Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio

by Mike Senior

Discover how to achieve release-quality mixes even in the smallest studios by applying power-user techniques from the world's most successful producers.

Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio is the best-selling primer for small-studio enthusiasts who want chart-ready sonics in a hurry. Drawing on the back-room strategies of more than 160 famous names, this entertaining and down-to-earth guide leads you step-by-step through the entire mixing process. On the way, you'll unravel the mysteries of every type of mix processing, from simple EQ and compression through to advanced spectral dynamics and "fairy dust" effects. User-friendly explanations introduce technical concepts on a strictly need-to-know basis, while chapter summaries and assignments are perfect for school and college use.

▪ Learn the subtle editing, arrangement, and monitoring tactics which give industry insiders their competitive edge, and master the psychological tricks which protect you from all the biggest rookie mistakes.

▪ Find out where you don't need to spend money, as well as how to make a limited budget really count.

▪ Pick up tricks and tips from leading-edge engineers working on today's multi-platinum hits, including Derek "MixedByAli" Ali, Michael Brauer, Dylan "3D" Dresdow, Tom Elmhirst, Serban Ghenea, Jacquire King, the Lord-Alge brothers, Tony Maserati, Manny Marroquin, Noah "50" Shebib, Mark "Spike" Stent, DJ Swivel, Phil Tan, Andy Wallace, Young Guru, and many, many more...

Now extensively expanded and updated, including new sections on mix-buss processing, mastering, and the latest advances in plug-in technology.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Reference, How To, Textbooks, Science, Art

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Jason Fella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm this book was hard to review, for several reasons. First, just so you know who this review is coming from, here’s a quick bio: I’ve been a guitarist for the last 20 years or so, and have been getting more into the production/mixing side of things the last ten years. So, I’m no stranger to the subject. I have three other books similar to this, which I’ll be comparing this to.

Ok, one of the difficulties in reviewing this book is based on the title. I’ve learned, after buying many books with similar titles, that it is usually a marketing gimic. However, it’s also subjective. If you’re brand new to the mixing side of things, then indeed this whole book could contain hundreds of secrets. But if you’re already fairly versed, not so much.
My other issue with the title is that the implication is that his target audience is people with not as much experience, who might not know some of the info he is assuming we know. So, he skips over a lot of things I feel could’ve been addressed. When he starts talking about things like phase response, comb filtering, etc. with the assumption we already know about that, he’ll lose a lot of people right there.

So, I decided to review the book based primarily on his “mission statement” if you will, in the introduction. He says this book will teach you to create “release quality mixes” on a budget. In that respect, the book definitely falls short. So, here we go:

First off, he proudly states in the beginning that this book is based on his research into the studios of over a 100 engineers. Yet, we only get occasional quotes from one or two of them on any given topic. As a huge fan of older Bryan Adams records, I’d kill to know, for example how R.J. Lange or Bob Clearmountain approach a mix. How do they handle guitars? Vocals? None of that is in here. If you’re looking for more meaty info specifically on how different producers handle these subjects, the book “The Mixing Engineers Handbook” has huge amounts of that. Full interviews with engineers/producers on these subjects.

Secondly, although he states the book is a “step by step primer” some information is so conspicuously absent, I was shocked. For example, when I get a book like this, I almost always go straight to the chapters on EQ and compression, since those are arguably THE most important things, and the things that will trip most people up. Although there definitely is some very good info on those subjects in this book, he gives you absolutely NO idea how to apply those effects to any individual instrument. None. There is a short section on “Compressing Lead Vocals” but I think that was it. So, how are we supposed to get a release quality mix done, if we don’t even know where to start with the two most important effects? What frequencies are we concerned with, as far as the kick drum? Electric guitars? We are left completely floundering in that respect. Here, “The Mixing Engineers Handbook” shines again. It has detailed frequency information on individual instruments, for things like “fullness” “attack” “presence” etc.

What if we just want to know how the pro’s might set up a lead vocal? Or how we might treat electric guitars in the mix? Again, really none of that, that I recall. The previously mentioned book, as well as “Mix Smart” and “Using Your Portable Studio” all have that kind of info in them.

