The mix begins before mixing begins.

Okay… what does that mean?

It means that every production decision that you make involving timbre and arrangement will influence how effectively your song can be mixed for maximum emotional impact.

For example, imagine two guitar solos in a heavy production (think big drums, deep bass, distorted guitars on both sides of the stereo image, lots of reverb). The first solo is a simple melodic line played on one string. The second is a similar melodic line, but played in such a way that the open strings around the fretted one are strummed, too.

This is a climactic moment in the song’s structure. The first solo feels boring out of context, whereas the second option with the open strings is more fun to play and more interesting to listen to by itself. Controlled and restrained vs. free and open.

But guess what – the guitar solo doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it exists inside a mix that already contains multiple other distorted guitars fighting to live in the same general frequency range.

The solo with the open strings – although it releases more energy and emotion as it's played – gets swallowed up in the rest of the arrangement. Perhaps it can be EQ’d to be heard above everything else, but you’ll most likely have to listen a little too hard, and you shouldn’t have to listen hard for something that’s supposed to be the focal point. Ultimately, keeping that version would do a disservice to the song and to your listener; if you get to the solo and you can’t clearly pick it out, you’re denying your listener the catharsis of that moment. 

This is, of course, just one very specific example pulled from a session that I’m working on now. There are so many scenarios in which your arrangement can thwart your song from ever realizing its full emotional potential. Clashing keys and guitars trying to occupy the same space, clouding up the mids and masking your vocals in the process. A distracting and unnecessary guitar line pulling attention away from the lyrics in a moment of delicate vocal delivery. A busy left-hand piano part burying the bass guitar, resulting in a foundation of mud. Et cetera, et cetera.

Each element of a mix should be there for a reason, and the pieces should fit together comfortably. If two parts aren’t working together, scratch one or rethink it. Maybe play it an octave higher or lower, maybe try a different pickup on your guitar, maybe play half the number of notes that you think you need. Maybe try a different instrument altogether. Does it really need to be there at all, or is it just taking up space? If you’re going for “murky and challenging to listen to” – which can be a valid production decision – then disregard. The important thing is that you made that decision intentionally because it serves the song by enhancing some emotion.

Be intentional about everything. Don’t just double the guitar because you think it’s the thing to do. Choose to double the guitar because it feels bigger. Choose to double the guitar because one guitar on its own is a little too intimate and you need the music to feel more removed. Choose to double the guitar because the timing differences between the two performances add something human to the track. Think about it!! Then think about how to do it in such a way that sets up your mixing engineer for success. Maybe a different guitar for the doubled part, maybe a different mic, maybe a different mic placement. How can you maximize the poignancy of the effect to further the emotion of the song?

Keep timbre, color, harmony, space, and rhythm at the forefront of your mind. This is your palette.

Every decision that you make during production and recording will affect your song’s potential to be mixed in a way that is impactful and compelling for your listener. If you’re not already thinking about arrangement decisions and their implications well before the mixing begins (like before you press record), now is a great time to start doing that! Your music will benefit.