WingsOfAnAngel
Banned
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 3
One often overlooked aspect of the recording process is the headphone monitor mix — what the performer hears while recording. As anyone who has overdubbed a part knows, being able to hear what's going on in the cans is essential to laying down great tracks. When saddled with a poor headphone mix, even a first-rate musician cannot deliver an optimum performance. Clearly, this is a case in which the recording engineer must be on the ball.
The challenge, of course, is that one size doesn't fit all — a mix that works for, say, the lead singer may not work at all for the percussionist. In this article, I'll provide practical tips for setting up headphone mixes for a variety of instrumentalists. A good headphone mix doesn't just ensure that the artist is comfortable and performs well; it also limits some of the problems headphone monitoring can create, such as listening fatigue and headphone “bleed” into open microphones. There's a nice side benefit, as well: engineers who know how to deliver an inspiring headphone mix are usually highly regarded by recording artists!
CANNED HEAT
Inexperienced engineers have been known to send a different mix — mono, pseudostereo, sans effects, or what have you — to the artist, all the while happily monitoring the main stereo mix in the control room, oblivious to what's feeding the cans. Therefore, the first order of business is to make sure you're hearing the same thing the artist is. Put on a pair of headphones yourself — the same model the performer is wearing, if possible — so you can monitor exactly what's going to the artist.
Be aware that headphones are actually biphonic rather than stereophonic (as speakers are) and thus create a different listening environment. That actually can be helpful to the musician because headphones allow for greater localization of sounds. That is, you can spread things out more than you would in a stereophonic mix, helping the musician feel he or she is more “inside” the music, with each instrument clearly discernible in the biphonic field.
Also keep in mind that, because of the small diaphragms used in headphones, the higher frequencies tend to sound very bright. That can lead not only to a much earlier onset of listening fatigue but also to excessive bleed or sound leakage from the phones to an open microphone, particularly with nonenclosed or foam-covered headphones and when recording vocals, acoustic instruments, as well as other sources with low sound-pressure levels (SPLs). Fortunately, aggressive high frequencies can be tamed with equalization.
Many musicians tend to crank their monitor levels up high, especially during setup. You should therefore mute or disengage any channel that is being plugged in, unplugged, patched, or otherwise dramatically changed, because the resulting pops can be upsetting, and even physically damaging, to the artists. It's a good idea to use a talkback mic to advise players of any noticeable changes you plan to make.
GOING LIVE
Creating a usable headphone mix for a live session — one in which all the musicians are playing at once — not only requires good ears and the ability to manage a console effectively but also usually involves some degree of political savvy. Naturally, each instrumentalist wants to hear the mix in a particular way to suit his or her personal preferences and to better focus on the aspects of the music he or she needs to hear to effectively perform a part. Who gets satisfaction in that regard can lead to some controversy.
In general, the members of the rhythm section (drums and bass guitar) play off one another, so bass guitar, kick drum, and snare should be dominant; lead instruments and vocals, which are potential distractions, should be kept lower in the mix. Vocalists and lead instrumentalists, on the other hand, need to focus more on the melodic parts, which usually are in the upper mid frequencies. Ideally, your console will have enough aux sends to allow for at least two separate mixes.
Another method that works well and is favored in most larger facilities is the “More Me” setup (see the sidebar “More Me, Please!”). In that case, a stereo mix of the entire group is sent along with certain instrument feeds to a number of miniature mixers. Players can then adjust the mix according to their individual needs.
TO EACH HIS OWN
Following are guidelines for creating different headphone mixes for specific instrumentalists. Don't hesitate to ask musicians if they have any personal requests. Some people prefer a dry mix when tracking, whereas others find that some reverb can help them get more “into” the track.
Drummer
The rhythm section provides the basis for the overall timing and feel of the song, so be particularly sensitive to the needs of the drummer regarding levels, balance, and such. Elements the drummer usually needs to have loud in the phones include bass guitar, click track (assuming there is one), and any key rhythmic elements — electric rhythm guitar, for example.
Vocals and solos are often more distracting than helpful and thus should be kept low in the mix or even muted. (Obvious exceptions would be a vocal or other lead cue that indicates an upcoming break or chorus, or a section of the song in which the drummer must interact musically with the vocal or some other lead element. In that case, you can sneak in the cue just when it's needed.) Likewise, acoustic instruments, keyboard pads, and so on can often be kept very low or left out altogether.
Though bleed from headphones to the overheads, snare, hi-hat, or other mics is rare, because of the relatively high SPLs generated by the drum kit, be careful when using click tracks, especially during intros and outros — any click bleed that sneaks in during quiet passages can create havoc during mixdown. Use EQ to soften or round out the click track (see Fig. 1). I typically dial out anything above 3 kHz with a shelving filter and then boost somewhere between 220 and 500 Hz, depending on the sound of the click. (An equalized click is also helpful when tracking low-SPL sources such as vocals and acoustic guitars.)
