By Doug Fearn
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In this last of three episodes on the art of producing, I talk about my process for mixing. It is all part of the concept of a song from the beginning. Mixing is where everything comes together to create the version of the song that the artist and I have had.
As an over-simplification, my approach is to turn up the things I like and turn down, or mute, the things I don’t like. But the details are much more complex than that and I explain what I do and why.
I combine the mastering process with mixing. The result is ready for distribution, whether it is in a digital format or for a vinyl record.
The album used in this example is “Time To Be Brave,” by Corrie Lynn Green. You can listen for free to an mp3 version of all the songs at Native DSD, and purchase a download of the album in a variety of digital formats.
https://www.nativedsd.com/label/outer-marker-records/
And learn more about our record label, Outer Marker, at:
https://www.outermarkerrecords.com/
email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/
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This is the second of three episodes on the Art of Producing. In this one, I talk about the mics and equipment I use in my studio, and the reasons why.
The example used for this series features an album project for singer-songwriter Corrie Lynn Green. It is an acoustic-based project, although there are some electric guitars and bass on some songs. I explain why I make certain decisions for this project, and how a recording with a different artist or genre would require a different approach.
Corrie’s album, “Time To Be Brave,” will be released on Outer Marker Records on September 6, 2024, and distributed by Native DSD as a download purchase only. But you can listen to all the songs for free (in mp3) on the Native DSD web site. https://www.nativedsd.com/label/outer-marker-records/
The third and final episode of this series on producing will look at mixing and mastering.
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https://dwfearn.com/
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The art of producing a record requires knowledge of music, mastering the technical aspects of the recording process, and an ability to work with people.
This is the first of a three-part series about producing. In this episode, I talk about the role of the producer, using a typical album project for Corrie Lynn Green as an example. Not all productions will follow this example, since there are many different styles of music, different artists and musicians, that you may encounter.
My approach to producing and recording is not typical in many ways. I point this out in the episode, and encourage people to find what works best for them.
By the way, "My Take On Music Recording" is now carried by YouTube Podcasts. Just like any podcast provider, this is audio only. You can find it on YouTube by searching for "Fearn" under "Podcasts." All 94 episodes to date are available, and each new one will be added.
The dozens of other podcast providers will continue, of course.
email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/
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Our perception of frequency balance varies with loudness, a fact documented by Harvey Fletcher and Wilden A. Munson, two scientists at Bell Laboratories. In 1933, they published a paper called, “Loudness, its definition, measurement and calculation.” It was groundbreaking science in the field of human hearing, and has implications today for how we perceive music. This is especially important when we are mixing.
In this episode, I explain the basics of the Fletcher-Munson Curves and how we can use that knowledge to make better recordings.
email: [email protected]
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https://dwfearn.com/
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Almost all pop music features someone singing. Getting the best vocal performance is crucial, since most listeners respond to the words of a song and need to be able to hear them.
In this episode, I first discuss the human factors involved in getting a great performance from singers, mostly from a producer’s viewpoint.
And then I focus on the technical requirements of capturing that performance using microphones, mic preamps, processing, effects, and mixing. Often there are problems to be fixed in a vocal track, and I review some of the techniques from salvaging a performance that is less than perfect.
email: [email protected]
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https://dwfearn.com/
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There are many things that are important to create the proper studio environment for creative success. Most of these things are pretty mundane, but they do make a difference.
Examples I cover in this episode include microphone stands and accessories, music stands and instrument stands, chairs, headphones, studio lighting and climate control, and mic and other cables.
It’s not the most exciting equipment we deal with, but it is still important to get it right. After 50+ years of doing sessions, I have some solid ideas about what works for me. I hope you will find these ideas and suggestions helpful.
