Mixing Music (How-To & History)
Artist, producers and recording engineers continually experiment with how to mix music. In today’s computer driven age most of us have adopted the method of mixing music with digital software, especially for home studios. The best artists and/or engineers have an abundant array of music mixing software to experiment with and learn how to mix music at home or in the studio. When using mixing software, the amount of creative and technical options are limitless. More-and-more engineers are becoming familiar with music mixing software allowing them to be creative about how to mix music.
In the 70′s, the advent of 8-track tape machine began to change recording, artistes who were also engineers began to learn how to mix music in their home studios. Although home studios began to emerge at this time the 8-track recorder was expensive and few could afford one, however 8-track technology allowed artists to learn how to mix music from their personal studios and was the start of the home studio uprising. Many artists found they could mix in the comfort of their home and no longer had to go into large expensive studios. Artists could focus on how they wanted to mix their music to best represent their art to an audience.
As tape machine technology advanced, track counts jumped to 24 and multiple tape machines could be synced together for even more tracks. Artists, engineers, and producers took advantage of these recording capabilities. They learned how to record a large number of tracks and mix them together with a recording console. The 90′s started a revolution in music mixing technology “the digital age.” Not long ago, the only way to mix music was through an analog console. Artists and producers would have to go into a properly equipped studio to have their songs mixed; the equipment, maintenance, and faculty personal were all part of the process and it was expensive. This system worked for years until people found that through software programs music could be mixed at home or a small studio for much lower cost. Currently powerful computers and software programs such as Digidesign’s Pro Tools are in virtually every professional studio and prevalent in home studios around the world. Learning how to mix music in a software program was foreign to many professionals, so there was hesitation in the early stages, however today everyone from hobbiest to professional engineers have embraced the power of mixing with a computer. Today the musical community has learned how to mix music without a large studio. Now using computer software in humble home studio can gain professional results. Anyone wishing to learn how to mix music can start by downloading a free software mixing program or invest in a professional program at low cost. Additionally, may professional mixing programs include tutorials on how to mix music for best results. Today a good music mixing program can turn the home into a recording studio.