Interesting interactions

For many modern genres – and especially electronic styles – the music is the mix. By this, we mean that very combinations of sounds may sound stale and lifeless off the shelf, but can be mixed together in a way that brings the overall song to life. One of the main reasons to bus signals together is to process them together, to facilitate clarity, separation, homogenisation, depth, and – most importantly – personality.

With this in mind, one of the most vital components of a character-packed mix is dynamics. A producer or mix engineer’s definition of a ‘dynamic’ mix varies from person to person, but it can be agreed that a ‘flat’, static track will come across worse than one with energy, punch, and a sense of ‘bounce’. Yet modern mixes must, to some degree, also maintain some form of dynamic consistency in order to compete with other equivalent tracks in the same genre – while the Loudness War is (sort of) over, there is a base level of loudness that must be reached.

So how can we achieve a loud mix that still retains dynamics? One expert way is by grouping together certain mix elements, then collectively processing them together to induce dynamic interaction and movement. For example, let’s say an overall drum groove features several hi-hat and shaker parts – compress all these hats together correctly, and each top-end component of this overall groove will influence movement over another on a micro scale. In addition to this, you can use

other mix elements to affect that group’s dynamics, which gives you even more options. For a practical example of all this, flip to p44 and check out our tutorial.