Mixing With Your Mind

Pulling great sounds in the studio is a peculiar mix of art and science. Mike Stavrou's unique perspective has helped thousands of readers via his column in AudioTechnology magazine, and now the closely guarded secrets of one of the world's top sound balance engineers have been laid bare in this book.

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?

Mixing is an Attitude
When I think back to my best mixes—regardless of their commercial success—in each and every case, I can only describe the experience as one in which I was working from deep within, outside of any external forces. I wasn't thinking; I was doing. I wasn't scared of what anyone would think. I wasn't scared of failure. All my decisions were made with confidence, and once a judgment was made, I didn't second-guess myself. I allowed the music to guide me, and I based all of my mix decisions on nothing more than one simple criterion: Are the song and production doing what they're supposed to be doing?
That sounds nice, huh? I mean, that's the headspace you want to be in when you're mixing! The problem is, you can't get there if you're focused on all the wrong things, and we're all susceptible to distraction and self-doubt. Great mixing involves trusting yourself, first and foremost. And I can promise you, that trust is downright infectious to everyone on your project.
Who Am I?
I'm Mixerman, a gold and multi-platinum mixer, producer, and recordist. I've been mixing professionally and at a high level for over three decades now., and I can assure you, great mixing isn't about manipulating sound. It's about the decisions you make in regards to the music, the balances, and how you use the arrangement to push the listener forward through the song. This is accomplished thought concrete strategies and techniques, that I'm uniquely qualified to offer you.
Boost Your Confidence Now
You can spend the next decade mixing two songs a day to get there. Or you can get Zen & the Art of MIXING 2021, and I'll explain the thinking behind great mixing. And then watch your confidence soar.
There's a reason why this is my most popular work, to date. Enjoy, Mixerman

"We cannot find ourselves, or be ourselves, alone." - from Mixing Minds Mixing Minds explores the interpersonal relationships between psychoanalysts and their patients, and Buddhist teachers and their students. Through the author's own personal journey in both traditions, she sheds light on how these contrasting approaches to wellness affect our most intimate relationships. These dynamic relationships provide us with keen insight into the emotional ups and downs of our lives - from fear and anxiety to love, compassion, and equanimity. Mixing Minds delves into the most intimate of relationships and shows us how these relationships are the key to the realization of our true selves.

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.

Your mix can make or break a record, and mixing is an essential catalyst for a record deal. Professional engineers with exceptional mixing skills can earn vast amounts of money and find that they are in demand by the biggest acts. To develop such skills, you need to master both the art and science of mixing. The new edition of this bestselling book offers all you need to know and put into practice in order to improve your mixes. Covering the entire process --from fundamental concepts to advanced techniques -- and offering a multitude of audio samples, tips and tricks, this book has it all. Roey Izhaki teaches you the importance of a mixing vision, how to craft and evaluate your mix and then take it a step further. He describes the theory and the tools used and how these are put into practice while creating mixes. Packed full of photos, graphs, diagrams and audio samples, Mixing Audio is a vital read for anyone wanting to succeed in the field of mixing. New to this edition: * Multitracks provided to help practice mixing * Fully updated with current plug-in and software version and information * Companion website with a multitude of new samples including more macro-mixing samples * A new sample mix: Rock n' Roll

When mixing a live show, for the first time or hundredth time, there are countless things running through your mind, foremost- this is live and you have to get it right! Whether you are working on Broadway, in a regional theatre or on the school production, having an understanding of the equipment, set up, and how sound behaves is crucial to the success of your show's performance. In this guide to live sound mixing for theatre, Shannon Slaton shares his expert knowledge and proven, effective techniques acquired from years of experience working on Broadway shows. Written in a clear and easy to read style, and illustrated with real world examples of personal experience and professional interviews, Slaton shows you how how to mix live theatre shows from the basics of equipment, set ups, and using sound levels to creating atmosphere, emotion and tension to ensure a first rate performance every time. *Learn what it takes to be a Broadway theatrical mixer *Learn tips and tricks from some of today's top Broadway mixers *Learn the techniques that will help you get ahead in this field

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.