The Quickie Guide to Mixing, Part 9

In a previous Mixing Tech Tip, we established levels and balances. Technically, you could say that we’re done. Of course, that implies that we’re completely happy with the results. Let’s say that we’re 80 – 90% happy; now, we want to add the secret sauce that makes a mix sound magical. In the past, we had a few ingredients to work with: EQ, reverb, delay, and compression. Today, these still form the basis of our secret sauce, but thanks to plug-ins we have many more options. Let’s start with the basics and work our way into more advanced techniques. Following our list, let’s begin with EQ, but remember, while we deal with these components of sound individually, their effects are interrelated. The basic rule to observe when it comes to applying EQ is this: If you have two instruments playing in the same range and you boost a specific frequency range on one, make sure you cut the same frequency range on the other. Remember that boosting frequencies adds level to the overall mix, thus reducing headroom. If you do find yourself boosting, particularly in the bass or low mids, you’ll start running out of headroom real quick. Most, if not all EQ plug-ins come with an output gain control. Reduce the gain slightly to compensate for the rise in volume. Conversely, if you cut a frequency, which is always preferable in EQ problem-solving, add a little gain to compensate for the resultant loss of volume. The creative decisions for when and how much to boost or cut EQ will be the subject of our next few Tech Tips.