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I get asked about mix tricks a lot. There seems to be a belief amongst students that if they just can learn a few more tricks, their mixes will somehow jump to the level of the best mix engineers. Of course, there are a big problem with this. Mixing is a craft, not simply a collection of clever tricks. More importantly, the best mix tricks in the world are still context sensitive.

So, here is the ultimate mix trick: the trick that isn’t a trick. When mixing, focus on what’s actually there on the tracks, identify a problem, then fix the problem. Any mix trick is designed to solve a problem in a mix. If the tracks at hand do not have that problem, then the mix trick is useless, or worse, it may actually cause other problems.

For example, I know a lot of mix tricks to help get a kick drum to “play well” with the bass guitar. I might do some filtering of the two tracks, or duck the bass under the kick hits, or (to me, better yet) use an expander to make the bass hit a dB or two harder during the kick hits. But none of these things are needed if the raw kick and bass tracks I was asked to mix already work well together. Since I mostly work in music, my focus is usually musical. Rather than starting by thinking about the tone of the kick and the bass, I ask if the groove of the tune is solid. If it is, then there is no problem. If the low end of the groove is a little loose, especially if it seems to come and go, then that is the problem. Then, we go to the bag of tricks.

Know when to use your tricks. Identify the problem, then solve the problem.

A huge amount of my time with my students involves discussing equipment purchases and decisions. This series of posts will address some of the most common areas of discussion. This is targeted to young students just getting started. There are no ground-breaking secrets here; just real-world considerations for purchases.

This post will focus on Interfaces.

The Basics

For most audio students, the interface will likely be an all-in one unit that includes the mic preamp and converters. In the past, interfaces were a bit more of an issue since Pro Tools was proprietary to M-Audio and Digidesign (Avid) hardware until version 9. Now, there are more options.

This is another area that I think a lot of students have irrational issues with the want vs. need thing. Things that you NEED are things that are essential for you success in school, or things that will pay for themselves in a short time by allowing you to make money you would have been able to make otherwise. Anything else is really a WANT, a luxury. I’m an established professional, so my needs are very different than students. I also have a budget for WANT. Most students do not.

When it comes to interfaces, of course you want 24 channels of great pres and conversion, all for $400. Unfortunately, that won’t be happening. For most students, the question is really one of 2 channel, 4 channel, and 8 channel interfaces. That is the NEED. I encourage students to not over-buy interfaces. You have access to facilities while you are in school. Like all computer-based equipment, interfaces become obsolete within a few years, so it isn’t a solid investment for a student. If you can get by with four channels until you graduate, do it. Don’t buy an 8-channel. Save your money for something that will last.

A huge amount of my time with my students involves discussing equipment purchases and decisions. This series of posts will address some of the most common areas of discussion. This is targeted to young students just getting started. There are no ground-breaking secrets here; just real-world considerations for purchases.

This post will focus on plug-ins.

The Basics

Do we need to buy plug-ins in the first place? Pro Tools comes with plug-ins, as does Cubase and Logic. The simple answer is no. There is plenty that you can do with the built-in plug-ins. In a few cases (a simple digital delay, for example) there will likely be little difference from one plug-in to another due to the simple nature of the digital algorithms involved.

However, in many cases, the algorithms are more complex and we can expect greater variations. One thing that a 3rd party plug-in can give is consistency across platforms.

Of course, of greater consideration is the actual audio quality of the process, and this is the real reason that people pay so much money for 3rd party plug-ins. In some cases, the plug-ins simulate the “character” of very expensive real-world analog circuits.  In other cases, they represent a proprietary algorithm that other software companies don’t have.

Given the cost of plug-ins, and the abundance of available options, this is a prime area to start with Want vs. Need.

In my opinion, an audio student needs access to good versions of the following plug-ins. These are used so often that the sound of a mediocre plug-in will emerge quickly in a mix simply due to the number of iterations

1. EQ
   1. A great parametric EQ
   2. A really good Shelving Filter
   3. A really good (i.e. transparent) High-pass/low-pass filter
2. Dynamics
   1. A great compressor
   2. A good expander/gate
   3. A great limiter
3. Reverb
   1. A great reverb

Just about anything else can be worked around. For example, a particular phaser from one DAW can be printed to an audio track. Additionally, modulation and other effects make up less of the day-to-day workflow of mixing.

Opinions

In terms of those areas, here are some opinions from the Kent State University – Stark faculty. I’ll add the others as Mr. Kopp and Prof. Tackett weigh in.

Dr. Vaccaro:

1. EQ
   1. McDSP Filter Banks -  This is a must have for me. I use these EQs in every session.
   2. McDSP NF575 – I use this for WAY more than noise filtering. I love the transparent, super-surgical quality for detailed filtering with a high Q
2. Dynamics
   1. Compressor – McDSP Compressor Banks – Again, this is my go-to “un-charactered” plug-in. Simple, clean and great sounding. I use a ton of different compressors, but the CompressorBank is a staple for me.
   2. Limiter – McDSP ML4000 and the Massey L2007. I rarely use anything other than these two.
   3. Expander/Gate – Sonnox Dynamics – This isn’t a must-have for everyone, but I do a lot of keyed expansion, so I need a good, transparent plug-in. Sonnox is it for me.
3. Reverb
   1. The only reverbs I use are McDSP Revolver and the Sonnox  Reverb. Revolver is my go-to for halls and plates. Sonnox is my go-to for anything “effect-y.”
4. Other Personal Must-Haves
   1. Celemony Melodyne  – This is my go-to pitch correction software, but I use for so much more. Harmony parts, loop editing, MIDI doubling of real instruments…
   2. SPL Transient Designer – I use this a lot, especially if I am mixing drums tracked by someone else.
   3. A great De-esser. I use the McDSP and the SPL, depending on the quality of the sibilance on the track.