the human mix

I have noticed that many engineers tend to get into the technical head side of mixing that they forget the psychological response of music on people, let alone themselves. We all live and experience this life through the ports (senses) of our physical bodies. That can't be forgotten. When mixing, it is more than just the assembling and balancing of instrumentation (which is a good thing). I always equate it to riding the wave, or herding cats. You are creating something but this creation is based on the already created active tones that the musicians/singers are sending to you. Yes, you are assembling a complete creation, but you must go beyond that and give guidance to the creation (ok, that sounded a little too metaphysical).

I can't tell you how many times I have done a gig at a church where people (usually the leadership) will come up to me afterwards and lay glorious compliments on the sound of the service. I am sitting there thinking - I didn't do that much. But as I ponder later, I realize that I made a lot of little decisions. Like - this player isn't helping the song at the moment, so I will put him in the background and highlight someone who is. This singer is way off pitch so I will hide him/her. That guy is doing something cool, so lets hear it.

Church gigs are unique in the fact that usually there isn't an arrangement and the musicians may not even do the same thing from rehearsal to performance. (I am always amazed at how little instrumentalists will listen to each others parts but insist on doing things that will tear the song apart - but that is another topic all together). So yeah, in a sense, I guess I must be doing something different than the other guys, but I keep thinking, why aren't they doing this?

I can only come up with a couple answers. They aren't musical enough to understand the bad things being done by different musicians/singers on stage? They are actually not thinking about the music because they are caught up in the "headiness" of the thought. All brain, no emotion. I think that most people can tell when things aren't right, otherwise I wouldn't be getting the gigs I get. Its not the engineers that are seeking me out to come help them out. Obviously, the engineers don't think anything is a problem.

We live in emotion driven bodies, listen with them. Don't turn the emotion off just because you are doing a heady technical thing. The console is actually a musical instrument in that regard. You are in the process of creation, a creative process. This isn't like building a building with a set of plans. You may have an idea of what you want to create, but it may not come out that way. Music is a journey, going somewhere. The engineer is simply trying to guide it and keep it looking as good as possible on the way. Music is emotion so emotion must be a key factor in making good decisions.