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Before DAT, in the days of analogue reel to reel tape, a mistake during a complex mix would not have been too much of a problem since editing can be simply achieved with a razor blade and splicing tape. Just go back a bit and pick up from just before the point where you got it wrong. But since DAT is uneditable without extra equipment, and you have to get it right all the way through, there is the inevitable temptation to set a standing mix and leave the faders in the same places all the way through to the final fade. I have to say that if you are doing this, then either you are a totally brilliant engineer who always records totally perfect multitrack masters, or you are simply not setting yourself high enough standards. You should consider it normal for faders to be moved during the mix. In almost any recording there just cant be any parts which couldnt do with being just a little bit louder here and a little bit quieter there. If you listen carefully to mixes produced in top studios then you will hear levels changing all the time, all the way through the song. Note that you will have to listen carefully because the artistry of the top mix engineers is such that the dexterity of the fader finger will very easily deceive the ear. A simple thing to notice is the way a song will often start with just a few instruments belting out a riff or beat, then the vocal comes in, and the arrangement may become thicker and more complex towards the end. Assuming that the recording is coming right up to peak level at the end when all the instruments are playing, then what level do you suppose it starts at? Right, it starts close to peak level too, even though there are fewer sounds going on. The engineer has subtly brought down the levels during the song so that extra sounds can be added. No-one but another recording engineer will ever notice this, but if it isnt done then you wont get that all important initial impact when the song starts. I suppose I should add that another part of the engineers skill is in EQing sounds so that they all dominate their own little part of the frequency spectrum, so that bringing in new sounds doesnt increase the overall level so much. If you do this, then getting a good balance will be so much easier.
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