Welcome
Hello, my name is Kelton Anderson. I am an audio nerd with over 20 years of experience. I started mixing when I was about 8 years old, working with my Grandfather on my mom's side. My dad's father was an audio engineer who installed radio broadcasting systems and helped with various programs and editing.
With a love for art & tinkering, exposure to audio reinforcement at a young age, and training in mathematics, I have a unique perspective on the use and treatment of audio.
I am a Christ follower and am eager to help others achieve excellence in audio engineering. Please feel free to contact me if you or your church would like further resources or support.
The art of truly hearing is more important than any degree you can earn.
It is hard to overstate what should be the simplest aspect of audio. Your ability to hear creatively and with high levels of precision and clarity is a skill you learn. It can take enormous effort and focus.Â
When most individuals hear a song, they listen in a passive sense. Occasionally if they hear an artist and really love their song, they will replay the title a few times, but often simply to passively enjoy the rich beauty of their new favorite song. Skilled audio engineers, on the other hand, actively pull apart and analyze every instance and subtle detail of how instruments and the sonic nature of a song flow and morph. Listening for individual timings, attacks, releases, melodies, numerous harmonics, compression, vibrance, tonality, rhythm, fades, fills, reverb, delays, and most importantly, the shape of every track and the overall mix not just in terms of EQ, but as a sonic portrait of the artist's message.
Mix with the soul
If you are looking to be an exceptional audio engineer, one of the most important aspects, that often can not be taught, is to mix from the soul. You must love to mix. You need to find an exceptional level of joy and satisfaction in producing the best audio that you can, never settling when you know this is more to offer.Â
A landscape in Vibrant Colors
Any seasoned audio engineer with technical training is well aware of David Gibson's "The Art of Mixing. Gibson was one of the first in audio to add clarity and an emphasis on the shape and placement of audio sounds in a mix. Learning to associate audio with a visual reference is immensely powerful in both describing audio and learning how to shape the tone and balance of a mix. To me, mixing is akin to painting a landscape of the sun shining around a majestic mountain in the early morning hours. There is a lot of earthy dark tones, many mild and warm hues, and a crisp, bright light with defined shape and texture that brings balance, light, and a sense of air in the morning fog.
Can you feel it?
There is a distinct difference between passively listening and actively listening with a trained ear. In this site, I will help you train your hearing so that you have the ability to appreciate and control the rest of the sonic landscape. It has been said that good artists copy, great artists steal. To many, they believe this means that if you steal the presets and tools another artists uses, that if you only have the same material resources, that you will achieve the same sound. This is false. Why? Because a mix is a reflection of the artists' and message involved. Every artist, environment, message, and audio engineer operate slightly different. Merely copying presets and equipment will allow you to achieve a degree of sonic shape without the heart and character of a dynamic engineer.
You are, perhaps, the most crucial aspect of the team.
It can not be overstated the importance of achieving mastery in mixing. The quality of the band lives and dies by the mastery and skill level of the engineer behind the faders. Their monitors will sound dry, ears will be ringing, and the audience will miss the message without the passion and clarity of a seasoned audio engineer. Band members (especially volunteers) will decide to return by the way you appreciate their contribution and blend the team together into a work of art. Of course there are many other enthusiasts who would love to jump behind the faders, but at the end of the day, the audio tech is the gatekeeper for all audio reinforcement.
It's time.
If you have taken a passive approach to mixing in the past or are still confused by terms like parallel compression, side-chain processing, and phase alignment... it is time. It is time to learn to actively hear. To rip a mix apart and appreciate the tools and skill behind the most dynamic mixes. Sadly, you may find that you seldom enjoy a concert again. One of my greatest pains as an audio engineer is attending concerts with a mediocre mix. As you progress through the ranks, you will start to notice your sonic taste will become incredibly picky. Like a seasoned coffee snob, you will be constantly in search of only the perfect blend, temperature, and experience.
With this, my friend, let us pursue being the very best at whatever God has called us to be. Your reading this makes me believe you have a special gift - a love and passion for a mix that makes people smile.
 Learning to hearÂ
How the Masters Mix
System Design & Tuning
Additional Articles
Compression of all types
Extending compression to new methods and approaches for fuller and controlled mix
The nature of tonality and frequency
Learning how tonality frequencies originate and how to describe them accurately
How sounds are generated, transmit, and interact with environment. This is a rich topic, all of audio engineer builds upon these concepts.
Phase and timing
Why phase matters. Beyond the characteristics of timing.
The topics of EQ and compression have been discussed in prior articles, but have you ever considered the effect that their order in the signal chain has on the final sound?
Check out the ways in which AI is currently being applied to audio and the potentials and dangers it poses for engineers in the near future.
Mics & placement
Audio reinforcement
Floor wedges
In ear monitors
Headphones
Amps
Point-source
linear arrays
Mixers & DAWs
The four primary fields of audio mixing
