Contrast and Context

When you’re mixing, consider the dynamics of the song. If everything is “big” all the time, nothing ends up sounding big – there’s no contrast or context. But strategically working smaller, quieter sounds and sections against huge, loud sounds and sections creates contrast that makes the small seem intimate and the big seem even bigger. Part of this is musically arranging the song well, but part of it is tracking the best sounds for each instrument in the context of the arrangement and the song.