The chapter on compression was quite good in a lot of ways. He really explains all the different controls and parameters of compression, but then gives you no real idea how to use it on individual instruments, aside from generalities.

He mentions some specific plugins, both free and paid, which is always welcome. There is a lot of good info in this book, but was completely taken aback by the overwhelmingly high reviews it got. Some people even said this is the only book you’d ever need on the subject. COMPLETELY disagree. As far as my other books, “Mix Smart” is one of the best and most comprehensive I’ve ever seen. I’m constantly going back and referencing it. It has it’s faults, too, like not having any audio material as examples. The Mixing Engineers Handbook is also quite good, but has it’s faults, too. But if I were to get only one book, it would be one of those others.

Lastly, this book has a companion website with audio material, which I’ll be checking out soon, so that could really add a lot of value to the book, in which case I’ll happily amend my review. Also, the chapter on reverb was one of the highlights of the book. He really covers the different uses of that effect, and the five different aspects of it you’ll looking at with the effect. However, there is an apparent contradiction on the subject of “pre-delay.” I’ve read it several times, and maybe I’m missing something, but he seems to say one thing, contradict himself, then contradict himself again? He says the less pre-delay you use, the more it will push the sound away from the listener. Then he says to add 10 to 20 ms of pre-delay to start, “aiming on the shorter side for a more intimate sounding space, and on the longer side for a more spacious virtual acoustic...” then turns around and says you can always add a second reverb with more pre-delay to further distance the sound from the listener? Maybe it’s just me, but I’m confused.

At any rate. I hope this review helps. I will say the reviews that give this only one or two stars are flatly unfair. I’d give this 3.5 stars.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a student with a classical background in a class full of people with either experience playing electric instruments or experience in music technology, I found myself confused and dragging behind. This book was my saviour. The step-by-step breakdown, full of explanations and background in an easy-to-understand language was amazing and allowed me to complete my first mix successfully, even with no previous experience. Don't be worried when I say step-by-step breakdown: he doesn't say "Do this! It's the one and only way!" Rather, he shows various methods, explaining that not every method would work for every mix and even provides links to find out more about the different schools of thought. I really liked that he explained why he was doing things, instead of just saying "do this", as it helped me to adapt the methods to different situations and to really understand what I was doing, rather than following blindly.

I would absolutely recommend this to any student or mixing beginner. I've heard it's also good for experienced mixers who are seeking to develop their skills, but I can't talk for that as I am not one of them! However, I can definitely see this as a book that remains on my shelf for reference and revision for a long time - beyond my student days.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great stuff, this book is a very complete guide to start mixing your songs on a amateur home studio. The main idea behind the whole thing is to teach ways of making your final work much more professional without relying on expensive equipments. It was very important for me to better understand EQ and Compression. Although I finished my first read, I will always leave it nearby for future researches. Another important detail is that it never appears to be trying to sell you one brand or product, it really makes you feel that the only important thing is knowledge and experience. This book is a ultimate reference for home studios.

[Michael Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good solid book to help a budding audio engineer understand the concepts (and some of the tricks) of mixing music. At this point the edition I read is a bit long in the tooth (10 years old) which means that some of the details of technologies are dated, and the author sometimes cracks little jokes that I don't understand - I think they're probably hilarious if you're British, but my American mind doesn't make it there. And admittedly I am nowhere near as seasoned and experienced of a mixer as the author is, there are some pieces of his advice that I just disagreed with!

None of that makes this a bad or flawed book. Different producers are going to have different preferences, technology is going to change over time, and it's not Mike Senior's fault I'm not British! The basics are all there, and this book can be a great help. It's been an inspiration as I've been working on my own music.

[Axel De Vuyst · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extensive book full of tips & tricks you should be aware of when approaching the art of mixing. The only downside is the way the book is structured as it's not really a book you can easily fall back to when you quickly want to refresh some insights.

[Dhruv · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well written book covering many issues faced by someone who wants to take his/her audio mixing to the next level. The points at the end of each topic summarizing the salient features are brilliant. I also liked the insight presented in the form of quotations by some of the very best in the recording business. This is definitely not a one time read. Instead ,it is more of a reference book for audio recording and mixing enthusiasts to try out different tips and tricks in order to refine their art.

