Mixing

In the land of recording arts, things can get expensive pretty fast when you’re at the deep end of the pool. 21st century technology has also progressed to the point that anyone with basic skills can potentially record their own music at an impressive level while keeping costs within reason. However, the challenge still remains in taking that home recording and bridging the gap between what sounds like a bedroom demo and something done by a professional, especially in the age when we’re all one click away from the world’s top releases. You may have already tried to mix your songs, struggled to get them sounding as good as you intend to and that could be why you’re here.

 

If you’re a hobbyist, enthusiast, band or artist with recorded material that doesn’t have a major budget, but is looking for a way to elevate your audio and stand next to the standards of today, you’re in the right place. As an artist myself, I understand the challenge musicians face when they want to put out quality content but don’t have a lot of capital to work with. That’s why I enjoy working with self-produced artists to provide something that hopefully opens doors and gives opportunities for their next project to be done at the next tier. Those of you who are further along that want to forgo the time and costs of your usual process can benefit from my work as well. Whatever you’re looking to do, don’t hesitate to ask because I can most likely help. If not, I probably know someone who can – so let’s talk about your goals and get you started on a track to achieving them. Simply check out my mixing process below and visit me in the “contact section”.

Online Mixing Process

Welcome to my mixing process. It’s worth noting that it’s best for me to communicate through e-mail at first. This helps keep my correspondence organized so I can easily reference previous conversations and provide good answers to your questions until I’m more familiar with you and your project.

 

A great introduction would be writing me a little bit about yourself, band, goals, what makes your music unique and anything else that might help me wrap my head around what you’re going for. After we’ve discussed your goals and you decide to hire me as your mixing engineer, the instructions below will help guide you through each step. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions along the way.

 

Transfer Digital Files

1.       TRANSFER DIGITAL FILES

Upon completing the tracking phase of your compositions, you’ll need to prepare the audio for mixing. Please bounce stems (one .WAV for each track) and share with me via Google Drive or Dropbox. Uploading to one of these free file sharing services and sending a link to KYYLEMUSIC@GMAIL.COM usually works best. Once I’ve received your files and have reviewed for quality & compatibility, I move your project(s) to my queue. When your project(s) are next in line, the mixing phase begins and you can have something to listen to in a matter of days.

 

Helpful hints:

Denoting a few reference tracks gives me a glimpse into your end vision. If you’re goals are to add an outside influence and have me put my artistic stamp on it, this step may not be necessary, but that’s not often the case. Providing a reference or two along with at least one being from the current Billboard charts closest to your genre is ideal (.mp3 or .wav is fine).

 

It’s crucial for all of your stems to have identical start & stop points. For instance, if your song is four minutes long, all of your tracks should start at [00.00] and end at [04:00] regardless of their lengths in your session. This ensures everything will line up correctly and imports smoothly on my end. Also, 44.1k & 24 bit are what I typically go with so if yours are different it’s nice to know ahead of time. If you need any help with this process don’t hesitate to ask.

Mixing Phase

2.       MIXING PHASE

This is where I take over the controls and begin mixing at my home studio. I’ll import the provided stems into my DAW, do any necessary cleanup and apply my process, first doing a rough mix and then a more detailed primary pass with fresh ears. Then, it will go through a series of speaker checks to check translation before being sent back to you for feedback.

Revisions

3.       REVISIONS

It’s important to remember that we are somewhat limited to the extent of what has been recorded. Your material may not have been recorded with world class microphones by top engineers in a perfect room (or maybe it was!), but our goal is to get your material sounding as good as we can with your references and vision in mind. And while no amount of mixing can fix recording impurities, we’ll certainly spend time in the revisions phase using our best polishing techniques & get a mix you love.

 

Two revisions (.mp3) are included in the flat rate and on most projects a final mix will take shape during that time. If we can’t materialize a final mix within those margins or shortly after, I may add additional charges in rare occasions. In either case, your time and satisfaction rank highest. That all being said, the best thing you can do on your end towards getting a final product you’re happy with is giving me as much honest direction and feedback as possible. Being as detailed as you can with your opinions and goals from beginning to end removes a lot of guess work.

Download Premaster

4.       DOWNLOAD PRE-MASTER

We’re almost done! After we’ve talked about revisions and I’ve applied tweaks, I’ll send you an invoice and then a high-quality download link for your final mix (.wav) upon payment. This finished version will possess enough headroom and be at the appropriate levels so your mastering engineer can have the best possible mix when they take the baton.