“Mixology” with George Walker Petit: Set Fire to Your Distractions

“There comes a time in the affairs of man when he must take the bull by the tail and face the situation.” — W. C. Fields

W.C. Fields — George’s true muse.

The ‘by the tail’ part suggests a rather negative outcome…and one hopes that can be avoided. But in spirit, I tend to agree with W.C. on this one. With a few of his observations in fact — I like the one about the stimulant and the snake.

So sue me…

It’s been a while since my last article for my friends at SonicScoop, and for all of my…fans. Forgive me, Father, I have sinned, etc. Sorry ‘bout that. It’s mostly because life’s been really busy here. But I also have a few “personal issues” with time management, setting priorities, focus (A.D.D, moi?) and would bet some of you have as well.

Living in central NYC doesn’t help. So many distractions. I’d hazard a guess and say that we all wrestle with such issues and annoyances to some degree.

As unavoidable as they might be, I think it’s important to acknowledge them (“ I do believe in ghosts, I do believe in ghosts…”), note their existence and try to either address them or at least be aware of their potential to derail our work and forward motion. And as usual, I believe all of this has to be done with a certain amount of humor. We have to be able to laugh at ourselves, right?

So here are a few recent observations on how projects can be impacted, not always negatively, by external events, internal issues, surroundings.

I’ve been thinking about all of this a lot lately, trying to find solutions that streamline my workflow…”streamline my workflow”… puh-lease. I hope that this might get you thinking, too. I figure we can all benefit from hearing about another guys neuroses — at least good for a laugh!

To set the stage, there are a few work related things happening at my place simultaneously. The “big” project, now ongoing for three years, is dzdap.com. On this one, I wear many hats – from “producer” (it was my idea) to engineer and composer, fundraiser and motivator…and at times arranger. Those of you that read my last piece know my laundry list of “things needed” to be an effective producer, so this project keeps me pretty busy. It’s not just about the music!

In addition, three pending projects this Spring and two returning clients asking for input and estimates for their upcoming recordings. Then there is the Brazil tour I am planning for the Fall. And somewhere in all of this, there is “my next cd,” a project of my music and playing. And all of life that exists outside of music! Family, friends, health — that stuff.

BFD. Quit complaining! We’re all busy, right? Right! That’s the point.

1. When you get rid of the fruit and nuts, all you have left are the flakes.

I really like cereal for breakfast. Not every day, now, but a few times each week I start my day the Kellogg’s way, and I have my own special (read: neurotic) combination:

Equal parts Shredded Wheat (original), Total (original) and Grape Nut Flakes (original). Let’s not get into the milk thing now, I haven’t had my n’th cup of coffee.

This is a really tasty combination of grains and fibers and in small amounts does not weigh one down, provides a good bit of nutrition and does everything cereal is supposed to…um, do. Trust me. With just a tad of either honey or agave sweetener, it’s a great way to start the day.

You can TASTE the flakiness.

The only down side is running out of one or all…you must then steel yourself for the Great Grocery Adventure. I’m not talking about the journey to your local supplier, albeit that is an adventure in itself in NYC, but what transpires when you are actually in situ.

I am fortunate in that I know what I am making the trek for. I have, after all, arrived at the perfect triad of cereals. It has taken years to arrive at this magic combination and, having sampled the wares of many and experimented different portions of each and their effect on the “mix,” I have arrived at my fave choices and ratio.

Unfortunate are those without such focus and confidence! For arriving at your store of choice, you must first locate the correct aisle wherein cereals abide. Rather than wandering aimlessly through the many aisles in numeric order, often risking confusion and possible disorientation in negotiating the black hole of the frigid frozen section, or the competitive bustling of the deli counter (“…and do you have a numbered ticket, sir? I’m sorry, but without a numbered ticket…”), following the advice of a store “professional” can get you to the right destination without bodily risk and delay. Following the guidance of a pro is key: They are well versed in the product line, they’ve no agenda, they are not endorsers of any particular product. One would hope.

And suddenly, Eureka! There you are! Standing at one end of what seems to be a nine-mile long aisle, eleven feet high at each side, and bathed in the bright, whirring light of countless florescent tubes, you see the sign. CEREAL But surely there must be other items along this gauntlet…paper goods perhaps…jams and jellies…pop tarts, oh please let there be poptarts, oh please.

Negative…it’s all cereals. So, taking a breath and preparing yourself for an investment of time more than you’d anticipated, you decide that you’ll just get some Corn Flakes. That’s simple, right? Good ‘ole Corn Flakes…part of The American Way…Corn Flakes…Norman Rockwell…Rosie The Riveter…the two party system…(cue music).