[Joshua Gere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having produced for around 8 years but never really getting a formal introduction to mixing, this book completely shifted my perspective. I never considered the intricacy of the physics of audio and rooms and how that plays such an important part in building a foundation for music production. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the fundamentals of mixing and time/project management, as well as the applications of these in live audio and in production.

[Jake Artley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book so far on techniques related to recording music. This is specific to mixing and not the whole process of recording, but is incredible in both its practicality and its readability. Example, most books on recording will remind you to listen to your mixes from multiple sources (monitors, headphones, car, etc.). This book tells you in more specific detail how to do that well and how to use listening in mono as a check for phasing problems. It is then set up to walk one through the mixing process in a way that keeps you mindful of a good order of workflow so that at each step you are making progress rather than creating more work that requires you to go backward. I wish books on the rest of the recording process were as well written and as useful.

[Aleksandar · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent all-encompassing starting point for getting into music mixing. As you would expect it's full of technical bits, which are well explained. The book is interspersed with humor, which helps to mellow out the otherwise heady engineering lingo.

The main focus in terms of music styles of this book is commercial pop music and rock music. So vocals, guitars and drums get a lot of coverage. If you're doing something closer to experimental electronic music without vocals, there's a bit to skim through, but overall the book is still worthwhile for mixing any style of music.

[Dorian Gutowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very solid position for someone who wants to deal with professional sound processing. If you're a beginner like me, I wouldn't recommend picking up this book right away. It's too overwhelming and the amount of information is beyond comprehension for someone who doesn't know what they're doing. But overall a very good book, hence 5 stars.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive book on mixing techniques, it's packed with useful information. The chapters on compression and eq are very well written, these alone are worth the money. Some of the topics need further read (at least in my case) but that depends on your skill level.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best practical book on mixing for small recording studios. Senior has tons of practical knowledge and deep insight on how to approach and fix common small recording studio mixes. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn how to mix.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for covering the basics of putting together a mix, like a crash course in mixing. Will definitely reference this in the future now that I've read it through once. 3 stars because it's out of date and could be refreshed and it's also really only focused on mainstream and pop mixes.

[Powerofthehero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teaches the essential fundamentals of the game.

[Roman Kov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took my mixes to the next level. A comprehensive guide from treating your room to building the mix from the ground up.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great and informative read. Also inspired me to look further into this subject of music technology.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reference for home recording.

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[j · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very detailed, with tons of useful information. I think to get the most value from it one needs to own it so it can be consulted as a reference every now and then.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most comprehensive overviews of the mixing process out there. A must-read for anyone wanting to produce and mix music

[Jared Burrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a project studio operator, Mixing Secrets has been the single resource I can point to that got me over the hump and into the territory where I can begin seriously competing with established professionals - all while remaining on a humble budget. Mike Senior gives the novice the fundamental information necessary to understand and execute all basic mixing tasks as well as many advanced mixing ones. Where an advanced technique is not included the fundamental knowledge to understand it has nonetheless been provided. In other words, as a result of working through this book, articles on arcane mixing techniques become easy to digest, even if they aren’t described in the book.

More importantly, his pedagogy is extremely sound. He takes a complicated, non-intuitive, subjective, and non-linear process and gets the student through it as if it were simple, obvious, linear, and objective, all the while providing the student with the necessary caveats to understand where the process has been simplified to make it easier to learn. Therefore the student, as he gains experience, can incorporate a more fluid approach as necessary, skipping between various mixing tasks instead of doing them in the preset order that Mike lays out for beginners.

The book has immense re-readability. The “Cut To The Chase” pages at the end of each chapter highlight the section’s important points. I recommend tabbing them with post-it notes for quick review. Additionally, reexamination of any chapter reveals situation specific tips that become increasingly relevant as the student gains experience.

