Basics of Mixing – 1. What is mixing?

Hello, This is Jooyoung Kim, a mixing engineer and music producer.

In the field of audio engineering, where a certain degree of autonomous judgment is essential, I believe it’s important to continuously ask yourself questions.

So, let me start with a question for you.

What do you think mixing is?

Take some time to ask yourself this question and ponder over it. What is your definition of mixing?…

The answers might vary: balancing sounds, making them commercially appealing, combining multiple tracks into one format, and so on.

Personally, putting aside balance and everything else, I believe mixing is “the process of sonically realizing the composer’s intent.”

For instance, if the lyrics need to be clearly heard, that’s how they should be mixed. If a cello line needs to have a rich sound with a long reverb, then that’s what needs to be done. Furthermore, it’s crucial to understand the composer’s intent and sometimes provide sonic ideas that they might not have considered.

To achieve this, you need to use plugins or hardware that suit the characteristics of each track, and naturally, the settings must be tailored accordingly. This is why learning about audio technology and knowledge is important.

Since sound is a wave, the initial content will be closer to physics. If you’re not from a science background like me, it might feel tedious, and you might question why you need to learn this.

When that happens, remind yourself that “this knowledge is necessary to effectively realize the intent of my song or my client’s song sonically.” This will help you stay focused and on track.

Through my experience with mixing, I got my own definition. I hope you, too, will take the time to think about what mixing is and why you are doing it as you study and practice mixing.

In the next post, I will explain the scientific background knowledge that is essential for mixing.

See you in the next post!