‘The Stairways to Mixing Heaven’: Designs for the Optimisation of Creative Mixing Practices in Popular Music Record Production S706200 Brendan Anthony (Dip. MusTech, Griffith; Grad. Cert. Higher Ed., Griffith) Email: [email protected] A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the award of Master of Music. Abstract As music technology ever develops, so too the creative practices and sonic outcomes of popular music productions evolve in response. This project therefore investigates the ways in which user-led system design informs the author’s practice as a recording studio mix engineer and as co-creator of popular music recordings. The dissertation details a two-year study into the Stairways mixing preparation framework developed by the author. Stairways will be tested for its suitability to design personalised mixing systems with a view to achieving optimum creative results for various musical styles. The study documents the creation of mixes for eight original pieces of music, as written by six artists /bands, and where this development has been traced to provide a number of interpretations as 18 tracks on an accompanying CD portfolio. This compares the original artist ‘rough’ mixes with further insights into the application of digital and hybrid analogue systems. This project is situated within the field of professional practice and therefore draws upon a range of literature including scholarly texts, trade magazines, popular music press, practitioner interviews and weblogs. A mixed method research design employs the author’s multi-decade experience as a mix professional and educator via a practice-based approach to detail the processes involved in the creation of the original music in question. This is situated within three action research cycles that progress the design by detailing the insights gained from each recording session as they progress over time and where various emergent sonic and creative phenomenon are examined. The dissertation is supported by a detailed series of appendices to present technical approaches, reflective journal entries and philosophical considerations for how to approach a given mix. The dissertation concludes with an assessment of the Stairways process, an offering of deeper insights into overall design for mixing popular music and suggestions as to how both mix professionals and students alike might benefit in light of their own settings and/or experience. More centrally, the findings and conclusions return to explore the author’s own changed thinking and artistic knowledge in relation to the evolving processes that have been explored and developed throughout. i Table of Contents List of Figures .............................................................................................................. v List of Tables ............................................................................................................... v Certification ................................................................................................................ vi Chapter One: Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 Locating the research ........................................................................................................... 3 The ‘stairways’ to mixing heaven ................................................................................... 4 The mixer’s imagery, creative practice and ‘sonic footprint’ .............................................. 5 Research questions ............................................................................................................... 7 Research methods ................................................................................................................ 7 1. Action research ............................................................................................................ 7 2. Critical listening and analysis ...................................................................................... 8 3. Practice-based approaches ........................................................................................... 9 Dissertation structure ......................................................................................................... 11 Concluding remarks ........................................................................................................... 12 Chapter Two: Mixing Acoustic-based Popular Music: A Comparison of Stairway Designed Analogue and Digital Processes ............................................................... 14 Artist 1: The Phoncurves, Lover (Alternate Folk) ............................................................. 14 Comparisons of the OTB and ITB mixes for Lover ...................................................... 15 Preliminary findings re. the Lover mixes ...................................................................... 16 Artist 2: Dave’s Pawn Shop (DPS) Requiem (Heavy Rock) ............................................. 17 Comparisons of the OTB and ITB mixes for Requiem .................................................. 19 Preliminary findings re. the Requiem mixes ................................................................. 20 Chapter synopsis ................................................................................................................ 22 Chapter Three: Finding ‘The Beat’: A Comparison of Analogue and Digital Mixing Processes Within Electronic Music ............................................................. 24 Artist 3: Maximo Family (Hip Hop) .................................................................................. 24 Comparisons of the OTB and ITB mixes for Family .................................................... 26 Preliminary findings re. the Family mixes .................................................................... 27 Notes for future reference .............................................................................................. 28 Artist 4: Ben Sinclair ‘Elements’ (Progressive House) ...................................................... 28 Comparisons of the OTB and ITB mixes for Elements ................................................. 30 ii Preliminary findings re. the Elements mixes ................................................................. 31 Chapter synopsis ................................................................................................................ 31 Chapter Four: Creative Processes: Designing an Individualized Mix System for Popular Music Styles ................................................................................................ 33 Artist 5: Aquilla Young Vagabond, mixed OTB and Tide mixed ITB .............................. 34 Comparisons of the Vagabond OTB and Tide ITB mixes ............................................. 35 Preliminary findings re. the Vagabond and Tide mixes ................................................ 36 Notes for future reference .............................................................................................. 37 Artist 6: Creature Kind, I’ll Make You Mine and Forever ................................................. 37 Comparisons of I’ll Make You Mine OTB and Forever ITB mixes .............................. 39 Preliminary findings re. I’ll Make You Mine and Forever ............................................ 40 On individuality ............................................................................................................. 42 Chapter synopsis ................................................................................................................ 43 Chapter Five: Findings and Conclusions ............................................................... 44 2) How are creative workflow and/or performance practice affected by various mix systems? ....................................................................................................................... 45 3) Do Stairways designed mixing systems (OTB, ITB) produce suitable sonic outcomes (footprint) in varying styles of music? ......................................................................... 46 4) Are certain music styles best suited to particular mixing systems? And if so, why might this be? ......................................................................................................................... 46 5) Does creative practice affect the sonic outcomes (footprint) of a mix? ........................ 47 Toward an individualised mix practice .............................................................................. 48 Conclusions and future research ........................................................................................ 48 References ................................................................................................................. 50 Discography .............................................................................................................. 56 CD Portfolio of Works ............................................................................................. 57 Appendices ................................................................................................................ 59 Appendix 1: Philosophy, creative workflow, and the essential dimensions of the mix .... 60 Appendix 2: Productions styles of AC music and their influence on system design......... 65 Appendix 3: OTB mix for Lover (CD portfolio, track 2) .................................................. 66 Appendix