Mixing with Impact : Learning to Make Musical Choices

365 Pages·2018·4.38 MB·English

by  Oltheten

Mixing with Impact
In Mixing with Impact: Learning to Make Musical Choices, Wessel
Oltheten discusses the creative and technical concepts behind making a
mix. Whether you’re a dance producer in your home studio, a live mixer
in a club, or an engineer in a big studio, the mindset is largely the same.
The same goes for the questions you run into: where do you start?
How do you deal with a context in which all the different parts affect
each other? How do you avoid getting lost in technique? How do you
direct your audience’s attention? Why doesn’t your mix sound as good
as someone else’s? How do you maintain your objectivity when you hear
the same song a hundred times? How do your speakers affect your
perception? What’s the difference between one compressor and another?
Following a clear structure, this book covers these and many other
ques tions, bringing you closer and closer to answering the most important
question of all: how do you tell a story with sound?
Wessel Oltheten has been recording and mixing music since his teens,
which has led to a successful studio business with a very diverse clien-
tele. To hear some of his work you can visit www.wesseloltheten.nl.
For extra articles and a video course accompanying this book, visit
www.mixingwithimpact.com.

Mixing with Impact
Learning to Make Musical
Choices
Wessel Oltheten
Translated by Gijs van Osch
First edition published 2018
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 Wessel Oltheten
The right of Wessel Oltheten to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78
of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying
and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification
and explanation without intent to infringe.
Previously published in Dutch by Edusonic 2016
This edition published by Routledge 2018
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Oltheten, Wessel, author. | Osch, Gijs van, translator.
Title: Mixing with impact: learning to make musical choices /
written by Wessel Oltheten ; translated by Gijs van Osch.
Other titles: Mixen met impact. English
Description: First edition. | New York, NY : Routledge, 2019. |
“Previously published in Dutch by Edusonic, 2016.” |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017051305| ISBN 9781138080881 (hardback: alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781138080898 (pbk: alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315113173 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Sound recordings—Production and direction. |
Popular music—Production and direction.
Classification: LCC ML3790.O49 2019 | DDC 781.3/4–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017051305
ISBN: 978-1-138-08088-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-08089-8 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-11317-3(ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK
This book is also available in Dutch through Edusonic.
For more information, visit www.edusonic.nl
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Preface xi
Travel Guide for This Book xii
1 The World of Mixing: About the Profession of This Book 1
1.1 Who Is the Mixer? 1
1.2 Why Is Mixing Necessary? 2
1.3 What Is the Challenge? 2
1.4 On Rules 4
2 Listening: Everything Is Relative 5
2.1 Perception 5
2.2 Your Ear Is a Compressor 6
2.3 Your Ear Is an Equalizer 10
2.4 Tuning In 13
2.5 A Fixed Reference 13
2.6 Taking Professional Care of Your Ears 16
3 Laying the Foundation: Creating a Starting Position 17
3.1 Before You Start 17
3.2 Foundation 22
3.3 Balance 25
3.4 Panning 30
3.5 Mute Is Your Friend 36
4 The Frequency Spectrum: No Light without Darkness 37
4.1 Association Is Key 37
4.2 Masking 39
4.3 The Goal of EQ 40
4.4 EQ Compass 46
vi Contents
5 Dynamics: Without Soft There Is No Loud 54
5.1 Dynamics versus Time 54
5.2 Technical and Musical Dynamics 58
5.3 Using Compressors 59
5.4 Reducing Masking with Compression 65
5.5 Dynamics and Loudness 72
6 Space: There’s More Room Than You Think 76
6.1 Hearing Space and Distance 76
6.2 Simulating Space and Distance 80
6.3 How Reverb Works 82
6.4 Using Reverb 91
6.5 How Delay Works 97
6.6 Using Delay 100