And here are the links for the Spring Birds recording I mentioned at the start of this episode:
https://www.outermarkerrecords.com/
https://www.nativedsd.com/label/outer-marker-records/
email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/
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Ever since its announcement, I have been interested in learning more about Dolby Atmos. I was skeptical at first, primarily because of my experience with “Quad” back in the 1970s. That 4-channel concept never gain any popularity with either the listening public nor in the recording community. I presumed that Atmos would be similar, just more speakers. The early demo sessions I attended left me convinced that this was going to be another dead end, like Quad. The early mixes I heard were gimmicky and did not serve the musical intent of the artist well.
But as I was exposed to mixers who really understood how to use the expanded format, my interest increased. And for the public? I never thought there would be much market acceptance of a system that required many speakers. But Dolby was smart about their implementation. The system knows how many speakers you have and creates a version that fits your hardware.
There’s more to Atmos, however, because of certain psychoacoustic processing that goes on, the resulting mix, in any format down to plain stereo, sounds better, with more detail and separation of sounds. I hear more things in an Atmos mix, even in headphones, than I did in the stereo mix.
Shawn Dealey is the chief engineer at Sweetwater Studios in Indiana. I have been involved with several mixing projects with Shawn over the past couple of years, and I think he has an effective approach to interpreting the producer/artist/engineer’s intent, and making it into an improved version.
In this episode, I talk with Shawn about his evolution as he explores the new format. I learned a lot from Shawn, and I think you will, too.
This episode was recorded at Sweetwater Studio B, the main Atmos mixing room. We used AEA 44 mics, a VT-2 mic preamp, and a VT-7 compressor, the same chain I use for recording most episodes.
Thanks for listening. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please pass them along to me at [email protected]
email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/
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Compression and limiting are tools we use to modify the dynamic range of the music we record. In this episode, I present a brief history of where this technique came from, how it evolved over the years since the 1930s. I discuss the various ways that compression circuits work, from the variable-mu vacuum tube, to the optical compressor, the FET, the VCA, the PWM, and the digital limiters. I explain how these different approaches affect the sound in different ways.
There are often a lot of adjustments on a compressor, and I go through the most common controls you are likely to encounter and what they do to the sound.
Compressor and limiter effects on the music are subjective, so I try to give general guidance for getting the sound you want from your hardware and software devices.
Your ideas for future episodes are always welcomed. And your comments are useful to me. You can reach me at [email protected]
email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/
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This is part 2 of the Audiophiles Guide to Music Recording. You can listen to part 1 at
https://www.buzzsprout.com/942952/14335456
Or you can access part 1 wherever you listen to podcasts.
My Take on Music Recording is primarily aimed at people in the professional recording world, but there are a significant number of listeners who are music lovers and audiophiles. This episode provides an overview of the recording process for them. However, I think even people in our profession might enjoy how I attempt to explain the recording studio process in layman’s terms.
This reflects my experience and how I work as a producer and engineer. I tend to carry over the tools and techniques that I have learned over the last five decades. They work best for me and my style of recording. I know that there are other approaches, and I try to acknowledge and explain those, too. But my focus is on what I do, which isn’t always mainstream.
Your feedback on these episodes is especially interesting to me. Tell me what you think.
As always, thanks for listening, commenting, and subscribing. I can always be reached at [email protected]
email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/
Send us a text
My Take on Music Recording is primarily aimed at people in the professional recording world, but there are a significant number of listeners who are music lovers and audiophiles. This episode provides an overview of the recording process for them. However, I think even people in our profession might enjoy how I attempt to explain the recording studio process in layman’s terms.
This reflects my experience and how I work as a producer and engineer. I tend to carry over the tools and techniques that I have learned over the last five decades. They work best for me and my style of recording. I know that there are other approaches, and I try to acknowledge and explain those, too. But my focus is on what I do, which isn’t always mainstream.
There is a lot to cover, so this topic is split into two episodes. I will publish the second half next week.
Your feedback on these episodes is especially interesting to me. Tell me what you think.
As always, thanks for listening, commenting, and subscribing. I can always be reached at [email protected]
email: [email protected]
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/
The podcast currently has 96 episodes available.
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