Have an intention and a plan for each mixing move

Instrumentalists can anticipate the sound effect of certain techniques, such as the amount of pressure applied with the bow.1 Vocalists learn to audiate before singing. Audio engineers also develop audiation, anticipating the effects of changes certain processor parameters or choosing a microphone.1

Jason Corey calls this isomorphic mapping of technical parameters to perceived sound.2

Have a vision in mind of why you want to use compression before you use it.3 Practice guessing what EQ move to make before making it. Instead of sweeping around or relying on visualizers, make an intentional decision about what you think needs to be done, e.g.: “I need to cut 2dB from 200Hz.”4

  1. Audio Production and Critical Listening pg. 7 #audio-production-and-critical-listening ↩ ↩2

  2. Audio Production and Critical Listening pg. 6 ↩

  3. How to Finish Your Mix BEFORE Your Start It - YouTube ↩

  4. STOP sweeping the EQ, train your EARS to KNOW frequencies! - YouTube These intentions train your instincts. ↩

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