Music producer Andrew Scheps discusses his Grammy nomination, mix bus processing, collaboration with Waves, distortion, reverb parallel processing, preferred headphones, mixing in the box, Red Hot Chili Peppers, fame, AI, and more in a fun and engaging podcast episode.
Mixing should address emotional problems with technical tools for a creative perspective.
Focus on listening over visual cues to make creative decisions based on auditory feedback.
Group elements for collective processing to streamline mixing and maintain clarity.
Incorporating mix bus processing enhances overall sound and provides console-like cohesion.
Efficiency in signal processing is crucial, utilizing templates for swift completion.
Deep dives
Emotion-Driven Mixing Techniques
Mixing should focus on solving emotional problems with technical tools. Keeping a creative perspective helps in addressing key emotional points of the music.
Managing Visual Distractions
Avoid getting distracted by excessive visual cues or grid lines. Focus on listening and making creative decisions based on what you hear rather than what you see.
Group Processing for Simplification
Streamline mixing processes by grouping elements like drums and rhythm guitars for collective processing. Simplifying the number of tracks you work on helps maintain clarity in decisions and efficiency in the mixing workflow.
Incorporating Mix Bus Processing
Including mix bus processing like left-right compression and stereo widening at the mix bus level can enhance the overall sound and provide a cohesive console-like feel to the mix. Utilizing mix bus effects is a creative choice that can contribute to a desired sonic character.
Signal Processing Efficiency: Maximizing Processing Time
Efficiency in signal processing is crucial, where processes like track processing can be completed swiftly, with templates playing a key role in streamlining such tasks. The use of templates ranging from simple to complex tools significantly impacts mixing efficiency, ensuring that essential processing is achieved swiftly.
Mixing Techniques: Balancing Top and Bottom-End Frequencies
The practice of incorporating an equalizer on the mix bus to focus on fine-tuning mid-range frequencies allows for deliberate and specific adjustments throughout the mix. Emphasizing balancing top and bottom ends enhances the clarity and impact of the mid-range, essential for making intricate mix decisions while maintaining a cohesive sound.
Creativity in Mixing: The Dismissal of 'Cheating' Practices
The podcast delves into the concept of 'cheating' in mixing, challenging the notion that using certain tools or techniques, such as templates or parallel processing, constitutes cheating. The discussion advocates for creativity in mixing, emphasizing the subjective nature of tools and processes, underscoring the importance of achieving the desired sonic outcome regardless of the methods employed.
Importance of Creativity and Customization in Music Production
In the podcast episode, an emphasis is placed on the significance of creativity and personalization in music production. The discussion highlights the importance of artists and engineers being imaginative and exploring unconventional musical avenues. It is noted that the process of crafting music involves unique workflows and tools that cater to individual preferences, ultimately contributing to distinct and original musical outputs. The conversation delves into how AI and machine learning are enhancing music production by providing better tools for musicians while retaining the essential human touch in the creative process.
Challenges and Legal Implications of AI-Generated Content in Music
The podcast touches on the challenges and legal complexities associated with AI-generated content in music production. Specifically, the conversation delves into the issue of ownership and verification of AI-generated music and voices, raising concerns about the authenticity and copyright implications of such creations. The discussion highlights the difficulty in determining the source data used for AI creations and the potential legal ramifications of unauthorized use of AI-generated content. The evolving landscape of AI in music production presents a range of legal and ethical dilemmas that may require case-by-case resolutions and precedent-setting decisions in the absence of specific regulations.
Join Greg, Aaron, Nathan and Ruraidh for music related banter, quizzes and other items, preceding the main interview.
Today, Andrew Scheps returns to the Having a GAS podcast and is IRL and 'unplugged' for the first time!
We discuss his Grammy Nomination for mixing 'The Blue Hour', his mix bus processing, his collaboration with Waves on Scheps Omni Channel 2, distortion, reverb, parallel processing, his preferred headphones for mixing and why mix engineers choose to mix in the box, Red Hot Chili Peppers, fame, AI and much more!
