Better Mixes

A static mix is where you create a mix that requires no automation. This means
you have to set the volume and pan of each track at a set point for the whole mix.
All of my mixes had to be done with no use of automation so each one was a static
mix. To create a good static mix, I need to find the levels of each track that make it
the right volume. If there is a bit of my track that is too quite, but the rest is
louder, I cant use automation to increase or decrease the level. So the volume of
each channel has to best represent the whole thing. This was and issue in the
Group recording was that some of the instruments where played at differently
volumes and it then became difficult to make it sound good.

Having more Signal that noise in a mix is important. Noise is anything that you
dont want to be picked up by the microphones Footsteps, feedback and general
background noise. If you have less noise and more signal your mix will be clearer
and better. In my own mixes I didnt have much of a problem with this as I used a
lot of midi and audio loops that had already been treated.
However in our group recording we had lots of issues with this. By using EQ we
could cut out some of the frequencies that we didnt want. Especially in the vocals,
a lot of low frequencies from the drums were picked up so by cutting them we
resolved most of that issue.

Digital sound is measured by how far it is bellow 0 DBFS. If the level of the sound
is above 0 DPFS the sound will clip and distort.
During all of my mixes, I set all of the faders on each track to max at -12 so that
the master fader would not clip. This gave me enough headroom to use play
around with my track and not have the issue of clipping. I always aimed to have
the master fader set to 0 and the levels only getting to about -5.

The range between the quietest and loudest point of the track is the dynamic
range. In most pop tracks, the dynamic range is quite small, this means it can be
played over radio and if you are listening you dont have to keep adjusting the
volume to keep it loud or quite.

Headroom is the difference between the peak level and 0 DBFS. Its good to have
headroom because it gives you room to add other tracks and use effects. If you
dont have headroom, your tracks are in danger of clipping. I made sure I had a
good amount of headroom on each one of my tracks. I made sure it was loud but
not so loud that it would clip.

Fully parametric EQ has 3 variables Frequency, bandwidth and cut. I used EQ a
lot in the group recording to cut out specific frequencies. For example, to cut out
the background noise of a lot of the microphones I cut out the low frequencies. EQ
can cut out, decrease and/or increase the levels of frequencies. Meaning I can cut
unwanted frequencies. However if Im increasing the levels on one channel, I need
to decrease the level on another. Otherwise Im increasing the volume on the
whole track.

Digital Distortion is when the track is too loud and the goes above 0 DBFS,
resulting in the track clipping. This is usually a bad thing and the sound is cutting
out and youre loosing signal. Analogue distortion is used as an effect, possibly on
heavy metal guitars. I aimed to have no distortion as I didnt want to loose signal, I
did this by giving myself more headroom on each one of tracks.