MIXING GUIDELINES
MIXING
A song is a series of moments. It builds up from beginning to the end and takes us on a little journey along the way.
My job as a mixing engineer is to enhance a production and to stir a reaction in the listener. The technical aspect of the process is indeed important, but what matters most is to focus on the intention of the song and to prescribe the feeling you want the listener to walk away with.
What does a mixing engineer job imply?
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It follows the artistic intention of the song.
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A mix engineer manipulates sounds in specific ways to create a new relationship between musical elements.
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It creates contrast from having subtle intriguing moments to more impactful changes. This helps the record to feel fresh while at the same time it maintains whatever pattern in place.
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It asses the tone, dynamic, dimension, harmonics and space between musical elements in order to create a better experience for a listener.
A mixer's point of view
You can view mixing as a musical instrument. My job is to see beyond the obvious and start listening for something different, time, rhythm, voice leading, melody, aesthetic and feel.
Our job as a mixing engineers is to help these musical ideas shine and translate.
The core function of mixing isn’t really about clarity and depth. It is about groove, melody, and intention.
My job as mixing engineer if I weren’t to have a dialogue between you, the producer, and myself, would not exist. A mixer is nothing is he doesn’t know the story behind the song, if he has no input from the original artist.
So let’s start a conversation about your next project!
Together can make a good song sound amazing if we share the vision and vibe!
Prices
Just Mixing
I currently decided to offer a mixing rate of 150€ + VAT. Discounts will apply if you are submitting an album.
Before accepting the project, a short briefing with the artist or producer is needed.
Projects with more than 100+ tracks are to be subjected to new pricing, start point being 200€ + VAT.
Turnaround for a single stereo mix is 48 hours from the moment the session is created and all the submitted materials are vetted. Communication is KEY so let's leave a channel open here. I can adapt to quick turnarounds but sometimes the schedule is busy and we need to come to an agreement.
Package Deal
Mixing and mastering are two SEPARATE processes.
They are both steps in the normal process of creating a track but they each require a specific set of skills.
Sometimes clients are after a one-stop-shop solution and so I decided to also offer this service.
It is sometimes easier to have control and to expand on the artist's vision if I am able to also work on the mix project. The better the mix sounds the less I usually have to do in the mastering stage.
Current offer is stereo track Mixing + Mastering 180€ + VAT. Project turnaround is in this case 72hrs upon the submitted materials are vetted. Communication is essential so please keep a channel open.
How to send me your mix
My main DAW for mixing is ProTools and it's at the core of my audio setup. If your project was mixed in ProTools then I would benefit if you would send me the full session.
I am happy to guide you through the export process if needed. Just follow the steps below.
1.
Send only the tracks you want to be mixed.
Only leave in the session the tracks that need to be there. Strip out the non-essential tracks.
This saves space on your hard drive and it is easier to navigate through the session.
2.
Clean up your tracks.
Remove all unwanted noises that cause clicking, popping or other artifacts.
3.
Label your tracks. Name them accordingly.
All this will save time and expedite the mix turn around.
4.
I do NOT pitch and time correct your mixes.
This is an extra feature that is not included in the standard offer. If you need tuning, please mention it before submitting your project for mixing and know that this will affect your turn over time.
5.
Always bounce or print a rough mix with all the processing you have used.
If you are sending your sending me your session then include the rough mix in the session project make sure it matches with the rest of the tracks in the timeline.
It is advised that you have all of your tracks start from session start so to ensure they will line up when being imported into another session.
6.
If you don't send me the session leave the processing on the tracks when exporting them but make sure the effects, like reverb, delay and modulation, are printed separately.
I would need all the tracks in the session that make the project. Make sure that the tracks are all the same length on the timeline. Include the bounce or print of the rough mix.
It would be useful also to have the drums and vocals (lead vocal and backing vocal) DRY with no processing applied.