Mix character
Recorded acoustic instruments (upright bass, drums with brushes or sticks, piano, horns, guitar, vocal): naturalness, dynamics and space. The production is made in the recording; in the mix you intervene little and with precision. Small-group jazz (trio, quartet) aims for the feel of musicians on a stage; vocal jazz and acoustic pop (Norah Jones) put the vocal more in the foreground.
Typical balance (quartet or trio with vocal)
| Element | Level relative to the mix |
|---|---|
| Soloist (vocal, sax, trumpet) | −3/−5 LU |
| Piano | −6/−8 LU |
| Upright bass | −8/−10 LU |
| Drums (together) | −8/−10 LU |
| Guitar | −8/−11 LU |
During instrumental solos the soloist rises 1–3 dB with riding.
EQ
- Upright bass: warm 40–200 Hz; resonances of the low notes controlled with dynamic EQ instead of static cuts; definition 700 Hz–1.5 kHz.
- Jazz kick: small and soft, 60–100 Hz; the upright bass is the real low end.
- Piano: HP 30–40 Hz, control 200–400 Hz.
- Cymbals and ride: natural, 3–8 kHz; no strong air boost.
- Vocal: HP 80 Hz, small corrections, natural air.
Dynamics
- Light compression (opto 1–3 dB) on vocal and upright bass.
- Drums with almost no compression.
- Mix bus: 0–1 dB; master limiter 1–2 dB.
Space
- Believable stage layout: drums in the center or center-left, piano on the right, upright bass in the center, soloist in the center.
- Overheads and ambient mics provide the space; real room or hall reverb (or convolution of a hall) at a moderate level.
- Spot mics aligned to the main pair when there is one.
Layering
No artificial layering: any double mics (piano, upright bass with a mic and a pickup) must be phase-aligned and balanced.
Reference loudness
Master −16/−12 LUFS, true peak −1 dBTP, crest factor 12–16 dB, LRA 6–12 LU. The normalization of Apple Music (−16 LUFS) and Spotify (−14 LUFS) rewards this approach.
Reference tracks
Miles Davis "So What", Bill Evans Trio "Waltz for Debby" (live at the Village Vanguard), Norah Jones "Don't Know Why", Esperanza Spalding "I Know You Know", records from the ECM and Blue Note labels.
Compare the naturalness of the cymbals and the depth of the reverb.
Common mistakes
- Pop-style compression: the dynamic interplay is lost.
- Upright bass bloated on certain notes: dynamic EQ is needed.
- Bright, artificial cymbals.
- Stereo layout inconsistent with a real stage.
Starting settings
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Light opto, 1–3 dB | Natural dynamics. |
| Reverb | Real room/hall or convolution | Believable space. |
| Master limiter | 1–2 dB of reduction | Peaks only. |
| Soloist riding | +1/+3 dB during solos | Lead role without compression. |
| Master loudness | −16/−12 LUFS | Dynamics as a value. |
Frequencies to watch
| Range | What to do |
|---|---|
| 40–200 Hz | Warm upright bass: resonances of the low notes with dynamic EQ. |
| 60–100 Hz | Small, soft kick. |
| 200–400 Hz | Piano body and room buildup. |
| 3–8 kHz | Natural ride and cymbals. |
Example chain
| Step | Tool | Settings | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alignment | Spot and pair, double mics | Delay and polarity | Coherence. |
| Upright bass | Dynamic EQ → opto | 1–3 dB | Even notes. |
| Vocal or soloist | Light EQ → opto → riding | 1–3 dB | Naturalness. |
| Space | Hall reverb | Moderate sends | Believable stage. |
| Master | Light EQ → limiter | −16/−12 LUFS | Dynamics. |
How to check the result
- Master crest factor 12–16 dB; LRA 6–12 LU.
- Upper-bass band (120–250 Hz) no more than 2 dB above the Bass band.
- Correlation +0.3/+0.8.
- Natural Air band: within ±2 dB of acoustic references, with no artificial boosts.