PDA

View Full Version : Hello From Central Florida.....



Bruce Swedien
26-01-2008, 20:29
I Record Music, and I Believe In The Art Of Mixing...... __________________________________________________ ______________

When we look at a great bridge arching across a deep, wide river, or bay, we are at once thrilled by its beauty. We are also subconciously at least, aware that a great deal of measuring, testing and calculating went into it's construction. I think it's safe to say that that bridge is an obviously fantastic combination of art and science.

Not so obvious perhaps, but equally beautiful and intriguing, is the physical architecture of good music. We, as listeners, are intellectually and emotionally moved by the sequence of sounds coming to us from many different sorts of instruments.

The ability for the listener to localize direction and to sense the spatial relationships of the orchestra in a recording(two of the most important factors in the reproduction of orchestral music), becomes our resposibility as recording people. This spatial character of orchestral sounds gives the music a feeling of depth and extensiveness, and in the case of orchestral recording preserves the true auditory perspectives that would be present in a live performance in a fine sounding concert hall.

The physical data for auditory localization and depth perception lie in the differences in the intensity and the arrival time of the sound components at each ear. Much care must be taken by the recording person to preserve those components in orchestral recording, by careful studio selection, studio set-up, microphone choice and microphone position.

In essence, what I am saying is that when an orchestral recording of a musical performance is made via a number of spacially separated microphones, and then transformed by mixing all of these microphones until two channels are obtained which have the desired stereophonic characteristics, including spacial depth and direction, we can say that the mixing process is successful.

It becomes even more fascinating to us as music recording people when it comes time to record that music and present our concept of that musical architecture, or in the case of orchestral recording, preserve that music with as much true auditory perspective as we can.

Music mixing is an extremely intuitive or instinctive part of the music recording process. At least, it is for me. During the mixing process we must make an effort to turn off the analytical part of the mind so that we can respond at the gut level of our sonic personality.

I think I can say that, in truth, Mixing is an extension of arranging in popular music.

It is fascinating, to me, that some of the most interesting rhythms are those that relate to the human work process. In other words, we have certain biological rhythms that make music more meaningful. For example; The rhythm of the human heart beat. The asymmetry of the heart beat makes it very meaningful when thought of in music terms. The rhythm of the human work process, such as picking cotton in a field or the Gandy Dancers on the railroads. These activities had a rhythm to them that can automatically become a part of music rhythm. It’s the basic, primitive physical actions that can be the most appealing part of a rhythm recording.

People like to be synchronized...

Bruce Swedien

:cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

Filterlab
26-01-2008, 20:56
Goodness me Bruce! That is a first post and a half, and with some lovely analogies too!


Welcome indeed, we could do with thinkers like you, would make the whole 'hi-fi' thing so much easier for those non-believers. :)