After the recording

You will be invited to participate at the mixing sessions. If you record a CD in say 14 days, ..do not attempt to do a good mixing in one single day.

Take plenty of time to rest before you do the mixing, and for sure not immediately after the recording.

Let the recorded material sink in for a while. Take plenty of time for the (automated) mix. Try not to work longer than six or seven hours in a row. Hearing fatigue kicks in quicker than you think and jeopardises mixing quality.

After the recording is completed, you will usually get a rough mix.

It is for yourself, to judge the parts played and sung . Maybe you would like to do again a particular solo, or a particular line of text prior to mixing. It is best to avoid having at that stage a whole list of what needs to be softer or louder.

Just listen to the overall sound.

That is done by the person who wants to buy it too. So listen to the whole song and don't just fixate on your own parts. No studio can make your voice sound like Madonna or Whitney Houston, every musician knows this. You will then also understand that the studio can't make your strings or drums sound the same as the Red Hot Chili Peppers!

With great thanks to Han Swagerman of www.beaufortstudio.com