Where Headaches Come From - Posted on 2018-10-24 by Desiree Holiday

I think every engineer hates editing. No one I have ever met says “Oh, how I enjoy to edit and correct performances and finding the best takes!” No. No one has ever said that, ever. Editing before diving into the mix full-on is the most annoying part of creating a great recording, especially when dealing with less than experienced performers. It comes to a point in the tracking session where trying to get an artist/musician to get a certain part right is too time consuming, and after a while a dagger to the artist/musician’s ability and talent. That can really bring down the energy during the session, and that is the last thing I ever want in a tracking session. What I will do sometimes, is allow everyone to leave and ask the musician or vocalist to stay behind (if time permits) and get that part right. Editing is a tedious task and if not done fully can be a great annoyance when trying to mix. I used to take the easy way out and say to myself “I’ll fix that after I balance these synths” or “I’ll fix that after I boost up these vocals.” It’s annoying to hear that mistake every time, and depending on the song, it can cause you to have to back track after fixing that element because now the correction of it has brought about a new and/or more effective idea mix wise, or has changed the feel of that particular section to where some effects and/or processes have to be adjusted throughout the entire mix. When the editing is crystal clear with no mistakes or unwanted performances, the mixing process is much more enjoyable and simple for my mind isn’t riddled with all of the things I have to go back and fix. The secret to avoiding such a tedious editing processes is to be sure you get the tracking correct during the session, and to throw away the “I’ll fix it in post or in the mix” mentality.