A compressor is a type of processor very commonly seen in the mixing process, it is a type of amplifier in which gain is dependent on the signal level passing through it. You can set the maximum level a compressor allows to pass through, thereby causing automatic gain reduction above some predetermined signal level, also…

A noise gate is a type of processor commonly used in music production, a noise gate helps to reduce unwanted sound by only allowing the signal to be heard once it has exceeded a certain amplitude. Noise gates are also similar to compressors in that they reduce the volume of unwanted audio but they differ…

A processor is something which is applied to the whole signal, different from an effect as effects are something which are applied to part of the signal only. Processors include things like EQ, compression, limiters and gates; I have chosen to explore limiters. Limiters are similar to compressors, being that they are an amplifier that…

The technology of surround sound was invented in the 1930’s with the first notable use of it being in Walt Disney’s Fantasia. At this time Disney Studios created what they named ‘Fantasound’ this was a sound system developed with the intent of immersing the audience further in the film. It was a huge success though…

The loudness wars essentially describes the way in which mixing/mastering engineers have attempted to make the music being released louder through the use of aggressive dynamic processing techniques, with the goal of the track being to compete with all the other very loud tracks being released. This is generally agreed to be a negative trend,…

Tasked with exploring the life and work of a prominent mixing artist I have chosen a mixing artist whom I really admire, Smokeasac, real name Dylan Mullen. He is a mixing artist who worked very closely with one of my favourite artists, Lil Peep, before his death, mixing most of Lil Peep’s music and having…

Equalization, or EQ as it is more commonly called, is a form of audio processing which is used to adjust the volume of a frequency or range of frequencies within the sound, it does this by cutting out unwanted frequencies and boosting others. It is incredibly useful as it helps to balance out sounds so…

Stereophonic reproduction is a technique in which separate microphones are used to record sound, and then separate speakers are also used to playback the sound recorded; this creates spatiality within the audio produced. The history of this technique is storied and goes back to 1881 when Clement Ader came up with the earliest version of…

There are two distinct ways in which we as humans perceive sound or mixes; one is in physical sound waves, sound waves are always present even though we don’t think about sound this technical way all the time necessarily, it is just how we normally perceive sound around us. The other is through imaging, this…

When mixing a track it can be incredibly useful to use a reference track. This simply means using another track which you admire and which shares similarities with your own track as a reference to how the mix could sound within your own music. Using a reference track helps to avoid ear fatigue, which will…