FLOW OF LIFE

It always seems to be an unsettled time of year around now. Everyone is reflecting on the year that has nearly passed and wondering how it went so quickly, then they are anticipating what is to come in the following year and how it can be an improved one for all.

For me personally, it always seems to be a time of many births, many deaths and many relationship breakdowns, a real rollercoaster of emotions.

Sometimes it is good to take a step back and ponder the cycle of nature, that every ending is just another beginning, a continuous flow of change within a lifespan that inevitably ends and signals the start of something new.

For me, a good album has its own lifespan too. Each track tells a story and the album is carefully compiled to allow the next track to be the transition to the new beginning.

This is why I think it is important to try and get a body of work done around the same time when working on an album; also you’re approach to mixing an album should differ to that of when you are just mixing a single.

Before you sit down in your slightly deflated black leather engineering chair to embark on your latest mixing venture, it is good to make some notes about the overall “feel” and “direction” that you require in the mix. Continuity is important in an album, although a musically eclectic album is nice, it should sound like the same artist in the same studio.

First of all, I would start by mixing what you feel or have been told is the leading track, the first single for the project. Not only will this get you in the ‘vibe’ of the project with a good strong single, but you can also use it as a benchmark for the sound of the album. If it proves to be a popular song or release, listeners will not then be disappointed or unpleasantly surprised with the rest of the tracks when listening to the album.

Your lead track should be your sonic template for the album so if it has a sense of ‘space’ and ‘air’ to it, this should be what you strive for with the other tracks too.

Adding a gentle boost in the highs and high mids of your key instruments will help with this ‘air’. Take for instance your main guitar hook and try doing some sweeps around the top frequencies using a peak filter to find the airy sweet spots, this is something you can then easily recreate in other tracks to get the same feel.

Another thing you should do is create some of your own presets on your plug ins and make notes of favourite settings on your outboard too. If you are mixing a band that uses the same bass sound in every song, or has the same vocalist, try loading your preset EQ and Compressor settings from the first song onto every other track. Although they may not work on each track, there is a good chance you will only need to make small adjustments to get the right sound and some continuity.

The same should be done with reverbs too. Play around with your outboard or your plug ins and find a reverb that suits the lead vocalist of the album. You can then use this as your base reverb for every track. Try choosing a reverb trail that is not too long or too defused, maybe a plate style reverb or small hall that sounds quite warm. This will then be your starting point for your vocal. If any tracks need a longer trail or a different style of effect, you can then layer this on top of your base reverb so that you still have the same base sound to your vocal.

Something I like to do and that can be quite fun, is too have a theme sound for the album. This may be a particular sample, a synth sound or a bass drum that you use throughout the album. This is something which producers like Timberland tend to do and was seen on his last “Shock Value” album.

You should not over use it and in some tracks it may be that it is hardly noticeable. What it creates though is a comfort to the listener by giving a regular and familiar sound that even if they are not conscious of it, the ear will pick it up and become accustomed and receptive to what it is hearing. For you as a mixer / producer it also helps give you a brand identity that others can recognize you for.

When mixing an album, also don’t be scared to do some editing. If you think that track 4 really does not need the epic 2-minute guitar solo, cut it down to the best 16 bars if that sounds better and fits the track more suitably. Also understand the significance of the first and last 10 seconds of each track. The first 10 seconds need to excite and interest the listener enough to keep listening and the last 10 seconds need to leave the listener wanting more and ready for the next track. If you are just being asked to mix the project and were not involved in the production or the actual song writing, then try to at least make the first and last 10 seconds sonically interesting if you cannot make any actual changes to the structure or instrumentation.

As you approach the end of your album mix, do enlist a professional mastering engineer to finish the job. Do not spend all that time making a near perfect mix, for it to then be poorly mastered. Although the mastering engineer will work their magic in ensuring the album flows and is properly balanced; it is a good idea to treat each track with the same final brush of sonic gold to give it a unified and tidy finish. This can be done either with a little mix bus compression over the master stereo tracks, or by summing each track through an analogue board or summing mixer.

Make sure you always try and enjoy the life of the album, and although there are bound to be stressful times in the mix, look back on the happy memories and be proud of what you’ve achieved. As this project ends, so with it sees the start of your next venture on the horizon, and so it continues…