Jesse Joy | Mixing & Mastering

Part 3 of my series on mixing strings! In the last two videos, we removed resonant frequencies and harshness from the strings, now I want the lead cello to have more presence in the mix. When I’m trying to give an instrument more presence, I like to start by focusing on it’s relationship with the others tracks in the mix. I find that rather than relying on EQ boosts to give a sound presence, it’s usually so much more musical and transparent to cut other competing tracks instead, especially when you’re dealing with acoustic instruments like strings. Song: Toulouse Composed by @rozman_market Mixed by @jessejoymusic ✅ Want to take your compositions to the next level? Have your work mixed and mastered by a pro engineer who specializes in cinematic and orchestral music 🎻 Send me a DM and let’s talk about your music! #mixing #mixingengineer #strings #cinematicmusic #audioengineer #composition #composer #cello

Check out this awesome My Chemical Romance cello cover by @thecellodoll Mixed and mastered by @jessejoymusic Want to take your compositions to the next level? Have your work mixed and mastered by a pro engineer who specializes in cinematic and orchestral music Send me a DM and let’s talk about your music! #composition #composer #musicproduction #audioengineer #mixingengineer #cello #cellocover

Congrats to @alstadmusic who just released his new piece “An Unstable Throne” as part of a compilation album from @aemeralds ! Composed by @alstadmusic Mixed by @jessejoymusic

Part 2 of my series on mixing strings! Strings have a tendency to be quite harsh in the upper midrange, between 2 and 6k. I find most string parts need to be cut somewhere in this frequency range to smooth them out. So the question is, how do we remove harshness, but without making the strings sound dull and lifeless? Static EQ cuts can definitely work, but a really effective way to do this is with a dynamic EQ. Soothe is my go-to plugin for removing harshness on strings. You don’t need soothe to do this, gullfoss is another good option, and even pro-Qs dynamic mode works really well. But regardless of what tool you use, dynamic EQ is a great way to reduce harshness on strings without over processing. Song: Toulouse Composed by @rozman_market Mixed by @jessejoymusic #mixing #mixingengineer #strings #cinematicmusic #audioengineer #composition #composer #cello

Check out Kevin Graham’s new EP River Of No Return! Composed and mixed by @kevingrahamcomposer Cello by @amber.cello Vocals by @tihanamusic Mastered by @jessejoymusic

Here’s the first part in my new series on mixing strings! Mixing strings is often a balance between removing harshness but without destroying the fullness and presence of the part. There are some great tools and techniques you can use to fix problems and enhance string parts, but without being too aggressive or getting in the way of the performance. A common issue with strings are resonant frequencies. These are narrow build ups of energy that can add a ton of harshness to string parts, or other acoustic instruments. It’s not the most glamorous part of mixing, but being able to identify and reduce these frequencies is so important, especially with strings. Just be careful not to overdo it. Try using a dynamic EQ so it only cuts the frequency when it goes above a threshold. And make sure the part still sounds good in the context of the mix, not just soloed. Song: Toulouse Composed by @rozman_market Mixed by @jessejoymusic #mixing #mixingengineer #strings #cinematicmusic #audioengineer #composition #composer #cello

This last low end tip in this series is about using spatial FX! You want to be really careful adding reverb to the low end, because it can add a ton of mud to the mix. So on my drum reverb in this mix I added a highpass filter at 300hz which clears out all that low end clutter. I do this almost every time I use reverb because it instantly improves the low end and the clarity of the mix. Reverb usually isn’t great for the low end, but short delays can be amazing. Often if I want to add width to a rhythmic sound, I’ll use a ping pong delay, usually a 16th note on one side and a 32nd on the other, and with low feedback. This creates differences between the left and right side which adds a nice sense of width. And because the delay is really short, it can be used on low end sounds without adding too much mud (although depending on the sound it may still be a good idea add a highpass filter). Song: Miracle (Epic Orchestral Cover) Composed by @tomevanscomposer Original song by @calvinharris and @elliegoulding Mixed and mastered by Jessejoymusic #mixingengineer #composition #audioengineer #epicmusic

Here’s another low end tip… If you want the bass, kick, or other low end sounds to really cut through the mix. Adding some high end can make a huge difference. In this mix, after adding saturation and compression, I added a high end boost to both the drum and bass tracks. This can help give low end sounds so much more presence. Song: Miracle (Epic Orchestral Cover) Composed by @tomevanscomposer Original song by @calvinharris and @elliegoulding Mixed and mastered by @jessejoymusic #mixingengineer #composition #audioengineer #epicmusic #composer

Here’s the second part of my low end mixing series! In part 1 we cleared some space for the low end, now we can start enhancing. For the drums, I used a neve setting on the decapitator to add some saturation. This adds some aggression and punch, but also narrows the dynamic range and makes the drums easier to mix. Saturation is amazing because if you use it right, it can enhance the tone of a sound and control its dynamics at the same time. Saturation is a really powerful tool, and it can sound incredible on drums and bass. I also used the novatron compressor to add a bit more punch to the transients and to enhance the rhythm. I used a slower attack which lets more of the transient pass through and creates that punchy sound. And then if you time the release in just the right way between hits, you can create this lovely swell that enhances the rhythm. Song: Miracle (Epic Orchestral Cover) Composed by @tomevanscomposer Original song by @calvinharris and @elliegoulding Mixed and mastered by @jessejoymusic #mixingengineer #composition #audioengineer #epicmusic #composer

Over the next couple weeks I’ll be sharing some tips on how to mix an incredible low end. Here’s part 1! It’s couterintiutive, but often the best way to create a great low end is to remove low frequency from the mix. Rather than immediately boosting the bass and drums with EQ, the first thing I did was remove any unncessary low end from other instruments. This helps add clarity to the mix, gives more headroom, and also makes the bass and drums sound more full because there’s less energy competing with them. It’s a simple idea, but this is an amazing technique! Just by adding a few highpass filters or low shelves in the right spots, we can make the low end tracks sound more full and powerful, without even having to touch them. This can be a great starting place for the low end, so when we do actually start adding plugins, the drums and bass already sound good and we don’t have to overprocess them. Song: Miracle (Epic Orchestral Cover) Composed by @tomevanscomposer Original song by @calvinharris and @elliegoulding Mixed and mastered by @jessejoymusic #mixingengineer #composition #audioengineer #epicmusic

Took this studio photo for my site, and thought I would share it on IG too. Really happy with how it turned out! Photo by @sophie.clausius #mixingengineer #masteringengineer #musicstudio

These days, whenever I’m not mixing and mastering I’m playing the guitar. This song is called “Window”, and it’s actually my favourite guitar piece of all time. It’s by the incredible guitarist @alexdegrassiguitar , and it combines my two favourite things about guitar: intricate fingerstyle technique and beautiful open tunings #fingerstyle #guitar #acousticguitar #fingerstyleguitar