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Andrew Jordan
As there is no link for a blog post in Chapter 20 of this eBook, I have updated this post with the notes that I took this week (Week 20).
Week 19:
This week I was only in my mentor's studio on one day, during which I did some mixing on previously recorded tracks. I learned that sometimes you may need to line up a clip of a rapper's vocal with its respective part of the beat, because he may be unintentionally rapping out of time. As of writing this blog post, I have also been working on the final Master Assignment. I have learned how to use automation, as well as numerous audio plug-ins.
Week 20:
This week I was, again, in my mentor's studio for only one day, during which I performed some mixing on tracks that had already been recorded. In addition to this, my mentor helped me a little with my final Master Assignment. I learned that you will continuously develop your sound and ear when it comes to EQs as you go along. I learned that a mix will probably sound different through speakers than through headphones, and that you should be mindful of this when mixing. When you get a mix, you should start by using presets on the EQ plug-ins that you apply to each audio track (some plug-ins don't have presets, while others do). Factory default presets can help you with your mix a lot and make things easier for you. You can also make and save your own presets. Presets for EQ plug-ins can enhance the sound of certain instruments, such as guitars, drums, bass, and even vocals. When you are done with mixing and mastering all the tracks, you should go into your Master Track and put a compressor and EQ plug-in on it. While mixing a song that my mentor gave me, I learned that sometimes you may need to increase the volume of certain words in a vocal track, because the singer/rapper may have briefly turned away from the microphone a little bit.
I have learned quite a lot in the last five months, and I thank the Recording Connection and my mentor, Rodney, greatly for it.
