Quote:
Originally posted by Ted Nightshade
In my experience, every bit of mixing and processing degrades the sound in a very significant way. Before long, you're compensating for one processor with another processor. Ay-yi-yi! It's too much for me- I just track it flat and right and leave it just like that. Even the super-high-quality mastering processors in great rooms with great monitors and great ears and skills and experience do damage every single time.
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I'd say a lot of time you need 'degradation' to make a mix work. Let's say I'm tracking electric guitar, naturally I will try to think ahead and capture a sound that sonically doesn't carry too much excess baggage, but then again I will leave all the options open. I see it as 'trimming the fat' in most cases, get a sound that is great but probably slightly too big in context. Mostly it will mean cutting some midrange or perhaps adding a bit of shelving EQ, what's wrong with that?
Just yesterday at a band rehearsal the drummer suggested I should use a cleaner sound on a certain rhythm part, I stepped on my Boss DS-1, slightly turned down the volume on the guitar and that was it. The sound WAS much better in context, adding a bit of distortion made it 'cleaner' i.e made it work in the whole picture. Mixing is the same to me, don't fix it when it ain't broken but please don't be so precious about the source.
Andi
www.doorknocker.ch