Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | It's a nice article. For those trying to mix more acoustic stuff, rather than trying to mix the drums that may not exist first, the same "theory" applies.
In POP music as they call it, the drums are mixed first because they are the "foundation." In early blues and a lot of acoustic music, guitar or sometimes even vocals are the foundation.
So how does one pick the foundation? you might ask. I consider the single instrument that is heard the longest during the tune to be the foundation. As example, think of those early blues tunes where the Guitar starts, some drums come in, maybe brushes, then a bass, then the vocals and at the end, is only guitar again. In that case, I would consider that guitar that's played all the way through to be the foundation and mix it first. It may need some tweaking later, but the foundation, whatever it is, always a good place to start.
DO NOT confuse foundation with predominant!!! One might think something like Hendrix, there is guitar from start to finish, why isn't that the foundation? It's usually not the SAME guitar, there are lead parts, etc etc.. The drums almost always, are the instrument that plays the longest in the tune.
Like anything, there are always exceptions, your mileage may vary.
Some things I really likes in that article.
- Take breaks, 24 hours or more between sessions.
- Review previous parts.
- Listen to Instruments, solo'd for the ENTIRE tune. It's painful sometimes to listen to a subtle drum kit with a brush player for 4.5 minutes, but do it anyway. Same for Bass, guitar, everything. Mark or notate spots you think need to be edited or muted, but DO NOT STOP, listen to it in its entirety at least once. Make the edits and adjustments, then listen to the WHOLE SONG of that instrument AGAIN.
What you you listening for? Everything. I really like mixing and mastering. I try to listen to each instrument with an open mind, listening for nuance, listen for flow, sonic quality, and of course those oops's that will stick out like a sore thumb with a CAVEAT!!! Sometimes the ooop's are the best part. In drums that rim hit or stick click or cymbal touch that add "real" to the track. Sometimes crap is just crap, but you need to "listen" to everything in context. I opt for using mute or volume changes to make "errors" go away rather than edits if possible. Later, that errant cymbal hit might be at the perfect time to accent a vocal statement. Recognizing the unintentional, and unexpected usable notes really makes the process fun and is very rewarding when it happens. Being able to add bits of nuance and texture to a work is an art form unto itself. |
How To Mix A Pop Song
