Philosophies

-So you’ve tracked your hit single… now what?

It’s amazing how often I run into this question… but it’s a very valid question. In fact, I spend a good part of my day answering this question for clients and helping people move forward with their art.

Before we begin, let me be the first to say congratulations on completing your tracking phase! And now that you have your tracks, the next obvious should be mixing. That means that it’s time to select a mixing engineer. I’m a firm believer that there are three people that should be involved in a good recording. Please let me explain:

1. The tracking engineerartist- In many professional environments, these roles are played by two people. But more and more, with the progression of technology, these people are one in the same. The engineerartist is responsible for bringing forth the initial vision of the piece. They make critical choices that will effect the recording all the way through the chain. Moving a mic and inch or two one way or the other makes all the difference and good track beds make great recordings. “Fix it in the mix” is just not acceptable and is a band-aid for reality. It is my opinion I’m here to enhance your tracks… technology is amazing, but is no substitute for talent and passion. In short, your mix depends on this step the most.

2. The mixing engineer- This person’s position position is to enhance and flush out the track bed. Imagine the artist on a stage. In this imaginary arena, the mixing engineer would be the person controlling the spotlight. They would design the lights for the show and run the mix at the board. And past all of these duties, they still have to be diplomatic enough to know when to come back and say “this is how we can make it better”. The mixing engineer lives in a world between you and the crowd. They are responsible for your audible representation to the world. Choose them wisely. And often, it is wise to look for people who have a good relationship with other parts in the chain, taking an active interest in both side of the process that effect the representation of their work.

3. The mastering engineer- Traditionally, the mastering engineer’s job was to craft a recording so that it will sound fantastic while keeping the needle in the groove of the record (yes, the little vinyl disks we all threw away and then went running back to when we realized how natural they sounded). But over time, the mastering engineer’s position began to change. The mastering engineer now acts as the final polish to the mix. They apply compression and eq to make the track “radio-ready”, often increasing the overall loudness while decreasing dynamic range. I argue that the sign of a good mastering engineer is one that is barely noticed at all, but made all the difference.

Keeping the three people different, yet interlinked can improve a project greatly. Everyone hears a song differently, and this system works as a system of checks and balances to find new, interesting views on your piece while retaining the ideas behind it. So… why do I tell you all of this? Because I want to earn your business and help your tracks progress. And education is more powerful than any plugin or racked piece of gear.

What you need now is to select an engineer who is on your team. This person should be able to connect the dots between all the levels and through all the phases. I’d like to be that person for you. I have the network of engineers and the skill set needed to see your project through.