Meeting summary

Quick recap

This was a music production lesson focused on mixing techniques, led by LSEM with participants Dror, Bri, and Kieran. The session began with participants sharing updates on their music-making progress, with Kieran mentioning challenges due to house moving, Dror discussing Logic updates causing technical issues, and Bri noting a slow week due to weather and personal matters. LSEM then introduced fundamental mixing concepts, explaining frequency ranges from sub-bass to high frequencies and demonstrating how different instruments occupy specific spectral areas. The lesson included detailed analysis of several reference tracks, including Alabama Shakes' "Future My Back" to illustrate dynamic mixing and space creation, followed by Bicep's "Glue" to show effective minimal mixing. LSEM demonstrated practical mixing techniques using Pro-Q EQ, showing how to balance kick drum and bass relationships, and explained the importance of reference tracks for critical listening. The session concluded with a hands-on demonstration where Kieran's track was compared against a reference track, identifying areas for improvement including synth balance, width, and reverb placement.

Next steps

Bri

• Review and implement EQ and compression techniques on your project, particularly focusing on group (bus) compression and appropriate EQ moves for different instrument groups as demonstrated.

• Double check stem export settings and ensure all stems are audible for next week's review.

Dror

• Check Logic/DAW setup for recent OS or plugin updates that may be causing audio/fire issues, and report back if issues persist.

Kieran

• Apply EQ techniques discussed in the session to one of your tracks, focusing on carving out frequency space between overlapping elements and using broad, musical EQ moves; experiment with automating EQ changes as elements enter/exit, and review the effect on mix clarity.

LSEM

• Resend the third-party audio-to-MIDI conversion site link to Dror.

• Save and send the version of Kieran's track (with EQ/processing applied during the session) to Kieran for reference.

Collaboration

• All (Kieran, Bri, Dror): Prepare one of your tracks (or a section) using the discussed EQ and compression techniques, and bring results/questions to the next session for feedback.

• All: Review the resources folder and online materials linked in the LSEM page for further reading on mixing, compression, and EQ.

Summary

Music Mixing Fundamentals Discussion

The group discussed their progress on music-making, with Kieran mentioning challenges due to house moving, Dror experiencing issues with Logic updates affecting audio-MIDI conversion, and Bri noting a slow week due to weather and personal matters. LSEM planned to focus the session on mixing fundamentals, particularly volume, panning, EQ, compression, and saturation, explaining the approach would be conceptual rather than highly technical. Kieran defined the role of a mix engineer as blending various elements to showcase important parts of a song, while LSEM highlighted how different genres subvert traditional mixing conventions.

Music Production Frequency Ranges

LSEM discussed the frequency ranges in music production, explaining how different frequency bands work in a mix and using the track "Glue" by Bicep as an example of a well-constructed simple track. He demonstrated using an EQ to show the appropriate frequency ranges for sub-bass, low-mids, mids, and high frequencies, and explained the Fletcher-Munson curve which shows how human hearing varies across different frequencies. When asked about sub-bass keys in dance music, LSEM advised not to overthink it unless working in genres where sub is a major component, suggesting that the key feel can vary based on the frequency range available.

Mixing Techniques and Width

LSEM led a discussion on mixing techniques, focusing on EQ, compression, and saturation, with a particular emphasis on EQ. He analysed the mixing approach of Alabama Shakes' track, highlighting the use of raw, unprocessed sounds and the strategic placement of instruments in mono or stereo to create width and space. LSEM explained various methods for achieving width, including panning, reverb, and delay techniques, and discussed dynamic mixing, where elements change over time to maintain headroom and balance.

Audio Mixing Techniques Discussion

Kieran and LSEM discussed techniques for mixing audio tracks, focusing on how to balance and automate different elements like drums and synths. They analysed a Deep House track called "Space Drag" by Axel Bowman, identifying that while the track was messy, certain elements like the hi-hats and vocals remained clear. The discussion highlighted how effective mixing involves strategic use of EQ, automation, and processing to create space for different instruments while maintaining clarity and avoiding audio fatigue.

Mix Techniques and Balance Discussion

LSEM and the team discussed mixing techniques, focusing on how to achieve a specific mix style by analysing reference tracks and adjusting instrument balances. Kieran noted that the current mix felt minimal with instruments having narrow frequency ranges, while LSEM demonstrated using reference tracks to compare and balance levels, identifying that synths were too loud and the track needed more width and reverb. The team observed that Kieran's track had good sub-bass weight but could benefit from additional sub frequencies, and they discussed using frequency isolation and multiband compression techniques to address specific frequency ranges.

Dynamic EQ Mixing Techniques Demo

LSEM demonstrated EQ techniques for mixing, focusing on frequency range management and creating space for different instruments in the mix. He showed how to use dynamic EQ and filtering to balance competing frequencies, particularly between kick and bass, while explaining concepts like Pultec-style curves and the importance of starting with broad strokes when mixing. The group was tasked with applying these EQ concepts to their own tracks, with Kieran specifically working on a track that needed to balance fat bass with other elements, and Bri asking about using low shelf filters versus cutoffs for grouping high-end elements.

Audio EQ Management Approaches

Kieran discussed the need for using EQs in his audio tracks, specifically for managing different frequency ranges when new instruments come in. LSEM explained two approaches: using separate EQs that are automated on and off, or using frequency bands within a single EQ. Kieran expressed a preference for the separate EQ approach as it would make the workflow more understandable and maintainable, especially when returning to projects months later.

Stem Processing Best Practices

Kieran asked LSEM about best practices for handling stems when sending tracks for mixing, particularly regarding how much processing should be done before bouncing stems versus in a fresh DAW instance. LSEM explained that most mix engineers prefer receiving stems with some basic processing already applied, including EQ and light compression, but without heavy mastering effects. LSEM recommended committing to sounds early by bouncing MIDI to audio and suggested simplifying complex projects by creating stem groups to reduce the number of tracks for mixing.

Music Compression Techniques Discussion

LSEM discussed compression techniques and explained its proper applications in music production. He demonstrated how compression works by showing examples with an xylophone recording, explaining concepts like threshold, ratio, and gain reduction. LSEM emphasised that compression should be used contextually rather than universally applied to specific instruments like kicks or bass in electronic music, noting that over-compression can negatively affect tone and introduce unwanted artefacts like background noise and pumping. The discussion included practical examples of when compression might be beneficial, particularly for controlling dynamic range in more complex recordings.

Electronic Music Compression Techniques

LSEM demonstrated the use of compression techniques in electronic music production, focusing on both single instrument compression and parallel compression methods. He showed how to use a "glue compressor" with slower attack and release times for grouping instruments together, and explained the concept of parallel compression by creating a compressed version of a track and blending it with the original. LSEM recommended that students practise implementing compression on groups of synths using low ratio settings (2-4 dB) with slow attack and release times, and announced that next week's session would cover saturation techniques.