And there they are…Corn Flakes…but no. NO! You are presented with choices. Original Corn Flakes (“Originally” from seven different manufacturers), Corn Flakes with frosting, Corn Flakes with honey and nuts, Corn Flakes with low sodium, spoon size Corn Flakes, ‘All Natural’ Corn Flakes, low-budget Corn Flakes, environmentally friendly Corn Flakes, Corn Flakes from Europe and Corn Flakes made from wheat.

Choices. Problems. Confusion. The desire to try all the Corn Flakes in all their different incarnations (get it? inCarnations? Woah, I’m killin’ me!) You glance down at your grocery list, there in your shaking hand and realize that you are not going to make it home in time for the 2013 Super Bowl and that GoDaddy spot you really wanted to see. But all you wanted was a box of Corn Flakes.

OK, I’m being silly (as is my natural state). But you knew that, right? I mean you could just go for the Cream of Wheat and be done with it…

You must know where I am going with this.

Yesterday, I opened a session file to start mixing a project. A significant and important project, aren’t they all? After arriving at a pretty nice balance of the drum mics, I wanted to EQ a few things – surgically and subtractively, as is my wont. So I accessed my list of EQ’s in my plugin dropdown menu and found that I had the choice of over 50…boxes of Corn Flakes.

Options overload can await in your DAW.

Now, I know what I am after: Corn Flakes (original). I just want to cut a little 240Hz and boost some air. But there are at least 37 plugins that can do this job. Some better or different than others, some that take very little DSP (or in the case of my UAD-2 Satellite Quad rig, none!) and some that are DSP hogs. Some that have great user interfaces and are highly visual…some that are “one-knobbers.” Sanctuary!!

And the same goes for every possible editing, sweetening and mixing task I will have on this project. Choices…options…decisions on speed and ease of use, “budget” (DSP), sound, effect on the overall mix…and I really want to check so many of these options out…really…because some do it better than others, and I want to continue to learn and improve my work. Always room for that.

So do you get the plain Corn Flakes or do you get a few different boxes and A/B or in this case, A-Z? At an average of $250/plugin for some of these “tools,” it might become a costly breakfast.

I say this: Fill the tank. Then make your choices. Gain experience, expand your palette…

Enjoy the mix. Enjoy your breakfast. But in the words of Joe Jackson, “You can’t get what you want, ‘til you know what you want.”

2. Clients are politely requested to…

Get lost. During the mix, kindly and respectfully get lost.

Again, not in all situations. Input from clients can be pretty crucial. It would be great if that were always the case. The “vision” belongs to the client…and so does the credit card. Every project has a “client” in one form or another – an Artist for whom you are tracking or mixing, a label that has thrown a singer/songwriter at you, an ad agency that needs just that right sound design or music for a spot. Even if you are working on your own music for you and you alone…part of you is “the client.”

Does the client have the “right” to be at the mix? Well, of course. But I find a client’s presence is often a hindrance to the process. Let me clarify. In most mix sessions there is some sort of time limit, usually dictated by budget. I’m pretty fast in the studio, at least to get the music to the point where I actually need to touch base with the client on direction and get a sign-off on overall approach.

But to have someone there breathing down your neck all the time? Let’s be honest — most of us could do without that. But if the client wants to be there, well, take your Xanax and simmer down. Remember, you don’t have to take every project. Or maybe you do?

I used to have a client that needed so badly to opine that he/she (yeah that’s right, it was you) commented at nearly every stage of the work, and not in a positive attempt to “gather information and knowledge.” This particular client was not very experienced, so in a lot of cases I entertained the distractions (ka-chinggg!), but does a client really need to be there when you are EQ’ing a floor tom in a jazz session? When you are auditioning reverbs?

For Rupert’s sake, let me concentrate will you?

George (in yella) sez: It’s not just your plugins folder that has too many choices — control rooms can get ADD too.

At some point through the years, I’ve had to be clear with more than a few clients , gently suggesting that their presence was not really constructive. One had better learn to be respectful and diplomatic, yet another required skill of the studio pro.

Partially in response to this scenario, I built a mix room at home. Very comfy, great sounding and there’s no clock. I can mix in my PJ’s if I want, and take breaks when needed for lunch, a quick trip out to the gym to burn off some frustration — or just walk away when I bloody well like (The Microsoft Law).

If I really want to get all microscopic on some acoustic bass track or the tail of some reverb, well I can spend three more hours getting downright geeky, and I often don’t charge the client for that. It’s my time, my call. The client gets a better-sounding final and I get a few more years without an ulcer. I charge the client my day rate as usual, but there is no additional charge for renting studio space. And really, with all the tools and plugin magic out there, a good deal of experience and a good sounding room, are we not capable of making it work “at home?”

