Balance” and “Un-Balance” a Mix

General

• Do Not Aim for a Balanced Mix as the Final Mix, it will be Like Nothing has Priority and Thus No Clarity 

• the Best Approach is to Do a Balanced Mix, i.e. Glue Elements Together but then Artfully “Un-Balance” the Mix

• the Problem of a Balanced Mix is You can Hear Everything, Everything will Become Equal Loud, Boring, Flat and Ear Fatiguing

• also 3rd People that are Listening to Your Song the First Time will Not Know What to Listen to

• the Key is to Always have Something at the Front of the Mix in Terms of Amplitude

• i.e. Something has to be Louder than the Other Instruments to Caught the Attention of a Listener

• then Find 1 or 2 (Maybe 3) Other Elements that Sit a Little Behind the Front Image but Support It Well, and for Everything Else you have to Find a Place (Typically Further Back in Space)

Artfully “Un-Balance” the Mix

• Learn to Hear when Things are Balanced and Know How Far to Go Beyond that, or How Shy in Order to Break the Flat Mix

1) Pick 3 Energetic Midrange Elements when you are Mixing (No Drums)

• e.g. Vocal / Bass / Guitar, or Synth / Bass / Other Synth

2) Then Make with the 3 Energetic Midrange Elements a Balanced Mix

• i.e. First Do What You Not Should Do and Balance Them Out so All 3 are Perfectly Hearable

3) Then Take Back 1 of the Elements in Volume

• i.e. Lower the Volume and Listen to the Effect it has when 1 Element Leaves the Building 

4) Then Bring 1 of the 2 Other Elements Forward in Volume, i.e. Pulling and Pushing Things in Volume

5) You will Notice is that It Might Take a Considerable Amount of Raising or Lowering a Elements Volume in Order to Make it Leave the Building

• Might be Only 1dB, but Mostly 3dB or 5dB

• Don’t be Shy to Change the Volume for the Best Spot

• i.e. when you have a Solid Glued Mix you can Really Play with Elements Volumes and the Mix Still Holds (e.g. Push Guitars Up by 6dB)