Mixing / Production

Disappointed with the commercial mix of his band’s track, Barnabas Koch sought the help of our tame engineer...

How much preparation is required before a recording session, and when should it all begin? We asked some top producers to share their wisdom.

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?

This month: Starley • Flume • Gnash • La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) • Classic Mix: Domenico Modugno ‘Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)’

This month: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) • Ed Sheeran • Sean Paul featuring Dua Lipa • Jax Jones featuring Raye • Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul & Anne-Marie • Classic Mix: Mungo Jerry ‘In The Summertime’ (1970)

Creating alien worlds, bringing droids to life and giving Star Wars more realism. We talk sound design and foley with the team behind the critically-acclaimed Rogue One.

Achieving a naturalistic sound on a Hollywood film set isn’t easy — but was central to director Damien Chazelle’s vision for La La Land.

Thoughtfully prepared DAW templates can leave you with more time for the creative and musical side of mixing.

Not many dance acts start life as string quartets — but Clean Bandit’s fusion of classical and electronic music has powered them to worldwide success.

Recorded, mixed and co-produced by Greg Fidelman, Metallica’s Hardwired... To Self-Destruct has proved an unexpected career high point.

Having set out to capture a live-band feel when tracking, our engineer is tasked with steering the mix in a more polished pop direction.

We examine the production of some recent hits to help you brush up on your listening skills: Neiked featuring Dyo • Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane • Michael Ball & Alfie Boe • The Rolling Stones • Robbie Williams • Classic Mix: George Michael ‘Careless Whisper’ (1984 Single Version).

Watch engineer/producer extraordinaire Eric Valentine as he crafts a shimmering surf guitar sound, in the vein of Smash Mouth or Third Eye Blind, that employs three amps and judicial use of modulation effects.

We sat down with songwriter/producer Jake Gosling ahead of his masterclass at ACM in Guildford, UK, to talk about creating better arrangements, getting the best out of performers, and the advantages of having a simple recording setup. 

When it comes to mixing drums, few things have studio newcomers tearing their hair out more often than compression. We clarify matters by identifying a series of distinct drum-mixing tasks for which engineers commonly use compressors.

The team behind a three-day event on Hastings Pier had to battle weight restrictions, noise limits and the elements to make it happen!

Beyoncé’s right-hand man DJ Swivel has reinvented himself as a mix engineer — and his work with the Chainsmokers produced 2016’s biggest track.

I’ve been reading about iZotope’s Neutron, and how it is described as automating the process of attenuating some frequencies of audio track B, so that the simultaneously played audio track A, which has signal in the same frequency range, sounds more prominent...

Live opera can be a life-changing experience — and London’s premier opera house is using immersive sound to explore new ways of sharing it.

We explore some more advanced techniques and less-obvious applications for Synchro Arts’ powerful audio-alignment processor.