My top 3 takeaways from 2021
If I can cut to the point, 2021 was an interesting year to say the least. As I journeyed through life as a father of 4, and a “not so normal” day job, mixing and mastering always helped me decompress. I wasn’t keeping track of how many songs I mixed and only counted them for the purpose of writing this blog entry. I was pleasantly surprised. I worked on over 100 songs last year! With much of that time spent mixing, I can definitely say I walked away with a better understanding of what improved my workflow and quality in 2021. So here are my top 3!
Less is More
This one was a hard one to learn. For the longest time, I always had an iMac from 2011 with an older version of ProTools and minimum processing capabilities. I fell into the trap of thinking I needed the most up to date plugins and computer in order to make my mixes sound better. The truth was, it wasn’t about my computer or software. It was about understanding what I was hearing and how I needed to make it better. Now, even though I have an Apollo Twin with UAD powered plugins and a hundred other dope state of the art plugins, I’m only reaching for the most simple and basic ones that I know I can rely on. Most of the time, all I’m grabbing is the fader and turning things up or down if I like what I am hearing.
Fader First
Instead of using an EQ to make something stand out, just reach for the fader. Turn the fader up and then use EQ to remove or “carve out” what came up that you didn’t want turned up. Simply put, reach for the fader first before trying a plugin this technique goes hand and hand with saturation.
Saturate Intentionally
Who knew that distortion and saturation would get you a “catchy sound”. That’s how I describe saturation. If the sound you’re working with is missing some “life”, add a little bit of saturation to make it pop or stand out. This allows its harmonic presence to be heard. Experimenting with different types of saturation tools is going to be part of understanding how to use it.
In conclusion, these three takeaways have ultimately helped me zone in on a sound that not only gets me the quality that I hear from the music I enjoy, but also, all of my clients have been happy with their mixes!
I’m looking forward to keeping you updated and informed as you follow my journey through audio engineering and what’s to come for Witness the Light Music in 2022. HB