#04 Problem-solving mixing
Part of the job of a mix engineer is to solve problems that might arise at the recording stage. Software – and creative thinking – can help!
Vocals masterclass with Ashley Thorpe
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Download the accompanying video and the MIDI/audio files at filesilo.co.uk/computermusic
> When I take on mixing work for clients, I want to give them my very best. Something I’ve had to accept, though, is that the sound quality of what is sent through to me is not always the best.
I’m going to use a job that I took on last year as a case study to show the sorts of issues that can come up and the ways that a good engineer can go about handling them.
I mixed a five-track EP for an electronic RnB artist last year. They had recorded their vocals in their bedroom for each of the five tracks, as lockdown meant that they were unable to get into a studio.
They’d managed to do a pretty reasonable job of recording into Logic, given the restrictions. They also had very rough mixes of the tracks in Logic with the various vocal stems and component instrument tracks. When I listened through the vocals, it became clear that they didn’t have a pop shield so there were plosives on their tracks.