Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Zen 10steps PDF
Zen 10steps PDF
Introduction 15
Isnt that just great? A book about mixing in which the author
admits he cant teach you how to mix. Hopefully youve already
bought this book, but just in case youre still in the bookstore right
now, worry not. Remember, Im going to teach you how to think
about mixing, not how to mix. The learning how to mix part is on
ZAM00in(1-22) 8/24/10 9:12 AM Page 17
Introduction 17
you. If you change how you think about mixing, youll be well on
your way to learning how to mix.
Now, Im presenting these steps to you here in the Introduction
because were going to discuss them in detail throughout the
course of this book. I dont offer you these steps as some sort of
outlineits far too limiting a list to be that. Its just that every-
thing in a mix is interdependent, and this book is much like
mixing in that regard. I spent an inordinate amount of time figur-
ing out the best and most logical way to present the art of mixing
to you, and Ive determined that there isnt one, so I guess youre
in for a wild ride.
one), but rather in negotiating with those who have hired you in
the first place.
I really cant overemphasize just how critical communication is
on a mix session. As the mixer, you must be able to explain relatively
complex concepts in easily understandable terms. These cant be
meandering speeches that lack focus. You need to be concise and
to the point. Your arguments must be demonstrable. Even when
the producer is in the room, youre the leader of the mixing
process, and as such you should be clear in how you express your-
self. Conversely, you have a responsibility to guide your clients
toward good communication habits themselves.
I cant tell you how often I come across a clients debilitating
inability to state with alacrity a specific problem with the mix
particularly when were in the home stretch of the process. There
is a point in the mix where most solutions involve nothing more
than half a dB change in level. Still, it seems theres always the one
client who prefers to offer absurdly complex solutions to simple
problems. Its at this point in a mix that I interrupt pointless
meandering with an almost militant command:
Instrument. Section. Up or down.
While this may seem somewhat abrasive on the surface, I can
assure you it serves a very useful purpose. You dont really need to
hear your clients reasons why she might want the piano, on the
third chorus, louder. For starters, you cant judge the merits of
any particular mix note until you listen to it. The detailed philo-
sophical reasons as to why the piano, in the third chorus, should
be louder is useless information until youve determined whether
you agree with the note. If everyone agrees (and in particular if
you agree), there is no debate. Besides, you could very well bring
the level of that piano up and have your client instantly declare
herself wrong. If you allow your client to argue endlessly all her
ZAM00in(1-22) 8/24/10 9:12 AM Page 19
Introduction 19
reasons for a simple mix note before its actually implemented and
evaluated by everyone, your client unwittingly puts herself in the
position of having to defend her note regardless of the results. By
steering your clients toward clear, concise communication, you
allow yourself the opportunity to avoid a total breakdown of it.
Once you hone your ability to communicate effectively, youll
have an edge in negotiating through the varying needs of the A&R
rep, the band, the artist, the manager, the producer, the managers
girlfriend, etc. Believe me, each and every one of those people will
have an opinion and an agenda, all of which will have to be dealt
with appropriately. Even if its your own music, and none of those
people are involved in your project, or even if youre a young
mixer in a small city working with self-funded local bands, youre
going to have to deal with multiple, and often unwanted, opinions.
Feedback is generally a good thing, but when the managers girl-
friend is complaining that you axed her favorite parta part that
was long abandoned or forgotten about and for whatever reason
was never deleted from the sessionthis kind of feedback is not
helpful to the process.
A large part of communicating effectively requires respect. Its
always somewhat awkward when a band girlfriend gets in your
face because she doesnt get why your opinions are deemed more
important than hers. Believe me, I know. Been there, done that.
While its certainly not necessary to get the girlfriends respect, the
same cannot be said about your clients. If you dont have their
trust and respect, you need to gain it somehow, or youll find your-
self unable to perform your job effectively.
Making a record under the best of circumstances is an emotional
process. Metaphorically speaking, youre dealing with someones
baby. Thats how personal art can be to its creator. If you treat that
art with respect, youll have a much easier time acquiring respect
ZAM00in(1-22) 8/24/10 9:12 AM Page 20
Introduction 21
goes into effective mixing will only serve to make you better at
everything that comes before the mix itself.
Just so theres no misunderstanding, this book was not written
solely for those who wish to become professional freelance mixers.
I can assure you, I wouldnt bother writing a book for such a
miniscule audience. Zen and the Art of Mixing is for people who
want to understand the kind of thinking that goes into high-level
mixing. If youre involved in music in any way, theres plenty in
this book to help you improve your craft.
For reasons that will soon become obvious, I will spend much
of our time together hammering on the importance of the vocal.
Certainly there will be occasions when there is no vocal in a mix.
For ease of writing and reading, you can consider the melody
instrument to be equivalent to the vocal. For the most part, they
serve the same role.
As youve probably surmised, Ive spent most of my career
mixing on an analog console. While Im most comfortable mixing
in this manner, there will be far more of you who use DAWs and
plug-ins exclusively than who work in fully analog studios or even
in hybrid situations. Lets face itif you know how to use a con-
sole, you know how to use a DAW. The same cant necessarily be
said for the reverse. Given this, anything that translates to either
medium will generally be discussed from the perspective of the
DAW.
I will often use the term clients in a rather global manner.
This basically refers to anyone in the process who has veto power.
This can be the artist, the producer, the A&R rep, the band, the
manager, the investor, etc. If they have a say in the product, then
you have a responsibility to make them happy.
The term parts refers to instrumentation. There are drum
parts, guitar parts, keyboard parts, percussion parts, etc. This is
ZAM00in(1-22) 8/24/10 9:12 AM Page 22
just an easy way for me to describe the instruments that are con-
tained within an arrangement.
Lastly, and most importantly, the concepts involved in music
and mixing can be remarkably complex. Any general rule I might
provide you regarding music or mixing will likely have more than
one exception. This book would be 10 times longer and impossible
to get through were I to go through every exception to every
rulenot that I could actually think of them all. For this reason,
from the long view of your overall career, you can treat any rule
that I present to you as a tool. Use the tools where theyre warranted,
abandon them where theyre not, and understand that the more
tools you use and the better you implement those tools, the more
effective your mixes will be.