What is mixing?

We've heard people reference songs, and different versions of songs, by who mixed them or re-mixed them. Fix it in the mix is a common expression, and when we see photos of people in a studio, usually it's in front of a mixing desk. Mixing is often referred to as a sort of mystical stage of a song, where the song comes alive under the careful supervision of a mix engineer.

A simple definition of mixing — mixing is the art of balancing volume, stereo pan, dynamics, timbre, and depth to allow all of the elements of a song remain clearly defined.

Let's explore what mixing is trying to accomplish, and demystify it a bit. You don't have to have an enormous mixing desk that looks like a UFO to get a good mix, you just need to focus on the fundamentals.

Audio energy

I like to compare audio signal flow when mixing two rivers travelling towards the ocean. If you think of a river, it has banks that contain the water. Imagine the water as being your audio...