ABSTRACT
Mixing is often discussed-and now taught-as though it were a singular and straightforwardly linear procedure, with a single definitive output, namely, ‘the mix’, which is then sent off for client approval and, eventually, for mastering. But mixing is a far more complicated procedure than this linear narrative suggests. Mixes are often made, and remade, and remade again, before they ever make market, and this is done to suit a host of often competing interests. Moreover, to account for the specific musical market(s) for which a record is intended, mix engineers will often alter their approaches in a number of significant ways. A kick drum on a heavy metal record sounds very different from the kick drum on a jazz record, for instance; and with pop, rock, EDM and folk records, the vocals sit in very different places in their respective mixes. Indeed, a galaxy of unique sonic details marks a mix for one market over another, and every mix engineer adjusts their technique in light of those details. Few sources provide concrete information about the adjustments they make, however, beyond simply suggesting that they do so to suit the demands of the various markets they address by their work.
