Learning to identify layering

Texture and variety are the spice of life. The food we love, the hobbies we enjoy, the songs we listen to all have an element of depth and variety to them. Today, with the advent of digital processing, we have the ability to add an amazing number of channels and processors to our mixes. In terms of layering, learning to achieve balance between complexity and simplicity is the key to a robust and satisfying mix.

Complexity 

Certain genres of music, such as folk and bluegrass tend to have fairly simple mixes in terms of their layering. Pop, rock, and most contemporary christian albums tend to have a rich complexity in layering of tracks. The vocals sit in front of the mix, surrounded closely by the lead instrumentals. Some artists are synth heavy, others favor an electric or smooth semi-hollow lead. Behind these tracks live the subtle complexity of layering that makes albums truly unique from most live events. Unless your team uses backing tracks with their click, the depth of layering can be hard to obtain in a live mix with limited band members.

A note on safety

Before we dive further into this topic, it is important that I mention the importance of listening to music at a comfortable and safe volume. 85dBs is an excellent loudness for most music and helps retain a healthy and necessary range of hearing as you get older. Individuals who regularly crank the volume on headsets, during a recording session, or in the car will eventually experiences the results of hearing damage. For serious engineers pursuing the highest quality mixes and mastering albums, hearing loss is the ultimate peril. Do everything within reason to avoid hearing damage. I write in length on this in my article on live mixing as it relates to in-ear monitor mixes. It is one reason I strongly caution the use of in-ear monitors.

Sit back and listen

With a safe listening volume, sit back and listen with intense focus for the subtle sounds in your favorite songs. Sometimes turning down the low end can help your focus your energy on the dynamics that subtly make the mix pop. Listen for subtle fills with a synth, an extra guitar, and extra vocal harmonies. Vocals on albums today often have various doubling and harmonic effects that are added to give the lead vocalist a robust and dynamic sound. Sometimes these enhancements are only used in builds and will cycle in and out to add variety. 

You are a musician. Train your ears and learn proper terminology.

You are a musician and your craft is your mix. Take time to learn how to describe music with the proper, professional terms used by musicians. Listening to classical arrangements along with reading educational material on the terms and definitions used in orchestral music is a powerful step towards identifying and describing the layering which you hear in a mix. When I was much younger, I took a college course on the history of classical music and learned many of the terms used to describe orchestral music. I discovered later that this course was very impactful in the ways I analyze mixes. Here are a few sites with some of the most important terms in classical and orchestral music. Resource Resource Resource 

Introducing complexity and layering to your mix

A more dynamic mix is always more powerful than a loud, less dynamic mix. Properly mastered, dynamic mixes sound good on every device. Dynamic mixes can always be cranked and hit with a few limiters to become loud mixes, so the integrity of a truly rich and dynamic mix in very special. Keeping this in mind as you mix, it is important that you do not create unnecessary competition between tracks. At times, the synth or keys will lead the mix. At other points, the electric guitar will or drums will take center stage. Providing space for instruments to breath in a mix is critical to a dynamic mix. Make sure that you establish the lead tracks in the mix and place the backing tracks... in the back. Every track in a live mix should be recognizable and heard by the audience, but some instruments should live further down in the layers. Creating layers in your mix is critical to clarity. Layering can also involve moving instruments off center in the mix, providing slight variation between left and right channels.

Exhibit A. Crafting a rich sounding piano

One of my favorite instruments to mix is a grand piano. I take a three mic approach to mixing grands which provides unique clarity to the action of the hammering, the upper range, and resounding base. I have had countless people approach me after they hear this technique for the first time. My technique is to place a mic right above the hammers in the center of the piano. This mic will be shifted towards the left channel. The low end will be removed and compression will keep the hammering in check. The second mic is placed under the lid, mostly in the center of the piano. This mic is shifted to the right channel in mix. Since grand pianos are normally positioned on the left side of the stage, shifting this mic far to the right helps create balance and fullness in the room. Finally, the last mic is place under the piano and sound treatment foam is used to help isolate the piano from the stage. I have used this with great success to separate a subwoofer, directly under a piano, from the bass mic. This mic channel is purely bass and the high end is completely rolled off. The richness and layering of this three mic approach is unbeatable. I have never experienced a better sounding piano than with this setup. Capturing all the dynamics of the piano allows it to live down in the mix, bringing out a fullness that is remarkable. This dynamic range makes it all the more astounding when you boost it for a lead section. All the fullness and depth you have crafted now rises to hit the listener with a uniquely powerful section. 

I hope you can sense the emotion in dynamics. It is truly a thing of beauty to pursue and understand layering and dynamics in a mix. Spend many hours training your ears to hear the most subtle differences and you will be handsomely rewarded when you approach your next mix.