you could get involved in education, so you need to communicate with your students whenever you work in that role. Or establish a completely non-studio side-gig which is less solitary. Whichever route you choose, try to make sure that interaction with other people - physically and not virtually if possible - is a regular part of your working life.

Mixing alone gives you a lot of freedom to schedule your day around when you work best and allows to experiment and play with your mix without the pressure of an audience. This is very freeing, and I think it’s a step up from the past in terms of the long-days-and-nights-in-the-studio lifestyle. However, like all positive progress, it comes with new challenges. Hopefully what I’ve written here will help you identify these when they come your way, and I hope that you rise to meet them.

More Recording Resources From Dom Morley

Dom is the founder of the Mix Consultancy, a zero risk (money back guarantee) way to get notes on your tracks to help improve the sound. Whether you're an artist who likes to mix all their own work, a composer putting together a pitch on a limited budget, or an engineer who wants a discreet second opinion before sending a mix off to a client - we're here to help.

“I just completed a mix with the help of Dom Morley & The Mix Consultancy. The mix we turned over was qualitatively better than the one I would have gone with on my own.

It's been said that "a mix is never done, it's just abandoned", but the truth is, you *really* do feel a sense of completion and closure having worked with Dom because you know in your heart that you did everything you possibly could to get the best result possible for the client.

The beauty behind the process is that not only do you get a better mix for your client, but Dom's advice contains all kinds of gold that you can borrow and deploy in future mixes.”

Geoff Manchester

From engineering tips to production advice, EQ and compression basics to mix specifics, we’ll give you the information and guidance that you need to take your mixes to the next level. Find out more here

In addition to the one-to-one advice Dom has produced some excellent online courses;

• Everything You Need To Know About Recording Vocals
  Preproduction, DAW set-up, preparing the studio, psychology, equipment. Literally everything you need to know.

• Mixing 101

  This is a short, free, mini-course on the four things that you really need to know in order to get great mixes, and the four things that you really don't!

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