Find the Groove
Of all of the reference material I have ever read in regard to mixing and tips on getting a great mix, there has been no better advice than this: Find the groove and build the house. This section on finding the groove has less to do with the technical aspects of mixing that has been covered in other articles and more to do with enhancing the mix that you've worked so hard to get up to this point.
Finding the groove and building the house means that you need to understand what the song is about musically. Understand the genre and understand what instruments are defining the groove of this song. Many times it's just going to be the kick drum and the bass. Sometimes it will be the kick, bass and the rhythm guitar. Sometimes it will be completely different instruments. Whatever. That's up to you to decide.
Begin With the End in Mind
That's what the author Steven Covey says when he talks about the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, but his advice applies here as well. What he means is that if you will visualize the end product when you begin the construction phase, you will build each element of your house so they all fit together as tight as a jigsaw puzzle. Another way to put it is called 'design intent'. This is the advice given to those who use 3D CAD software. If you have the correct design intent, then you won't over- or under-specify each component of the item you're attempting to build. In other words, get back to basics. Begin to think of your creation, this song, as not a collection of a jillion tracks all being somehow effected separately. Think of it as one song. A single product that is now taking on a life of its own. Start visualizing it as one thing and start thinking about how you can enhance this creation of yours. Experiment. Leave out what doesn't belong.
So as it applies to creating and mixing music, if you know what you want this song to sound like in the final mix, then you'll know how to plan the recording sessions so they'll fit your design intent. You'll also get the idea that maybe you don't need a keyboard playing throughout the entire song, or cello part or whatever.
But, recording tips and designing sessions with the mind of a producer is a separate topic, one in which I highly recommend that you take some time researching articles and tips and books on the subject. One such great book is called
Mixing With Your Mind, written by Australia's own Mike Stavrou. I think it's one of the best books about recording techniques and psychoacoustics that I've ever seen. An excellent, excellent book much different than other ones of its type. It's a really great book with micing and recording tips, and it's all about working smarter, not harder!
Begin with a very tight back beat. If the drums and bass are not in sync, forget about trying to make the rest of the song tight. It begins here. Spend the majority of your studio time making rock-bottom sure of this.
The next article in the series talks about what to do with the groove now that you've found it:
Tips for Audio Mixing: The Groove.
