Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[typek]

I was talkin' with my girlfriend the other night.. She's a student, studying illustration... She was frustrated at a piece that she's been working on-- and she says:

"I can clearly see the result I want in my head, but it is impossible for me to get that, exactly how I see it in my minds eye, onto the paper"

I then argued that it's not impossible, people do it all the time with music, specifically mixing. Therefore, it should be the same with art, right?.. If a practiced mixing engineer can listen to a song (pre-mix) and "hear" the way that he wants it to sound when it's finished, and then achieve that sound-- shouldn't an artist be able to do that with their minds eye?

I thought about this for a couple days, especially because I have been focusing on my mixing.
So when you guys go to start a mix, do you start with a very specific outcome in mind? if so, how often do you have to abandon ship and stray from your original plan?....  or do you just "go with the flow", and let your creative instincts take the reins? i assume its a balance between the two, and a lot of times the quality of the tracks, and the way it was tracked also plays a part in that balance.. right?? what do you guys think?

and also to add to this already long post.. what kind of characteristics or similarities do you see in other art forms, or aspects of life, that you can compare/relate with mixing/tracking music? deep shit, i know..

[j.hall]

art is no different then any other occupation.  experience, talent, education all play a large role in your ability to see a project through to completion.

when i mix, the record vibe of the song and the tracks generally runs the show.

i can compress, EQ, add FX all i want, but at the end of the day, the way the tracks already sound will remain generally the same.  

i do have a vision for what i want a mix to accomplish, but thats a combination of what the tracks and song already are, and what i see them ultimately doing.

[typek]

j...

how often do you use a reference while you are mixing? in front of the client? i guess it depends on the client.. i could see a snobbier type musician getting offended possibly..

[j.hall]

i've never offended a single client of mine by any of my work habits.  i'm sure i've offended a few with the things that come out of my mouth.  most people were born with a filter between their brain and their mouth..........i was not.

i will reference for top to bottom balances (spectrum)

[maxim]

art must have intent and content

that's all

the rest is up to you...

[JCMastering]

typek I agree with your post. This happens in every aspect of life as it has to do with how we humans relate to the world. The way I see it , every profession is just a different way of relating and understanding life. Technique , knowledge , and experience is what lets us connect and convert our internal thoughts to outer concrete results.

[T. Mueller]

j.hall wrote on Sat, 30 August 2008 17:21

i can compress, EQ, add FX all i want, but at the end of the day, the way the tracks already sound will remain generally the same.

I know what you're saying here, J., but you're really selling yourself short. The tracks I've heard from you ALWAYS sound better after you've touched them.

[j.hall]

better is relative though.

i've never quite put a solid percentage to it, but i've always felt that i can only make any one single track sound 5 - 10% better then it does before it just starts sounding processed.

so, add all that up across 24 tracks and i guess you have something.  IMO, the vibe of the tracks will remain generally the same.

[Greg Thompson]

I find the greatest compliment as a mixer is when the artist says to me "that is exactly how I wanted it to sound in my head".  I think I've achieved that..  twice?


Having worked with some engineers who have worked for Mutt Lange, I can say "secondhanded" that he is one person who starts from the beginning with a clear vision of what the final result should sound like, and all work on the song is a means to achieve the end.  I've been told he has a great ability to maintain focus on the big picture while working on the smallest details, even after everyone else in the room has lost focus.

I think it's rare that anybody else will have enough power as an engineer/producer to achieve that kind of control that they can achieve in the mix exactly what they hear in their head.

Since most of the sound of the band comes from the players.  If they aren't playing like what you hear in your head... well you've either got to get them to play the instruments you want the way you want it, or change what you want.

I think that this viewpoint of achieving in the mix what you hear in your head goes against the "Albini approach" of staying out of the way and not imparting your own imprint on the band which is popular these days.

[Greg Thompson]

deleted for double post

[j.hall]

Greg Thompson wrote on Sun, 14 September 2008 16:40

I think that this viewpoint of achieving in the mix what you hear in your head goes against the "Albini approach" of staying out of the way and not imparting your own imprint on the band which is popular these days.

certainly not with my clients.

[Greg Thompson]

Meaning your clients call on you because you have "a sound" you impart on projects?

[Fibes]

I'm happy to not have a sound.


Especially since I've done about 5 jazz records, 3 folk, 6 rock, 2 country, 2 bluegrass, 4 world, 2 metal, 1 persian, 2 blues, 1 gospel, myriad altrock, two spoken word etc. records this year alone.

I like the challenge of living up to each project on its own terms.

If I gave the same bass drum sound on any of them (especially the spoken word rekkerds) I'd be cheating everyone.

Besides a bigger bag of tricks is much more fun later in life when one decides to become dogmatic.

Heh.

[j.hall]

Greg Thompson wrote on Tue, 16 September 2008 17:24

Meaning your clients call on you because you have "a sound" you impart on projects?

i think so.

fibes, i think it's naive to assume you don't have a sonic thumbprint.  sure you can work cross genre, which is tough to do no question.  but i'm sure your work has some similarities in it's overall balance and sonic vibe.

[Fibes]

j.hall wrote on Wed, 17 September 2008 11:08

Greg Thompson wrote on Tue, 16 September 2008 17:24 Meaning your clients call on you because you have "a sound" you impart on projects? i think so. fibes, i think it's naive to assume you don't have a sonic thumbprint.  sure you can work cross genre, which is tough to do no question.  but i'm sure your work has some similarities in it's overall balance and sonic vibe.

Of course, although my thumbprint isn't as small as others.