Mixing

Getting the most out of recordings.

Some projects are finished and just need that professional last touch. Nothing is more satisfying than hearing your music achieve a higher level. In modern day music production people are working with higher and higher track counts, which makes mixing even more important. Getting the right sound and balance for a track can make it shine. I always look for the essence of the song and build my mix around that. While mixing I try to optimize and enhance what’s already there to make the song come across. To me mixing is all about these three things:

Balance

A huge part of mixing is about balance. Which part or layer is featured in which part of the song? By dynamically adjusting the balance of a song I keep the song interesting and get the right vibe at the right time. Getting the right balance does not only involve the volume of tracks, but also their stereo placement. Balance is key to making the song come across.

Space

Space is all about letting the tracks breathe. This involves preventing tracks from fighting for the same space in the frequency spectrum and stereo placement, but also involves giving the mix depth by using time-based effects such as reverb and delays. By dynamically adjusting the space in a song I keep it interesting and give it the right atmosphere at the right time.

Creativity

Just getting the song heard isn’t always the right thing to do (although I can do that if wanted/needed). Sometimes creative approaches to mixing are needed. This ranges from spot effects to grab the attention of the listener to creating special sounds to delay throws.

 

If this sounds interesting, take a look at the portfolio section to check out some of the production work I’ve done and get in touch with me!

 

Most mixers take the given audio and try to optimize it. Carsten doesn’t just do that, he also gets creative. – Daan van Haren, composer/songwriter