![\"in-the-mix-No42\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/in-the-mix-No42.jpg\")
<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nAll the instruments and vocals have been recorded, and now it\u2019s time to turn those tracks into a finished record: You\u2019re ready for the mixing process. But you know the mix can make or break even the best recordings. How do you ensure you\u2019re crafting the perfect mix?<\/p>\n
Mixing is as much art as science, and the pros rely on hard-earned experience to transform great tracks into award-winning mixes. Russ Long, a Nashville-based engineer, producer, composer and author, has been a go-to mix guru for decades. His studio credits range from Wilco and Lincoln Brewster to Jim Brickman and Dolly Parton, and many more. \u201cA successful mix is one that I\u2019m pleased with and proud of,\u201d he says, \u201cone that\u2019s artistically satisfying for me, the artist and the producer\u2014and something the label can have success with.\u201d<\/p>\n
What does a good mix achieve?
\n<\/b>A good mix communicates the passion of a song. It communicates the emotion the songwriter or performer has captured in a performance. The mix is the final step in communicating that to an audience. At the very least, it\u2019s documenting the source material and often enhancing it. Sometimes it\u2019s tricky\u2014you can create a mix that makes an artist and a producer happy and is an artistic statement, but perhaps the label can\u2019t achieve commercial success with it. As a mixer, I have to address both of those elements and create something that\u2019s artistically fulfilling yet still commercially viable.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s your approach?
\n<\/b>If it\u2019s something I wasn\u2019t involved with from the beginning, first I\u2019ll listen to a rough mix of the song to familiarize myself with what the artist and the producer have been listening to. That usually captures the basic direction of the song. As I jump in and start working on a mix, I spend a lot of time listening to the vocals and where they\u2019re sitting in the mix. I\u2019ve found that if I don\u2019t address vocals early, I\u2019ll end up mixing guitars or other instruments so they\u2019re competing with the vocals. The vocal is the primary element of the mix. It\u2019s what communicates the whole idea of the song, so I want to ensure nothing gets in the way of that. Then I\u2019ll start working with the drums and build the rhythm section. A lot of times, I\u2019ll pull the vocals back out at that point and then add them back in at the end.<\/p>\n
What if you\u2019re involved from\u00a0the start?
\n<\/b>It\u2019s totally different, because I will already have a good feel for what\u2019s happening. If I\u2019ve tracked the entire project, the mixes are already 75 percent of the way there before final mixing starts. I\u2019ve already done rough mixes and I\u2019ve started figuring out which effects and plug-ins to use. We\u2019ll have already been discussing the song and adding overdubs, and that \u201cbig picture\u201d is already there. It\u2019s just a matter of finessing the mix, putting some details in at the end, and maybe adding some effects.<\/p>\n
How do you know when to stop?
\n<\/b>I generally do a song a day, and I stop when it feels done and ready to put on the radio. I\u2019ll send a mix off to the artist, and they may want to live with it for a few days before making comments. Then we\u2019ll usually come back and tweak things a bit. It\u2019s usually a few minor things: \u201cI wish I\u2019d mixed the guitar in the bridge a little hotter\u201d or \u201cThat harmony vocal is a little bit too loud in the outro,\u201d or something like that. I might do two or three rounds of small tweaks like that.<\/p>\n
Pitfalls to avoid?
\n<\/b>It\u2019s really important to make sure you don\u2019t rush things. There\u2019s nothing wrong with taking a break and coming back to a song the next day. You can get ear fatigue or just lose perspective from working too long. You may chase your tail for two hours on something that, if you just give it a break and come back to it the next day, you\u2019ll figure it out in five minutes. Also, make sure you listen at different volume levels. Many try to make their mixes too loud using compression. It\u2019s easy to do, and sometimes people will try to make something loud enough to compete with a finished CD. I might make a reference mix that\u2019s louder but tell the client, \u201cHey, I mixed this louder, but when we send it off to be mastered, I\u2019m going to back off the compression.\u201d This gives the mastering engineer a better opportunity to make it great, if the mix isn\u2019t squashed to death before it gets to that stage.<\/p>\n
Is the listening environment important?
\n<\/b>Referencing your mix in a familiar environment is important. If you have a boombox you listen to all the time, it\u2019s good to listen to a mix on that. Even though it\u2019s not the best reference system, it is something you\u2019re familiar with. I also think it\u2019s a good idea to listen to mixes on computer speakers, because these days many listen to music that way.<\/p>\n
How has technology impacted mixing?
\n<\/b>It\u2019s changed things completely. It offers you the ability to go from one project to another without spending any time at all recalling settings. I still incorporate plenty of analog outboard gear into my mixes, but the time spent dealing with settings between songs or projects is minimal. Fifteen years ago, I couldn\u2019t change any settings before I got the OK on the mix from the band or the producer. Now I can send a mix off to the band and dive into a different song or even a different project without worrying about settings.<\/p>\n
Gear you\u2019d recommend?
\n<\/b>In the studio, I like to use a Euphonix control surface with the computer. It\u2019s become a great option for somebody who is using Pro Tools or Nuendo or other recording software. It has a really good layout\u2014the faders and the scroll wheel feel amazing. Also, PreSonus makes affordable gear that feels like it should cost a lot more than it does. For live work, the Yamaha TF Series digital mixers are amazing. They have an \u201cintelligent\u201d EQ that lets you tell the console what type of mic you\u2019re using and what you\u2019re using it for\u2014say, vocals\u2014then it lets you shape the EQ the way a high-end professional would. It doesn\u2019t sound like it would work, but it does. It really lets you get extremely high-quality sounds in a matter of a few seconds.<\/p>\n
How does your approach extend to live mixing?
\n<\/b>In many ways, it\u2019s a completely different thing, because in the studio, you\u2019re in a completely controlled environment. Live, you have no ability to control the space you\u2019re in. But the end result you\u2019re trying to attain in both situations is the same\u2014creating a fantastic mix that\u2019s going to connect emotionally with listeners. To me, the excitement of a live show is unequaled.<\/p>\n
\u2014Mark Hutchins<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In The Mix Studio wiz Russ Long reveals his secrets\u00a0to maximize your mix All the instruments and vocals have been recorded, and now it\u2019s time to turn those tracks into a finished record: You\u2019re ready for the mixing process. But you know the mix can make or break even the best recordings. How do you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[7696,7707,7721,2591],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15197"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15197"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15200,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15197\/revisions\/15200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}