For a person with a limited budget who is willing to put in the time to work through Mike’s lesson plan, Mixing Secrets is an invaluable resource. It is a book designed to scale with your budget. As you become successful enough to justify more expensive equipment, Mixing Secrets will be there to help you make the most out of your time and effort. Additional value is derived by providing a firm and comprehensive foundation of mixing fundamentals. After reading Mixing Secrets, books and articles on more advanced topics become easier to grasp, even if they are written poorly.

I recommend this book all the time to audio professionals who are looking for a good resource for their students, and I recommend it to any hearty bootstrapping project studio operator who wants to make the best use of his time and money while laying a strong foundation for his future development. It takes time to meticulously work through Mike’s lesson plan, but I can’t call that a downside since there are no shortcuts in the pursuit of excellence.

There are, however, ways to maximize the effectiveness of your efforts, and this is the best I know when it comes to mixing.

[Matthew Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another mandatory read for any aspiring mix engineer. This book does an admirable job of boiling down a typically non-linear process into a teachable, linear one, to the end that it makes each stage of a proper mix clearly explained in a step-by-step manner. The techniques are backed up by quotes from the top engineers in the music business across a wide variety of genres, instilling confidence in the ultimately subjective choices it suggests.

It's not the friendliest read, more like a text book. And if you're not already an experienced engineer, much of the advice and terminology may go over your head, particularly towards the latter chapters of the book. But the advice is invaluable for anyone who takes mixing seriously.

It won't give you fantastic mixes overnight, but it's likely to alter your perspective on at least some of the steps along the way and point you in the correct direction, enabling you to become a fantastic mix engineer if you put in the work.

[Tony Espy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely one of the best books on audio engineering that I've read to date. Mike Senior writes a great column called "Mix Rescue" in the recording magazine Sound On Sound. This this book provides a structured approach to audio mixing, with a focus on small studios.

Mike's writing is great. He's able to explain very technical subjects, while not overwhelming the reader. He includes quotes from many heavy-weight producers and engineers, and also mentions songs which demonstrate the techniques he's discussed. A great book, from which I can honestly say I learned much. Thanks Mike!

[Darkwalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book for anyone working in a home studio. The world is a lot different now, with many bands and musicians choosing not to spend money on buying studio time; but rather putting that money towards building their own work environment. Computers have certainly made this a reality! Senior's book will help you through the tough spots of making your project sound professional. The EQ, and Compression chapters alone make this book worth the money; but Senior also goes on to give valuable tips on software (some of it free) and hardware without sounding like he's pushing any particular brand. I keep this on my desk as a reference. Great stuff!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

After starting to dabble in doing some home recordings and simple mixes, I skimmed this book over a period of several months. Much of it is beyond what I want or need to do -- the audience is people doing home mixing who want to make professional-sounding tracks. I have no such ambition; I simply want to make some half-way decent sounding recordings of my own vocals. Still, there were quite a few useful tips and I think it is a book I will return to as a reference. Certainly I think this would be an excellent book for someone who does want to get seriously into mixing.

[Teejay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a professional musician / engineer. And Mike Senior is more professional than I am. His book is packed with surprising insights and techniques which are - frankly - so simple that I while reading this, my forehead was beet red because I kept slapping it. And all the while, what he's saying is presented in a way that invites you to try his methods, all of which are quite sound (no pun intended, but there it is). A must have for every recording musicians bookshelf.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't praise this book highly enough. Some of the suggestions just ooze common sense but then again it's only in hindsight that one really appreciates the obvious and quite often the not so obvious ideas and techniques that Mike litters this book with. There's also a great amount spent on understanding the importance and art of listening. Read it and let the silence ring on!

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I wish had existed when I was studying music production at Capital University. It is chock full of practical techniques and excellent insights. On top of that, Mike Senior has a very enjoyable writing style - his personality and humor definitely shine through. I'd highly recommend this book to music production hobbyists and budding professionals alike.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guide of tips and best practices to use when recording on a budget. The contents of the book are the result of interviews of dozens of veteran producers who have had to work with all kinds of equipment and in all kinds of spaces. This is what they've learned--their sage advice to impart on the next generation of engineers/producers.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm only a third of the way through this book but I've already found it very valuable. I've made quite a few changes to my "studio" where the book recommends them strongly to great effect. A definite must read for some setting up a studio!