Mixing a soundtrack properly can be the difference between a film that does well at film festivals or on streaming and one that does not. Some think of mixing as that sheen you add to a track at the end to elevate it, and others use terms like “presence” or “pop” to describe what a great mix can do for a track. While these are all true, I like to think of the role of the mixing engineer as stage manager. The mixing engineer’s job is to make sure different characters in the sonic story all have their place. 

Sometimes this means the engineer needs to consider certain musical elements as front and center, while other times it means the engineer and composer (sometimes the same person) need to work together to make sure dialogue or FX are front and center at the moments they need to be. It can be a delicate balancing act of EQ, compression, reverb and sound repair to make the soundscape of a movie truly work. Rest assured that I consider all these factors when approaching a mix and think of it holistically with regards to the other elements of the film when making decisions.