Mixing engineer
Encyclopedia
A mix engineer is the person responsible for incorporating all the different recorded elements of music (vocals
, instruments, effects etc.)to make the final version of a song. These mixing professionals have many years of experience and training with audio equipment
which has enabled them to master the art of audio mixing
. Technology allows engineers to enhance the quality of songs to make them appealing.
, as well as frequency
, to make it most appealing as possible. Once every instrument, voice, and sound, has been recorded, he or she fabricates what is known as the final version ("final mix" or "mixdown") of a song, hence the term 'mix engineer.A mixing engineer may be involved in music, radio, television, or motion picture industries
, as well as live events such as concerts and Broadway shows
. These engineers typically refine their skills through years of hands-on experience.
s, but must sometimes alter the actual performance of the recording artist in order to achieve a refined finished product. Musicians often rely on a mixing engineer’s extensive knowledge and expertise to help them shape the sound of each track. Mixing audio is generally regarded as type of art form that typically requires myriad
s of hours to perfect, and thus a talented engineer is usually in great demand.
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, instruments, effects etc.)to make the final version of a song. These mixing professionals have many years of experience and training with audio equipment
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
which has enabled them to master the art of audio mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
. Technology allows engineers to enhance the quality of songs to make them appealing.
Profession
Mix Engineers take the role of meshing pieces of recorded elements to achieve the optimal balance of instrumental and vocal volumeVolume
Volume is the quantity of three-dimensional space enclosed by some closed boundary, for example, the space that a substance or shape occupies or contains....
, as well as frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
, to make it most appealing as possible. Once every instrument, voice, and sound, has been recorded, he or she fabricates what is known as the final version ("final mix" or "mixdown") of a song, hence the term 'mix engineer.A mixing engineer may be involved in music, radio, television, or motion picture industries
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
, as well as live events such as concerts and Broadway shows
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. These engineers typically refine their skills through years of hands-on experience.
Demand
Mixing engineers are an integral part of the recording process, and often consult directly with the artist aid in refining and improving a musical arrangement. At certain times during a recording session, an engineer must not only adjust the recording parameterParameter
Parameter from Ancient Greek παρά also “para” meaning “beside, subsidiary” and μέτρον also “metron” meaning “measure”, can be interpreted in mathematics, logic, linguistics, environmental science and other disciplines....
s, but must sometimes alter the actual performance of the recording artist in order to achieve a refined finished product. Musicians often rely on a mixing engineer’s extensive knowledge and expertise to help them shape the sound of each track. Mixing audio is generally regarded as type of art form that typically requires myriad
Myriad
Myriad , "numberlesscountless, infinite", is a classical Greek word for the number 10,000. In modern English, the word refers to an unspecified large quantity.-History and usage:...
s of hours to perfect, and thus a talented engineer is usually in great demand.
Education
Mixing Engineers are often formally trained in a music background, and most get a degree in audio engineering or recording engineering*. A degree in music can help and broaden the engineers credentials, though it is known that most experience comes from operating complex audio equipment. The mixing ear comes from years of observing all kinds of sounds, frequencies, and variations of effects and filters, and through the process of trial and error.Techniques
Mixing engineers rely on their intuition in the process of mixing, but all mixers generally follow certain fundamental procedures:- Hearing the final product
- Finding the most important elements to emphasize
- Figuring out how to arrange the elements
- Determining out the direction of the song
- Developing a groove or rhythm
Elements of a Mix
The elements of a mix and their arrangement are also crucial aspects to making the song fluid and unique.- Balance - The volume level relationship between musical elements.
- Frequency RangeFrequencyFrequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
- Equalizing the frequencies to proper presentation. - PanoramaPanoramaA panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model....
- Placing a musical element in the sound field. - DimensionDimensionIn physics and mathematics, the dimension of a space or object is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus a line has a dimension of one because only one coordinate is needed to specify a point on it...
s - Adding ambiance to a musical element. - DynamicsDynamicsDynamics may refer to:-Physics and engineering:* Dynamics , the time evolution of physical processes** Aerodynamics, the study of gases in motion...
Controlling the volumes on tracks and instruments. - Appeal - Making the song interesting.
Equipment
The equipment mixing engineers work with are:- Mixing consoleMixing consoleIn professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...
s - Signal processorSignal processorA signal processor is an electronic circuit that removes information from an analog signal as quantifiable units for further analysis. Most modern signal processors are either dedicated microprocessor integrated circuits or general-purpose programmable microprocessors. A DSP is an electronic...
s - Digital-to-analog converterDigital-to-analog converterIn electronics, a digital-to-analog converter is a device that converts a digital code to an analog signal . An analog-to-digital converter performs the reverse operation...
s - Music sequencerMusic sequencerThe music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...
s - Analog-to-digital converterAnalog-to-digital converterAn analog-to-digital converter is a device that converts a continuous quantity to a discrete time digital representation. An ADC may also provide an isolated measurement...
s - Dynamic Range Compression
- MicrophoneMicrophoneA microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
s - Digital audio workstationDigital audio workstationA digital audio workstation is an electronic system designed solely or primarily for recording, editing and playing back digital audio. DAWs were originally tape-less, microprocessor-based systems such as the Synclavier and Fairlight CMI...
s - Dynamic range compression
- Tape machines
See also
- Audio engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Audio MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Sound recording
- Recording engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Recording studioRecording studioA recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...