Translating Mix Notes
Interpreting mix notes can be hard! If you are like me and have never met your clients in person, it can be *extremely* difficult to determine just what the requested revisions are. Obviously this is subjective but you can notice some trends in the mix notes you might receive. Here is my take on some keywords and what you can do to your mix to help achieve the edits your clients are asking for:
Energetic: This word screams dynamics to me. Not strictly in the sense of compressors but in terms of automation. What can I do to the mix to add energy that might not be captured in the performance? Should I automate drum levels? Should I change the reverbs between the hook and verses? Add and subtract throughout your mix to create energy.
Present: I can interpret this word one of two ways. Either adding top end or literally just bringing up levels so that something is more up front in the mix. Bringing up levels doesn’t necessarily mean adding gain. Remember, gain can also be added through EQs.
Big: Reverb and delays baby! This adds space and dimensions that can seriously add width to your mix. I absolutely love mixing my reverb and delays to make mixes BIG. I sometimes overdo it and wash out my mixes T__T but I just love creating space.
Polished: Surgical EQ time. Focus on taking out the mud, but don’t confuse mud versus body. Remember, a little goes the long way.
Tight: Stacks holding you back? Assuming you already have aligned your vocals to your liking, I recommend a few things. Take out the breaths, esses, and other mouthy sounds from your additional vocals. Try finding a nice balance where you can keep your lead focused with the stacks nicely tucked underneath or spread apart from the lead.
Movement: Depending on the context, movement can be related to dynamics. Here, I’ll address movement notes in reference to the stereo field by panning. Here, I’ll try playing around with manual panning automation, Autopan, PanMan, BrauerMotion, and rhythmic delays.
Interesting: Get creative. The good ol’ oohs and aahs : beat drops, reverse reverb, filters, etc. These little tricks are always good to use when a client asks for something to be more interesting.
What are some of your common mix notes and how do you adjust your mix in response? Comment below!