That said, there’s nothing like working with an old Neve in a big CR. Budgets these days don’t always allow for that, but when they do, I have a few fave rooms I call. Addressing and capturing client budgets, ever shrinking, was the second reason for tricking out my mix room. But when the clock is running at a commercial facility and your client is right behind you, well, you’d better keep your focus all session long.

The point here is that both working in your own space or in a commercial facility can have certain distractions that also move one off the path. I try to anticipate and plan…I try.

Is this about discipline? Work ethic? Lunch with the wife? How do you like to work? Send me a comment below, I’d appreciate reading your opinion.

3. Is it soup yet?

Some people say that a mix is done when there is nothing left to do. Ooo…deeep. Seriously though, I like this idea.

You pull up a mix (if you are ITB or all digital, this will happen pretty quickly, analogue not so quickly – remind me to tell you the Frank Filipetti story about this) and after a few critical listens, you nod and say “Yeah…that’s good, I can be done with this”. Or, you can just as happily tweak away at a mix until the sun rises in the west.

When is it time to kick it out of the room? How do you know? I just had a chat about this with a couple of engineers from Brazil (Mauricio Gargel and Ricardo Mosca) that are not only close friends, they are great engineers, each with his own approach and sound…but we like to chat and share observations often. Thank Rupert for skype! Having these conversations solidifies our own beliefs and practices as well as opens our minds to other possibilities. If you don’t have similar professional relationships, you should cultivate a few. Sharing ideas is important.

Some engineers like to focus on three critical elements when mixing — emotion, groove, main instrument — that sort of thing. You might have your own combination that works – go back and read the cereal thing again. Others like to make a mix that has an evolution and a journey – it tells a story. It gets all “Zen.” It makes you dance, or cry, whatever works for you.

We all tend to define our overall ‘Top Secret Approach To The Perfect Mix’ based upon what works for us as individuals. This is a very “chicken or egg” thing IMNSHO. Think about this for a sec. How did you arrive at what works for you? Define it. In the words of Spock, “Rememberrr”.

Chances are you got there by drawing on equal parts experimentation, the influence of other mixes and engineers you respect and emulate (at least you did early on), formal education or research, personal experience and hopefully some degree of passion and natural talent.

For me it all comes down to this: when it is done, I feel it. Through the process of mixing, I draw on everything in my being…but when it is done, it just works, and I know it. The music might take you on the journey, might create the mood, might just “sound cool”…but you feel it and you know it. And it’s done. Learn to recognize that. Learn to accept that, including your shortcomings.

The 50% Rule

You are never going to outdo Bruce’s mix on Thriller. Deal with that.

Put your finger on your ear…and think about it.

You are never going to make the vocals on James Taylor’s “Gaia” sound more ethereal that Frank did. Revel in them, let them transport you.

Those recordings by Rudy when ‘Trane sounds “off mic” for a second? That’s not perfect…but it’s real.

That’s the beauty, baby. And you don’t have to analyze all the time…sometimes listen and just try to just enjoy. And for the sake of your sanity, don’t compare. I hear this all the time from other engineers, younger and older, more experienced and less experienced…and I certainly get “the heebies” at times myself. I think if we are honest, we will admit that we all do.

This is an old, old issue, friends. But let’s put it to bed now, once and for all. No one can do what you do as well as you do it. With 100 people listening to your work, 50% will like it, 50% won’t…give or take. Don’t be concerned. Work your ass off and do your very best. When you know you have done your very best, walk away and accept the results.

Room for improvement? Always! You have a “better” approach to reverbs than all the other guys? To panning? To compression? Rubbish. Prove it.

Your approach…their approach…they’re just different. Do what you do. Keep an open mind and keep learning, but your best work now represents now. Don’t be afraid. Put it out there.

In conclusion: These are a few things that I have been thinking about and discussing lately with the members of A.P.E. (Association of Philosopher Engineers). I wanted to share them with you. There’s no shattering conclusions here, unless you draw them for yourselves.

I know that through discussion and debate, I evolve. I like that feeling. I never want to lose or misplace my passion for what I do as an engineer, producer, composer or guitar player…or human being and friend. I am fortunate to do what I do.

A Facebook friend of mine, Brian Knight says this: “I think ‘it’ happens because it’s the very core of why we do what we do. We’re carrying a message across from the ethers of the mind to the physical reality of medium and back through the ethers of sound. We’re magicians any way you look at it. “

Thanks, Brian, that’s pretty cool.

Cheers!
gwp

P.S. Remember to tune into wwwe.dzdap.com. Cool stuff there.

George Walker Petit thinks a lot about mixing and many other musical things. An award-winning producer and mixer, he is based in New York City. Visit George at his Website, and keep up with him and the Drew Zingg Debut Album Project here.

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