What specific techniques of mixing is important to know?

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theblackbelted1

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What specific techniques of mixing are important/handy to know?

I Understand dynamic compression(compressors , limiters , gates , expanders , deessers , transient shapers , etc.), I understand eqing(are headphones required to really hear a difference when eqing? I understand mostly all the functions of your basic eq). Is there any major techniques I should know? Side chaining is something I think I need to look into. I don't know what to side chain and when I watch streams , producers say 'i've linked this , that , and these to the side chain channel, but I don't hear that common sweep effect? I know side chaining is when one track ducks when another track outputs but that's basically it.
 
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EQ and Compression are the most used ones. Reverbs and Delays as effects are the 2nd ones.

All the other things you mentioned have to do with music "tricks" and it's really upon your own judgement and creation.

For mixing you need the big fours: eq,comp,reverbs,delays / for tricks? that depends purely on your inspiration
 
After volume and panning, I would almost say reverb and delays come before compression or eq, where reverb and delays can blend sounds together but compression and eq alter the source.

I think in terms of what sounds best on the ears, great spatial choices and as little compression possible makes some really pleasing music, whether it's intense or not.

I sometimes wonder if it's better to encourage people to go overboard on some plugins when they are starting out so they know what sounds like what. Sometimes lots of compression is just central to a record. Sometimes ridiculous eq is used in pop.

But in the end, as big a fan as I am of acts like eminem, brother Ali, Kanye...I have found myself listening to more obscure artists who have a fidelity for audio.
 
theblackbelted1 said:
I know side chaining is when one track ducks when another track outputs but that's basically it.
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Sidechaining means that an effect is triggered by an external signal fed to its sidechain input. This doesn't necessarily mean compression, although it's often - and synonymously, by the virtue of ignorance - used to mean just that.
 
In order of importance: volume, stereo position, EQ, compression, short delay (haas effect).

Those are the main mixing tools, the rest are compositional effects.

One of the most important things I learned for mixing is general acoustics. Understanding how decibels work goes a long way, and understanding what happens when multiple signals at the same dBFS can significantly improve your comprehension of audio and help you make wiser mixing decisions because level outputs will be more predictable.
 
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Good quality headphones make a world of difference when it comes to surgical EQing. Your monitors will help a bunch when it comes to fine tuning your low end. Reference tracks help even more.

I'd say it's a blessing to have both good headphones and good monitors. (As well as a treated listening environment).
 
Ametrine said:
Good quality headphones make a world of difference when it comes to surgical EQing. Your monitors will help a bunch when it comes to fine tuning your low end. Reference tracks help even more.

I'd say it's a blessing to have both good headphones and good monitors. (As well as a treated listening environment).
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Completely agree with everything this guy said^

Before you even think about buying fancy plugins and outboard gear, invest in some decent headphones, studio monitors, and acoustic treatment. It goes a VERY long way!
 
can anybody give some info about relative volume adjustment for kick, snare, clap, percussions, lead, bassline, pad, fx's like sweeps and explosions etc. And also Panning. Because i see the first problems a newbie face' are this.
 
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Reezy said:
can anybody give some info about relative volume adjustment for kick, snare, clap, percussions, lead, bassline, pad, fx's like sweeps and explosions etc. And also Panning. Because i see the first problems a newbie face' are this.
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There aren't really any "rules" and every style of music is different...but for the most part the kick and snare are the loudest thing in the mix mainly because they need to be heard through all the other layers. Just use your ears for the rest!
 
Haha, I just posted this link as an answer to two other questions but it's still relevant. I went to a recording school for a few months and this was the most valuable lesson I learned and can be applied to ANY GENRE OF MUSIC.

Sweeping the EQ range to find the sweet spot for every track and then subtracting un-needed frequencies as opposed to boosting. Here is a good youtube tutorial that talks about this. It's done on FL Studio but you can do it on any DAW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsrt9utC7Zo

Good luck!
 
It's already been said but when I'm mixing I spend most of my time listening in mono moving faders to find a nice balance. I switch out of mono, and mess around with panning. The. It's back to mono to deal with any clashing frequency with EQ. I might boost a nice frequency here and there but it's mostly cutting the unwanted ones. Then I'll tighen up some tracks, or bring them forward in the mix with a touch of compression. You mix should sound pretty good by this point. All that's left in a basic mix is some reverb/delay to create some space around the instruments and then some automation (mostly just volume automation)
 
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