Audio Mixing
The job of a mix engineer is arguably the most creative part of music production. Art and technology come together at mixdown, in the process of balancing and placing individual musical elements or groups within a 3D soundscape. A great mix will present a song to its listeners with maximum sonic and emotional impact.
At Fulcrum Studio, solid stereo mixes are crafted with depth, clarity and an open sound stage using a three-tier mix system. This technique channels sound from individual tracks via stereo stem mixes, before they converge at the stereo mix bus.
Stem mixes funnel individual tracks into their musical components, especially useful for a coherent mix strategy and the preparation of alternative mixes (i.e instrumental mixes, or isolated vocals).
Online Mixing
Clients are welcome to send audio files to the studio for remote mixing. Local artists have the option of attending the studio in person, for detailed listening on the studio’s high resolution monitors.
Analogue channel strip plugins can be utilised across a mix, featuring algorithmic emulations of the electronic components used inside the modelled hardware. These include discrete class-A components and transformers, which can smooth the edges of crystalline digital recordings.
Find out how ‘Stepping Stones’, was mixed and mastered online at Fulcrum Studio, by visiting the studio’s portfolio page.
Debut album from The Terraplanes Blues Band, won the ‘Emerging Blues Act of the Year’ award at the UK Blues Federation Awards 2023.
Analogue Summing
The three tier mix system can be taken a stage further in the analogue domain by summing together stem tracks externally, using Roll Music System’s Folcrom passive summing device.
With this fantastic summing solution, software automation and recallability are totally preserved in the digital DAW environment, with summing taking place in the analogue domain.
This technique can add a heightened sense of clarity, width and depth to the soundstage.
Online Audio Mastering
Mastering is the final stage of production that can elevate a good mix, add the final sonic touches by enhancing the overall sound and make it ready for distribution.
Improvements include an increase in perceived loudness, added density, brightness or a feeling of excitement. The subtraction of unwanted frequencies ‘frame’ the finished sound, reduce harshness or open up the sound stage.
Contact Fulcrum Studio today, to discuss any aspect of mixing or mastering for your project.