7 Time and Phase: It’s All About the Sum of the Parts 104
7.1 Interaction 104
7.2 Combining Microphones Hierarchically 112
7.3 Combining Microphones Non-hierarchically 118
7.4 Phase Manipulation 121
8 Identity: A Unique Sound 124
8.1 Innovation, Imitation and Inspiration 124
8.2 Shaping Identity 127
9 Effects: Craziness with a Purpose 131
9.1 Distortion: Simulating Intensity 131
9.1.1 How it Works 131
9.1.2 Distortion in a Mix 136
9.2 Re-amping: Providing Context 141
9.2.1 How it Works 141
9.2.2 Re-amping in a Mix 146
9.3 Modulation: Putting Things in Motion 148
9.3.1 How it Works 149
9.3.2 Modulation in a Mix 154
9.4 Pitch Manipulation: Creating What Wasn’t There 155
9.4.1 How it Works 155
9.4.2 Pitch Shifting in a Mix 160
Contents vii
9.5 Triggering: Cause and Effect 163
9.5.1 How it Works 163
9.5.2 Triggering in a Mix 165
9.6 Spectral Editing: Unreal Reality 168
9.6.1 How it Works 168
9.6.2 Spectral Processing in a Mix 170
10 Automation: Performing the Mix 175
10.1 Faders for Each Function 175
10.2 Parallel Constructions 176
10.3 Change and Conquer 181
10.4 Expressivity 183
11 Advanced Techniques: Exploring the Boundaries 187
11.1 The Floor: Keeping Low Frequencies in Check 187
11.2 The Ceiling: Creating Clear Mixes 193
11.3 Securing the House: Dynamic Interventions 200
11.4 The Exterior Walls: Stereo Processing 206
11.5 Beyond the Exterior Walls: 3D Panning 213
12 Bus Compression: The Sum of the Parts 221
12.1 Influence 221
12.2 Choices and Settings 225
12.3 Multibus Setups: Painting on a Colored Canvas 229
13 Templates: Working Faster Means a Better Mix 231
13.1 Time Is Money 231
13.2 Building Templates 233
13.3 Integrating Equipment in the 21st Century 237
14 Preparing for Mastering: A Good Relationship 244
14.1 Communication 244
14.2 What Is a Good Mix? 247
14.3 Mix Bus Processing 248
14.4 Stems 252
14.5 Consequences of Loudness Normalization 253
15 Mindset: A Competition Against Yourself 260
15.1 Doubt Is Fatal for a Mix 260
15.2 Imposed Limitations: Working in a Context 266
viii Contents
15.3 A Guide for Your Mix 269
15.4 Ways to Stay Fresh 274
16 The Outside World: Sound Engineering Means
Working for Others 279
16.1 Speaking the Same Language 279
16.2 Reference Tracks 283
16.3 Feedback on the Source Material 287
16.4 Feedback on the Mix: Revisions 288
16.5 Working at a Distance 290
16.6 Conclusion 291
17 Tools: Preconditions for Mixing Reliably 293
17.1 Basic Acoustics 293
17.1.1 Space 293
17.1.2 Optimization 296
17.2 Monitoring 308
17.3 Subwoofers 313
17.3.1 Why Use a Subwoofer? 313
17.3.2 Choosing a Subwoofer 314
17.3.3 Placement and Tuning 316
17.4 Headphones 323
17.5 Equalizers and Their Side Effects 328
17.6 Compressors and Their Side Effects 334
Recommended Literature 348
Index 349
Acknowledgments
A book doesn’t come into being overnight. The following people and
organizations have played an indispensable role in the creation of the
stack of paper you’re holding right now. Some of them have even shaped
me, both personally and professionally. First of all there is Eelco Grimm,
who provided me with knowledge and inspiration, and who was the first
to offer me a chance to publish my writings. Hay Zeelen taught me to
listen, gave me notepads full of feedback on my mixes, and encouraged
me to keep improving myself. My collaboration and friendship with
Wouter Budé has given me years of artistic challenges, and all the unique
musicians I’ve been lucky enough to work with are the reason why I’m
a mixer. The motivation to keep writing was sustained by the Music and
Technology classes I taught at the University of the Arts Utrecht, which
is where many of the ideas in this book took shape. Jean-Louis Gayet was
kind enough to publish my articles (which formed the basis of this book)
in Interface, the magazine edited by Erk Willemsen at K18 Publishing.
Meanwhile, Erica Renckens taught me a lot about syntax and form. Niels
Jonker and Mike B at Edusonic Publishing motivated me to finally finish
this book so they could publish it in the Netherlands. Gijs van Osch then
took on the enormous task of translating Mixen met Impactinto Mixing
with Impact(and did a great job), so Lara Zoble could publish it at Focal
Press. And last but not least, Tünde van Hoek made me go through the
various stages of creating this book with a smile on my face.