Mixing / Production

Mixing can be a mentally taxing pursuit, but these simple strategies will help you maintain your focus and get the best results.

I double-tracked lead vocals by combining two different vocal takes from the same singer, each recorded on a different mic (a Shure SM7b and an Audio-Technica AT4033a)...

Do you advise panning stereo guitar solos close to the centre to enhance definition, or would you ever pan them wider apart?

What's the difference between using bell boosts and using a good old-fashioned high-shelving EQ?

I read that 1dB is the minimum difference in volume that can be noticed, but I often end up doing much smaller changes in mixes. Am I fooling myself?

For years I've noticed crossfades between two audio files don't behave predictably. I always thought the logarithmic shape was fool-proof, but is it programme-dependent?

I've been struggling with recording and mixing 'epic' guitar sounds. I'm after something that balances aggression with tone, but which doesn't sound too distorted... Any tips?

Could you please explain what the Waves V‑Comp auto-release setting actually does? What is it trying to accomplish?

I'm looking through my reverb plug-in's preset list, and I'm wondering: what do all those cryptic preset names mean?

I'm not really sure when it's best to use mono reverb effects — and how to pan the reverb when doing so — and when to use stereo reverb?

I read your feature on gain staging a few years ago, but I’ve been following some blogs that say it isn’t at all necessary if you’re just working in software. Who’s right?

I recently watched a YouTube video in which it was recommended that you match the input and output level of every plug-in in a mix session...

I enjoyed Mark Mynett’s recent Making Modern Metal series in SOS, but didn’t understand why he suggested that when EQ’ing...

There must always be a certain amount of masking going on in any mix, but I just don’t know how much there should be. Can you offer any tips?

Is there anything wrong with riding the vocal levels in my mix using clip gain settings rather than fader automation?

How can I find the frequencies that are making my vocal sound harsh?

I have a slight level mismatch that I don’t know how best to resolve. I want to patch the Dangerous Music Compressor through the inserts on two of an Allen & Heath GL2400 mixer’s input channels. The problem is that the send signal from the mixer is a tad weak for hitting the compressor where it works best...

Why is it that I hear about so many producers spending hours riding lead vocal levels. Surely that’s what a compressor’s supposed to do?

I need to do some recording of spoken word, using a cheap and cheerful lavalier mic, but it’s noisy — there’s a steady ‘hiss’. Is there some plug-in that can reduce said noise, perhaps by taking a sample of it and then adding it out of phase?

Why is it that reverb is so much more audible on good headphones than good speakers? Is it to do with the ambient noise or reflections in the room?

I think I understand what crosstalk is, but I don‘t know how it sounds. I can’t find a proper explanation of how mixes sound with and without it. Also, is crosstalk in plug-ins something to look out for, or is it a myth?