RECORDING
Dom Morley engineered on Amy Winehouse’s number-one Back to Black album, Mark Ronson’s Version and Record Collection, Rich-
ard Ashcroft’s These People and Keys to the World, the debut album from Nick Cave’s Grinderman, and singles for Adele, Morrissey,
JP Cooper, and Estelle, amongst others. He has also engineered or mixed for Rag’n’Bone Man, The Staves, Rumer, Keane, Birdy,
Lemon Jelly, Jeff Beck, Sting, I Am Kloot, The Verve, and Underworld, as well as working with The Police on the pre-production
for their world tour and recording and mixing the audio for series for Channel 4 and Island Records. www.dommorley.com.
www.themixconsultancy.com.
By Dom Morley
The Psychology of Mixing
I
love a technical discussion as much
as the next person, but I think it’s
worth pausing every now and then
to think about the psychological as-
pect of the work that we do. What
challenges do we face as engineers, and
what do we need to consider on behalf
of our clients?
I would say that the biggest psycho-
logical challenge that we face during
mixing is maintaining perspective. If
you’ve ever got stuck into a mix, been
deep in a “flow state,” and then after a
few hours compared your mix to a ref-
erence track and realized that there’s not
enough bass or your vocal is clearly too
loud, then you know what I mean. These
things can happen, and it’s just a case
of keeping your perspective in check.
If you’re mixing for a client, then you
should have a playlist with a few tracks
that they want you to sonically aim for.
Keep referring to these to make sure
you’re in the ballpark. Obviously, you’re
not looking to copy anything – just to
be able to stand up alongside them and
sound like you should be there.
In a very Buzzfeed-y sort of way, I
have three “takes” that can help main-
tain perspective.
Take Breaks
Getting yourself into a “flow state” can
really push a mix forward, but you have
to remember that regular breaks prevent
you from pushing for many hours in the
wrong direction. I find it useful to get
up and walk around. Leave the room or
even leave the building if you can. Just
sitting in the same chair and hopping on
to social media is technically a break from
mixing, but it’s not as effective as actually
leaving the space that you’re working in.
(I think I need to be in an acoustically
different space to give my ears a proper
rest, but maybe that’s just me.) It only
needs to be a couple of minutes. Then,
sit back in front of your mix and prepare
to take notes…
Take Notes
On your first listen back after a break, you
hear with fresh ears, but this perspective
doesn’t last very long. You know when you
come back home from a holiday, and you
have about 30 minutes where you walk
around and see your house or flat as other
people do? Why is that pile of stuff still in
the corner? How is that wall still not paint-
ed? This bathroom looks tragic, etc. After
about 30 minutes, you don’t see those
problems again until the next time you
return from a trip. Coming back to a mix
after a break is a similar thing. That’s why
it’s good to make notes on that first listen
– a few things will be noticeable with this
new perspective and they will be worth
exploring. Within a couple of listens, those
fresh ears will be back to normal.
Take a Friend
This is an interesting one, as playing your
mix to a friend can really help you hear it
from a listener’s perspective. If this friend
has an opinion that you trust then all the
better, but the reason you’re doing this
is to see how it changes your perspec-
tive and not to gain theirs. This is really
worth trying if you’ve not done it before
as you’re likely to be amazed by what you
notice when you’re in this “performance”
frame of mind.
Now that we know a little more about
how we can get a handle on our own
psychological challenges during mixing,
what can we do to help our clients do
the same? As a mixer, you come in right
at the end of a potentially very long
process. It’s also possible that you’re the
first “outsider” to be involved creatively.
Being respectful of this and understand-
ing your client’s stresses will help any mix
session go smoothly.
Mixing is generally remote these days
– artists appear to have concluded that
mixing is not a spectator sport. (I was
an assistant for a few years, and I agree.)
This is not a problem but it requires good
communication. Let your client know
what’s happening and when it’s happen-
ing, of course, but also make sure you get
as much information as possible on what
they are looking for. Obviously ask for a
playlist to give you an idea of how they
want to sound, but also ask why each
song is on the playlist. Is it there because
they like the vocal sound? Or the drum
sound? Or is it just the overall balance?
All of this communication will reassure
the client and make your life easier at
the same time!
And as a final note on the psychology
of mixing, unless you are lucky enough
to be in a large studio complex with lots
of people to talk to, you’ll find yourself
working on your own most of the time.
This level of solitude is not normal for
humans and can be bad for your men-
tal health! Try to integrate some actual
(not virtual) human interaction into your
working life and it’ll make for happier and
more creative sessions.
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 59