Mix a Recording
A recorded song can vary in quality depending upon who mixed it and how well they did the mixing. The mix is usually done by someone called a recording engineer. Many producers and recording engineers have a signature way they mix a recording. You too can learn mix a recording that reflects your style and that allows the quality of your song to shine through.
Instructions
1. Who mixes a recording? Usually, producers and recording engineers mix recordings for recording artists in the studio. A DJ might custom mix the songs he uses for his jobs. You might want to re-mix songs before you put them on a disc. Producers and recording engineers usually use a combination of mixing consoles and computers for the job. DJs and individuals will most often use a computer and digital audio software to mix a recording. Either way, the techniques and tools are the same. You need to determine which resource you will use. Unless you have access to a recording studio or can afford to buy studio time, you'll be using a computer and audio software.
2. Listen to the recording first and ask yourself these questions: Is it too muddy? Can you hear the vocals, and is the bass too loud? These are just some of the elements you'll want to listen for. You want a good balance of highs and lows. You achieve this by bringing the bass and treble up or down in the mix as needed to achieve the sound you're after.
3. Use the equalizer. The overall track equalization affects the clarity of the song. A "muddy" song is a song so thick and blended that you not only can't distinguish the highs and lows, but there is no definition to the track. Audio music software allows you to break a song into tracks, which you can adjust with a slider bar to clean up.
4. Monitor decibel levels. You don't want decibel levels on the final mix to be too high. The actual settings will vary depending on the song you're mixing and what you hear on playback, but recording at a high decibel level will overdrive your mix and the song's clarity will be diminished on playback.
5. Do the final mix down. This is when you combine all the level and tone adjustments into the final recording of the song. Do a final playback to ensure you have the sound you're after, that the song plays at a reasonable volume level, and there is no mud or overdrive. It's best to play the song at several volume levels to see how well it holds up.
