Before I spend hours automating half a dB on a hi-hat nobody will ever notice, I like to stop for a second and ask a much simpler question:
does this actually feel right?
Thatâs why I start every mix with what I call The Character Pass.
Itâs an early version, driven by instinct, where Iâm not chasing âperfectâ, Iâm chasing direction, energy, and intent.
It started as a way to make remote work smoother, turns out it works just as well in the room.
Because if the foundation isnât right, no amount of detail work is going to save it.
If youâr curious about how a mixing process starts, this reel itâs a little window into that first step đ
Mixing | Sound Engineer | Mixing Engineer
A bit of a different video today, no audio example, just my face talking đ
This oneâs about how my mixing process actually starts.
And spoiler:
it doesnât start with me dragging your multitracks into Pro Tools and fiddling with the production.
It starts with a call.
Because if weâre trying to make your song feel personal, honest, and true to you,
then I need to understand a bit about the person behind the music.
A quick chat about what you like, what moves you, and what youâre trying to say with your music.
Thatâs the real beginning of the mix.
Anyway, let me know if youâre enjoying these videos,
and Iâd really love to hear your thoughts on this!
I used to hate revisions.
Not gonna lie, it was mostly ego đ
I liked the idea of sending a first mix and having everyone go âperfect, done.â
Over the years I realized something though, a lot of the coolest moments in a mix happen during revisions. Especially the weird suggestions that donât make sense right away.
Now it feels less like fixing thing and more like discovering stuff the song was hiding all along.
| mixing engineer | revisions | sound engineer |
Itâs funny how the moment you stop overthinking it,
the music starts making more sense.
This record with La Grasa De Pollo came from that place: just playing, trying things, enjoying the process.
No big strategies, just following what felt fun in the moment.
And I think you can hear that freedom in the songs.
Reference tracks are great⌠until everything starts sounding the same đ
I use them for direction, not imitation.
The feeling, the energy, not the exact sound.
And honestly, the best ideas usually come from outside the genre.
At some point you have to let go of the reference
and find what makes the track its own.
Because the memorable ones donât sound familiar, they sound different.
đ MescalizaciĂłn è fuori ovunque.
Metti le cuffie. Aspetta l'effetto chichadelico.
Su tutte le piattaforme đľâ¨
#LaGrasaDePollo #Mescalizacion #newalbum #cumbia #exotica
âď¸Letter to producers:
If you made a bold choice in production, please donât second guess it before sending it to mix.
The weird textures, printed effects the slightly risky decisions: thatâs usually where the personality of the track lives.
Iâm not trying to reset your work.
I love starting from your vision and helping it grow from there.
Honestly, the more character you bake into the production, the more fun Iâm going to have mixing it.
For this album with @lacittadinotte we chose honesty over perfection, and that single decision shaped everything that came after.
The noise, the bleed, the imperfections, they belong to the songs.
And I love that.
Think about your favorite records:
do you remember them for how they make you feel,
or for how âperfectâ they sound?
Some people think about EQ curves when they mix.
I think about sci-fi movies đž
Hereâs a tiny peek into that mindset.
This oneâs from @lorco_music : a friend, a killer artist, and someone who always gives me wild sonic landscapes to play with.
Check out his last album, you wonât regret it.
And if your project lives in that world too, letâs talk.
Alright, first reel where I actually speak đ
No artwork, no credits, just me nerding out about mixing because some of you said you wanted it in that poll.
This oneâs about contrast one the thing Iâm low-key obsessed with.
Those moments where the sound shifts, flips, grabs your ear and makes the song move.
The clip is from @freakmotel_band âs RAUH, from their latest album Human Codec, which was a blast to work on and you HAVE to check their music out.
If this kinda content is your thing, tell me in the comments so I know Iâm not just talking to myself here đ
Oggi è uscito il primo disco di mio fratello @lorco_music per @ipologica .
Giordano Bruno will have his revenge on Rome.
Un disco che per me suona come la montagna, lâAbruzzo, il bosco, i lupi, gli orsi marsicani.
Ma significa anche amicizia, amore per la musica, idee, creativitĂ .
à un disco che abbiamo deciso di mixare senza alcun riferimento, perchè la musica bella va trattata bene. Ha bisogno della sua veste, del suo suono peculiare, del suo carattere.
Pur lavorando separati dal Tirreno, la sensazione era quella di essere gomito a gomito, in ogni fase del mix.
Dentro ci sono scelte misurate, coraggiose, scelte piĂš istintive. Câè il suono bello, pulito, il transiente preciso, ma câè pure la zozzeria piĂš distorta e il low-end che fa ballare i woofer.
âLa prima neve piega appena le foglie dellâasfodeloâ
Scritto, suonato, recitato e prodotto da @lorco_music , con la partecipazione della bravissima @eleonora_gusmano e le batterie di @_brujah_ .
Mixato da me
Masterizzato da @fabiosestilimusic per @ipologica
