Mixing And Mastering In The Box

Mixing and mastering are the final challenges in creating great recordings. Great mixes require both creativity and a practical understanding of process, while final masters require both a clear sense for purpose and specialized ears for achieving artistic goals. Mixing and Mastering in the Box gives readers the practical tools for accomplishing both of these tasks while highlighting the artistry of the creative process. While much of the information presented in Mixing and Mastering in the Box is applicable to those using analog mixing gear, or a hybrid of digital and analog tools, the book focuses directly on working completely within the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Author Steve Savage lets readers in on such topics as the secrets of collaboration and using EQ, compression, delay, reverb, and brickwall limiting to improve the sound of records, each topic illustrated with a myriad of concrete examples. Mixing and Mastering in the Box is the ultimate reference manual for the home recordist and the perfect basic to intermediate text for any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) training class in mixing or mastering. The book is also ideal for readers who handle their own mixing and mastering or who wish - or are professionally required - to be better informed when collaborating on mixes and masters.

"Mixing and mastering, the two final steps in the complex process of sound engineering, require both artistic finesse and technical facility. Even the slightest difference in the way a sound is processed can lead to a shift in the overall aesthetic of a piece, and so sound engineers must work towards an understanding of sound engineering that is particularly oriented towards the artistic and aesthetic. In order to create effective mixes, a sound engineer must maintain a distinct set of artistic goals while drawing on an in-depth understanding of the software involved in the process. Creating final masters requires specialized aural skills and a similarly advanced understanding of the software in order to fine-tune the product with respect to these goals. Mixing and Mastering in the Box addresses the practical and technological necessities of these two final steps without neglecting the creative process that is integral to the creation of high-quality recordings. Savage focuses primarily on creating mixes and masters in the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), or "in the box," currently a popular platform in the field of sound engineering due to the creative advantages and advanced technological capabilities it offers to its users. However, much of the information presented in Mixing and Mastering in the Box is also applicable to analog mixing gear or a hybrid system of digital and analog tools. This book, which features over one hundred illustrations and a comprehensive companion website, is ideal for beginning or intermediate students in sound engineering with a focus on DAW, recording artists who do their own mixing and mastering, or musicians who wish to be better informed when collaborating on mixes and masters"--

The Art of Digital Audio Recording teaches readers what they really need to know in order to make great sound recordings with computers - both the practical and the technical information. --from publisher description.

In Mixing with Impact: Learning to Make Musical Choices, Wessel Oltheten discusses the creative and technical concepts behind making a mix. Whether you’re a dance producer in your home studio, a live mixer in a club, or an engineer in a big studio, the mindset is largely the same. The same goes for the questions you run into: where do you start? How do you deal with a context in which all the different parts affect each other? How do you avoid getting lost in technique? How do you direct your audience’s attention? Why doesn’t your mix sound as good as someone else’s? How do you maintain your objectivity when you hear the same song a hundred times? How do your speakers affect your perception? What’s the difference between one compressor and another? Following a clear structure, this book covers these and many other questions, bringing you closer and closer to answering the most important question of all: how do you tell a story with sound?

David Gibson uses 3D visual representations of sounds in a mix as a tool to explain the dynamics that can be created in a mix. This book provides an in-depth exploration into the aesthetics of what makes a great mix. Gibson’s unique approach explains how to map sounds to visuals in order to create a visual framework that can be used to analyze what is going on in any mix. Once you have the framework down, Gibson then uses it to explain the traditions that have be developed over time by great recording engineers for different styles of music and songs. You will come to understand everything that can be done in a mix to create dynamics that affect people in really deep ways. Once you understand what engineers are doing to create the great mixes they do, you can then use this framework to develop your own values as to what you feel is a good mix. Once you have a perspective on what all can be done, you have the power to be truly creative on your own – to create whole new mixing possibilities. It is all about creating art out of technology. This book goes beyond explaining what the equipment does – it explains what to do with the equipment to make the best possible mixes.

Audio production is an incredibly rewarding craft. To take the raw, basic tracks of a fledgling idea and shape them into one glorious stereophonic sound wave is an amazing feat. The transformation from analogue to digital dominance has brought many advances in sound quality and new techniques, but producing digital music with only a standard computer and DAW can be problematic, time-consuming and sometimes disappointing without the right approach and skills. In Template Mixing and Mastering, renowned mix engineer Billy Decker tackles the challenges of in-the-box production through his innovative template approach. He shares his passion and knowledge from over twenty years of industry experience, including an introduction to templates and a step-by-step guide to their set-up and a discussion of drum replacement technology. Channel and setting information for each of the drum, instrument and vocal sections of his template is discussed along with the master channel and his methodology of mixing and mastering. Finally, he gives professional advice and best practice.

Discover how to achieve release-quality mixes even in the smallest studios by applying power-user techniques from the world's most successful producers. Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio is the best-selling primer for small-studio enthusiasts who want chart-ready sonics in a hurry. Drawing on the back-room strategies of more than 160 famous names, this entertaining and down-to-earth guide leads you step-by-step through the entire mixing process. On the way, you'll unravel the mysteries of every type of mix processing, from simple EQ and compression through to advanced spectral dynamics and "fairy dust" effects. User-friendly explanations introduce technical concepts on a strictly need-to-know basis, while chapter summaries and assignments are perfect for school and college use. ▪ Learn the subtle editing, arrangement, and monitoring tactics which give industry insiders their competitive edge, and master the psychological tricks which protect you from all the biggest rookie mistakes. ▪ Find out where you don't need to spend money, as well as how to make a limited budget really count. ▪ Pick up tricks and tips from leading-edge engineers working on today's multi-platinum hits, including Derek "MixedByAli" Ali, Michael Brauer, Dylan "3D" Dresdow, Tom Elmhirst, Serban Ghenea, Jacquire King, the Lord-Alge brothers, Tony Maserati, Manny Marroquin, Noah "50" Shebib, Mark "Spike" Stent, DJ Swivel, Phil Tan, Andy Wallace, Young Guru, and many, many more... Now extensively expanded and updated, including new sections on mix-buss processing, mastering, and the latest advances in plug-in technology.

Suitable for those who want to increase their mastery of digital and analog audio: musicians, producers, A&R, mastering, recording, and mixing engineers, this title offers an introduction to the procedures and technical issues involved in mastering.