Hello and good afternoon!


I was wondering if anyone could provide some clarification and/or advice concerning mixing.
Basically, I feel as though I'm on the verge of a sort of breakthrough, I just need a little push in the right direction!

Currently, what makes sense to me is a series of articles I read on the Cakewalk blog, basically detailing subtractive EQ, where you emphasize frequencies by taking away others, not by boosting anything whatsoever. What I don't quite understand is how to use this to make an entire mix.
Up to this point, how I have been mixing is making tracks stand out with selective EQ boosts, and then seeing what does and does not mask other parts, cutting out frequencies in problem areas as needed, as well as boosting others if it seems necessary.

I suppose what I would like to know is the following: is my current method, in some aspects, a correct way to go about mixing? Or should I approach things from a perspective of "cut first, boost later, if at all?"
In other words, should I use my current method and work towards more subtractive EQ methods, or work from a subtractive EQ mindset and work towards getting everything to mesh?

I hope this makes sense, this is one of those topics I've struggled with since I started trying to mix audio in a "proper" way.

In the end, what really matters to me is not the method I use, it's the end result! So if you have any other mindsets and perspectives to approach mixing, I'm more than welcome to hear you out!

I feel that I should mention that, primarily, I'm interested in knowing more about the EQ side to mixing, as it seems like one of the most important things (aside from knowing what you're doing, that seems like the most important thing!)
That being said, though, if you have general mixing advice on something other than EQ, I would love to read it!

In the end, if you can offer advice or can clarify things a bit, I would appreciate it, or if you know of really good websites, books, or videos on mixing that you would recommend, I'm all eyes!


Thanks for your time, and take care!
-Hypocrita

Hypocrita
In the end, what really matters to me is not the method I use, it's the end result! 

Yup. That in the end is all that matters.
 
Techniques are what you make them.
 
I've had tunes where  added an EQ to various tracks using a slew preset and things went swimmingly only to have the very next mix fail using the same approach.
 
No two combination of tracks is ever the same as any other combination of tracks (IMO).

Whoa...
A technique question driven down here by the force of the gale raging upstairs.
And a serious reply from Bapu.
Times change.

Would be good to move this thread to the techniques forum which doesn't get nearly enough love....
 
That said, my understanding has always been that boosts add character to a sound (depending on the EQ) which may or may not be desired (especially if that "character" comes in the form of phase issues etc) whereas emphasizing areas by cutting is a "cleaner" way of doing things. Certainly if you want a clean boost at a certain frequency, you can do this by attenuating the frequencies above and below the target frequencies with low and high shelves. So you're turning down all of the frequencies except the ones you're boosting. 
 
Some EQ's are great for boosting - I love the Waves V-EQ3 for adding air and sparkle to vocals, for instance. It creates this sweetness which I don't hear by achieving the boost with cuts. 
 
However I have to admit that it's a lot less hassle to just boost a frequency than attenuate the frequencies above and below it. 

Hello everyone!

Thanks for your responses, I appreciate it!
So what I'm taking away from this is that the methods for mixing are basically as varied as the mixes themselves? Essentially, it boils down to knowing which technique fits best with the mix at hand, and not so much a hard "do this, then this" kind of thing?
If so, then that does make a lot of sense!

Thanks again, and take care!
-Hypocrita

Absolutely, and that's one of the great pleasures of mixing! Every song is different and requires its own strategy.

There are bunches of helpful tips all over the internet on who to be a better mixer. You just need to learn to listen to good commercial songs and practice your own technique while you learn. 
For example, there is a link to Cakewalks Support for the "Aspiring Mix Engineer":
https://www.cakewalk.com/Support/Knowledge-Base/2007013312/10-Tips-For-the-Aspiring-Mix-Engineer
http://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR%20X2&language=4&help=Mixing.01.html
 
A cool thread:
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Mixing-Tips-from-a-Seasoned-Veteran-m811183.aspx
 
Lynda stuff:
http://www.lynda.com/Audio-Mixing-Mastering-tutorials/Audio-Mixing-Bootcamp/87006-2.html
 
Sound On Sound
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun98/articles/20tips.html
 
More Stuff:
http://therecordingrevolution.com/2013/06/17/the-beginners-guide-to-mixing-part-1/
 
There are thousands of online threads on mixing. You need to learn your DAW and how to use the tools you own. Then you need to practice and listen to your mixes in different environments.  Ask for help when you get stymied. Listen to other music. Compare yours to theirs. Learn, read, practice, do it.
 

also,
 
as a beginner mixer,
 
i would urge you to get some kind of software that lets you SEE what you are eq'ing...
 
something along the lines of Waves PAZ analyzer,
or Voxengo's SPAN
 
not to take away the importance of trusting your ears,
but as a tool to help you INTELLECTUALIZE what it is your ears are telling you sounds better.
 
 
example:
 
 
MASKING is a typical 'gotcha' with mixing.
 
masking is the way you hear ONE sound, when it is in the presence of ANOTHER sound, and how they interact.
 
one sound can overwhelm, or buildup, the other, and there is a critical bandwidth that interplays between the two.
 
you have to decide (as a mixer) which track gets to use that frequency, and which track butts OUT when the two are together...
there are many ways to do this, but SUBTRACTIVE EQ is the single easiest, quickest, bestest way to deal with it.
 
you gotta know which freq it is, on both tracks, how much of each track is causing the masking, and chose a way to deal with it.
 
seeing those frequencies in REAL TIME, as you are hunting for the problem frequency, is VERY HELPFUL to figuring out which freq it is, and how much to take it out.
 after a hundred or so different mixes, you will have trained your ears to 'know' those problem freqs by memory, and experience will tell you quickly how to fix them.
 
another key term to remember, that ties into what i just explained, is the term COMPLEMENTARY EQ.
 

In terms of seeing how different tracks are masking each other, Melda's excellent MMultiAnalyzer is an excellent tool.

http://www.meldaproductio....php?id=MMultiAnalyzer

sharke
In terms of seeing how different tracks are masking each other, Melda's excellent MMultiAnalyzer is an excellent tool.

http://www.meldaproductio....php?id=MMultiAnalyzer

+ya saved me tons of time when I wanted to be "done" but my ears were so burned out I should have stopped.