Unity Mixing Part 1

A big part of my job at Kensington is to carry the “audio flag” for our team and mentor growing audio engineers in developing their craft. I’ve literally spent hours and hours over the past few years analyzing and processing so much of what I do which, after 10 years, is second nature so I can develop tidbits that can be shared with our team. The topic for today is one that I’ve realized is a very BIG deal for me and one I’ve wanted to write on for a while now. I have no idea where or how I came onto the technique, but now I do it without even thinking. I suggest that the following is a MUST READ for anyone who mixes audio.

We’ve all experienced it: a multi-artist presentation, whether at a club, church, or arena. Sometimes there are completely separate PAs & consoles, other times there is no difference in the gear, just different engineers – regardless, the audio for one act will be a complete disappointment. Act two, on the other hand, sounds fantastic. Why?

There’s any number of reasons that are beyond the scope of this discussion. I’d like to focus on one specific indicator I’ve found that has yet to fail me: look at the console faders. That’s right, as I work with these developing engineers, I’ve noticed a trend that is accurate every time. The concept is called Unity Mixing.

PICTURE A

PICTURE B

Good unity mixes sound open, alive, immediate and unrestrained while mixes overdriven in the console sound small, closed, lifeless and harsh. It has been my observation that when the system is properly set up and aligned and the sound ain’t so great, the console faders tend to look like Picture A. Conversely, when it sounds good, the faders look like Picture B.

Why do the faders matter? Where the faders are positioned has everything to do with the channel preamp gain setting. One of the first things budding sound engineers are often taught when they start mixing is how to properly set the preamp gain on the console.  The answer, they’re told, in these early days is often to turn the knob until the little red light flashes and then back it down until the flashing stops.

I suggest NO WAY!!! Sure, this produces maximum signal-to-noise ratio, but there is absolutely no headroom at the mix bus summing amplifier with all the faders at unity. The result is mixes that look like Picture A. Sounds are lacking definition, monitor mixes just don’t feel “right”, and usually the balance of the mix is lopsided. Everyone I work with, as they develop their skills, reach points where their mixes feel audibly wrong, but its completely foreign to find a different paradigm towards a different solution.

PART TWO TOMORROW – THE SOLUTION!