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Portion Control
04/17/2009

Sad to say, but not every part in a mix can sound huge. Every musician and singer wants their part to be massive, but if the drums are massive, the bass is massive, the rhythm guitars are massive, the keyboards are massive, and the acoustic guitar is massive, there's just no room left for the vocals or other parts to be heard!

A mix will be much more effective if it's carefully assembled, so each part has its place and contributes to the whole. This may mean cutting some highs on the bass and cutting some lows on the rhythm guitar so the two stack well together and can both be clearly heard. Often, carving some midrange out of the rhythm guitars and keyboards will let the vocals and solos sit better.

Various mixers use different approaches to create their mixes, and to allowing room for each track to have its own place. Some build up from the kick drum, others start with the vocals or most important instrument and build everything else around that track. Whatever your approach, listen carefully and do what you can to shape the various tracks so they interlock seamlessly and are all audible, while not stepping on the other tracks.

 

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