Mix Energy Revival: Transforming Dull Mixes with Expert Tips

Hey y’all!

I recently chatted with a mix engineer pal who expressed frustration about receiving a production that felt "dull and lacking energy”- aka stale bread vibes. This conversation got me curious about the techniques and strategies needed to bring life to a mix that's lacking that spark. This compelled me to dive deeper into the subject and dedicate this week's blog mix energy revival.

Expert Insights from Grammy Award-Winning Engineer Dacota G. Fresilli

On that fabulous note, I chatted with Grammy Award Winning Engineer Dacota G. Fresilli (Childish Gambino, Diplo, Paul Russell) to inquire more.

I asked him: “What are some of your go to ways for adding energy and movement to a mix that feels dull and lacking energy?”

Production Techniques for Mix Energy Revival

He said: “It’s song dependent, but let's break this into two categories; production and vocals. 

I’m going to focus on getting the low end to hit harder. I’m also going to make sure that my drums feel a bit heavier and that the transients are coming through the way I want them to. This helps not only add energy, but also give the mix itself more dimension. One of my favorite tools to accomplish this is using the Rabbit Tape (often in parallel). The easiest way to add movement is with wet fx (reverb / delay) or to automate instruments back and forth (with level) or side to side (with panning). On most mixes I'm using a combination of these techniques in order to achieve movement and a wider stereo field. 

Vocal Techniques for Mix Energy Revival

I'll hit the vocals with the Camel Strip, I like the weight from the 76 compression in parallel. I'll probably add a bit of top end from the 4K depending on the song. Let’s touch on the movement aspect. I like fast delays. Especially fast ping pong delays. Once my EQ and compression is dialed in, I’m heading for the Yak Delay (probably in combination with the Dirty Dog or Flamingo Verb). I’ll start with a ping pong 1/16th delay and then adjust the time, drive and EQ accordingly. More times than not, I want you to feel the delay a bit more than you audibly hear it. I used this approach and a lot of these tools (aside from Camel Strip - it wasn't out yet) on EMMY's Mouthful EP.

My Takeaways and Future Experiments

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dacota’s insightful answer and appreciated how he divided his treatment of a dull mix into two main categories: production and vocals.

Emphasizing Transients in Production: My biggest takeaway from the production side was the emphasis on transients. I've always defaulted to thinking of EQs and compressors as the primary tools for shaping and enhancing a mix. Transient shapers and other methods of transient shaping weren't at the forefront of my mind until reading Dacota’s answer. This was a big Oprah-esque "aha!" moment for me. I'm definitely going to dive deeper into the world of transients and start experimenting with different tools and methods. So, when faced with a stale bread vibe mix, I'll be ready to roll!

Revolutionary Vocal Techniques: When reading the vocal side of Dacota’s answer, one line stood out as a MEGA revolutionary moment for me: “I want you to feel the delay more than you audibly hear it.” While it may sound simple, this idea got me thinking deeply about creating movement and vibe within a production or mix, with the listener feeling it more than they audibly hear it. This concept really opened my mind to a new approach to generating energy in music. I'm excited to get back into the studio and experiment with Dacota’s methods, using delay and other effects to enhance the emotional impact in an almost inaudible way. I'll definitely be referring back to his answer in the future!

Thanks Dacota for your insightful answer!
Catch y'all next week!