Mixing / Production

Underpinning the biggest spectacle of 2012 London Olympic Games was probably the largest multitrack recording ever made. Just how do you mix a thousand-track project?

Mike Stevens has worked with some of the world’s biggest pop acts at countless high-profile live events, including the Queen’s recent Diamond Jubilee concert.

This month, our engineer remixes a Pink Floyd-inspired track, and in the process shows that there’s still a place for old-school rock production techniques!

Audio files to accompany the article.

This month: Newton Faulkner, Paloma Faith, Nicki Minaj, Coldplay and Rita Ora.

David Kosten is one of the UK’s most sonically adventurous producers, but insists that the song is king — no matter how twisted the recording.

Here's a PDF of the correct Chart we published in SOS way back in 2012, showing the fundamental frequency ranges of instruments, plus a translation of subjective audio qualities like 'sizzle', 'boxiness' and 'presence'. 

The audio files on this page accompany the SOS Drum Layering Masterclass.

Whether you’re programming electronic beats, or reinforcing rock drums, there’s more to drum layering than meets the ear.

The abandoned Soviet mining village of Pyramiden provided Efterklang with a unique recording venue — and the constant threat of being eaten by polar bears.

Steve Greenwell knew he wanted a live feel for Joss Stone’s second album of soul covers, but finding the right mix was more of a challenge.

I just got hold of an old record deck and am having problems trying to record samples off some of my Dad's old vinyl. When I ...

If high sample rates make no discernible difference when recording (which is effectively what Dan Lavry's much-quoted white...

With a little cunning and resourcefulness, you can improve the sound of nearly any studio — even when it’s on the other side of the world!

This month's tracks are from Madonna, Justin Bieber, Elbow, Maroon 5 and Flo Rida.

We’re used to hearing rock albums reworked by electronic producers — but Alanis Morissette chose to do things the other way around...

With 44 million TV viewers and a 10,000-strong live audience, the Grammys are one show that you really don’t want to screw up...

Jeff Bhasker doesn’t usually mix his own productions or work with indie-rock bands. With Fun, he did both — and created a worldwide hit.

Don’t be scared to trash something you’ve already recorded if it helps you to achieve a better end result...

Audio examples which accompany the article.

Making music used to be a solitary, nocturnal pursuit for Adam Young, aka Owl City. Now, it’s his day job — and there are co-workers involved.