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It’s quite possible that you are incredibly smarter than me and the average population so this article will not apply to you. But generally speaking people like you and I can’t (and shouldn’t) handle more than two options in the recording studio. Whether it’s mic choices, mic placement, or recording takes, two is all we can really handle.

Which Works Better?

When choosing a mic (if you even have options) you seriously slow yourself down if you intend on trying out more than two. Whether it’s for a vocalist or a guitar cab, just grab two mics, place them both up, record a little and listen back. Which one do you like better? Why? Which mic helps you get closer to the sound in your head?

The same is true of mic placement. Don’t go crazy with this, simply record where you first placed the mic, then try something a little off axis or further/closer, etc. Listen back. Which captures the sound you want most faithfully? Any more than two options and you’re going on a wild goose hunt. (Or is that going down a rabbit trail?)
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The more I listen to great recordings (and hopefully make great recordings myself) the more I’m beginning to see how the acoustic guitar is sneaking its way into everything. In fact, on my band’s most recent EP recording I ended up laying down acoustic guitar on all 6 songs, when none of them had a single acoustic guitar part written. Why?

Acoustic Guitars Are Natural Enhancers

My band has primarily a melodic rock oriented sound that is guitar driven. And when I say guitar I really mean electric guitar, because in my humble opinion, electrics are simply way more fun to play. So in both the writing and recording process for our most recent album, we stuck to electrics for the entire project. No acoustics necessary.

As we wrapped up recording a few weeks ago I decided to listen through the songs a few more times to see if they needed anything extra. I discovered one song that had a cool picking part that was getting lost in all the overdrive and distortion. So I restrung my acoustic, miked it up, and replayed the same part overtop the original electric. The result? I could both hear AND feel my electric picking part and it just sounded better!
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Recording drums well is always a challenge. But to be honest, you don’t need a ton of mics and preamps to capture a kit well. In fact you really only need one mic to do it justice! Today, though, I want to show you one of my favorite techniques, the Recorderman method.

Using only two mics to capture the kit you can get a full, punchy, and drum focused sound (as opposed to room focused). In this video I show you how to set up the mics for the best phase accuracy and then you can listen to some raw sounds from the mics. Enjoy!

I have to be straight with you guys. If you are hoping to take your recordings and mixes to the next level, don’t look for that one “magic bullet” of a technique, tip, or piece of gear to take you there. It’s just not going to happen.

The Cumulative Effect

Really good recordings and mixes are the result of a series of smart decisions that add up in a big way. It’s a cumulative effect that almost sneaks up on you. A little mic placement change here, a little high pass filter there, a bit of bus compression over there, and eventually you can get one stellar mix.

Was it the result of one or two of those decisions? No. In context you could probably have skipped a few of those moves and the mix would still be pretty good. In fact, not any one of your recording or mixing decisions (especially the gear you use) will be what gets you the final mix you want. Rather it’s the many seemingly minuscule moves you make along the way that create something bigger than the sum of their parts.
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Wow, we just finished another round of 31 mixing tutorial videos in the past 31 days straight. I can’t believe I’m still alive to be honest! But it’s been so worth it. So many people have gotten inspired and motivated to actually get to work in their studios and are churning out albums left and right.

Double The Fun

Plus, if you take these 31 videos and add them to my original 5 Minute tutorials you get 62 tips designed to help you make better mixes right away. That’s over 5 hours of mixing training! And to keep it all together in once place I’ve updated the 5 Minutes To A Better Mix page to include all 62 videos, neatly organized and in order.

Here are just a couple of comments people have been leaving on the videos:
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We’re at the end of round 2 of 5 Minutes To A Better Mix! If you’ve hung around all month then I’d like to say “Thank You” for your time. I hope you’ve found these videos helpful, insightful, fun, and motivating. Now let’s get to the final tip of the month!

Print Multiple Versions

You just never know what can happen with computers. Your plugins might not open, your DAW might change, audio files might go missing. It’s a good move to print multiple variations or versions of your mixes when you do the initial mixdown. I’ll show you a couple of examples.

Depending on your musical background, you may or may not be using pads in your recordings. If you’re like me (a vocalist and guitarist) then you tend to focus on the “band” instruments. You get it all recorded and then sit back to mix.

The Missing Ingredient

But what I’ve noticed over the years is just how much my mixes can usually benefit from a pad or string patch of some kind at an epic part of the song. It’s typically a subtle part, but it becomes that missing ingredient that opens up a song and breathes life into my mix.

You’d be surprised at just how many famous songs throughout the years have percussion tracks all over them. I’m talking about classic tracks as well as modern chart topping tunes today. You may not notice them, but they are there.

Instant Energy In Your Mix

Percussion (like tambourine, shakers, hand drums) may not sound genre appropriate for your mix, but believe me it will likely work. There’s something about the energy and frequency response a good percussion layer can bring (even a loop) in the chorus or hook of your song.

There’s a reason why great mixes pop when they hit the chorus. Because the chorus sounds more interesting than the verse! It’s a mini payoff that just keeps coming back for more.

Think Backwards

One great way to make your chorus more interesting than the verse is to think backwards. Don’t just make the chorus busier and full of pointless tracks. Instead, head to the verses and strip them down.

The more you mix, the more you’ll discover how important the arrangement is. And as a mixer you’ll want to do everything in your power to tweak the arrangement in order to help make the mix pop.

Create Instant Contrast

One super simple way to create a huge sound is to create contrast. If you want the chorus of the song to pop for instance, then pan it as wide as possible, but keep the verses as narrow (or mono) as possible. It sounds easy because it is. But it works in a big way.