4. Listen for the mix details.
It’s time to focus in on the mix details. Consider this sample of a breakout:
- Intro: Piano leads/sits on top of rhythm acoustic guitar with very heavy overall acoustic feel.
- Verse: Drums and bass used in a gentle supportive way. Both instruments sitting far back in the mix. No backing singers. Snare distant in mix.
- Chorus: Backing vocalists singing at same volume with lead singer (singing in harmony).
- Bridge: N/A
- Instrumental: Piano dominates the instrumental, push volume. Piano sounds bright.
- Outro: Piano and acoustic guitar with piano ending first and then acoustic guitar finishes the last few bars of the song.
In this step, you are noting where the instruments and vocals sit in the mix. You should have also noted any mix points, like “piano sounds bright.” You don’t need to write down “expect a 560 Hz cut on the electric guitar,” but you should write enough that describes what you’d expect to mix, if it’s a bit out of the ordinary or worth noting. For example, in the song “10,000 Reasons,” there is a distinct tom hit three times in a row. I heard the tom sound described as having a “tribal drum” sound. That tells me I need it upfront in the mix and how to mix it.
5. Pick out the effects.
This is the last step in creating your mix blueprint. Listen to the song and look for the ways in which effects are used. Then make a list of the instruments/vocals which have those effects used and describe how they sounded. For many worship bands, the effects will stay the same throughout the song, but if you want to copy an arrangement with effects changes, then go for it.
The Take Away
The musicians put in a lot of time preparing for the church service … and if they don’t, they should. You need to put in time preparing your mixing plans when a new song comes along. Listen to a copy of the song for the general feel. Create your breakout list with your song basics. Then go back and add in your mix notes. It’s really nice to stand behind the mixer during practice and look down at my mix notes for a new song. Your mixes will come together a lot faster and ultimately sound better because of your extra planning.