Percussionist
For a steady-state part — a shaker or tambourine that plays on every chorus, for example — the percussionist may need nothing more than drums and a chordal instrument to indicate the song's form. Some vocal, mixed very low, may also be helpful as a guide to the song form.
Naturally, for percussion parts that are more random or that are just for sweetening — a triangle hit here, a cabasa roll there — the player needs to hear pretty much a complete mix. On the other hand, it usually still helps to emphasize kick, snare, and possibly hi-hat or ride cymbal and to de-emphasize vocals, leads, and pads.
Bass guitarist
An ideal headphone mix for the bass player is typically heavy on kick and snare and light on vocals and solos. If keyboards (especially pianos or bass-synth patches) are involved, those may feature somewhat prominently, so the bassist can play off of, or around, the riffs. When recording fretless bass, it's important that the player be able to hear a pitched instrument (other than vocals) prominently as a pitch guide.
Because the bass is usually recorded either direct or line-out from a preamp or amp, or with a mic in close proximity to the speaker, bleed is rarely a problem. Exceptions are miked acoustic and upright basses. Again, be mindful of those higher frequencies.
Keyboardist
Electronic keyboards are typically recorded at line level, in which case mic bleed is not an issue. On the other hand, when recording piano, harpsichord, or other acoustic keyboards, you may run into mic bleed, so remember to EQ the headphone mix accordingly. Usually, dialing out extreme highs and lows with shelving EQ will take care of general bleed, and you should also EQ the click.
Keyboard parts run the gamut from rhythm section to pads and solos, so each session must be taken on a case-by-case basis. Still, here are some general guidelines. For rhythmic parts, feature the snare drum and bass guitar prominently. Depending on the arrangement, it may also help to highlight the hi-hat or ride cymbal. Pads generally require more chordal information, whereas solos often play off of vocals and other lead instruments.
Acoustic guitarist
Acoustic-guitar parts range from soft, fingerpicked ostinatos to rhythmic strumming to sweetening parts that “converse” with the vocal. Headphone bleed is often a problem — usually from the vocals but sometimes also from headphone feedback — so equalization may be necessary.
Someone laying down a rhythmic strumming part usually requires a balanced drum feed and some bass and vocal; parts such as solos, pads, and percussion may only get in the way. Most importantly, make sure the acoustic guitar is not too loud in relation to the rest of the mix — to lay down an accurate part, the player needs to clearly hear the core rhythmic elements.
Fingerpicked parts, on the other hand, typically need to be a bit louder than the rest of the tracks to let the performer focus on the subtleties of his or her playing. If the part plays against the vocal, you might also need to bring up the vocal as a guide. In that case, use the final vocal take when possible.
Electric guitarist
Generally speaking, “crunchy” electric-guitar parts require a headphone mix containing more of the rhythmic elements, strumming parts need more chordal material, and solos often work off the vocals and other lead instruments. If reverb, delay, or other effects will be added to the final mix, it's important to give the player enough of those effects to allow for a contextual reference. Just be careful not to print the effects to tape! Headphone bleed usually isn't a problem here, thanks to high signal-to-noise ratios.
Vocalist
Creating a great headphone mix for the lead vocalist can be a challenge, as singers tend to have different preferences. For example, one may want a finished full-band mix, and another may prefer to sing only to an acoustic-guitar track. In addition, because of the relatively low SPLs and close proximity of the headphones to an open mic (usually with lots of gain added), headphone bleed is often a problem.
As a general rule, keep percussive elements low in the mix, especially snare and cymbal parts that can create lots of high-frequency bleed (and usually aren't necessary for singers to keep their timing anyway). As long as the singer can hear the song's basic rhythm, you should be fine; most of the time, there's no need for “accessory” percussion parts at all.
The main goal is almost always to find the right instruments and the right balance of those instruments to keep the singer on pitch. Note that a headphone mix heavy on the low end will often cause singers, especially those less experienced at recording, to sing a little sharp as they attempt to “compensate” for the excessive lows. The solution there is simply to provide more of the midrange elements — those between, say, 800 Hz and 2 kHz — being careful not to let in too much of the higher-frequency sound.
Perhaps most critical is finding the right level for the vocal in relation to the other instruments. If the voice is too loud in the cans, the vocalist may not sing forcibly enough; if the voice is too quiet, he or she may strain. In addition, too much or too little vocal in the mix can also contribute to pitch problems.
If the vocal is to be processed in the final mix with reverb, delay, or whatever, it is appropriate to add some of the same, or similar, effect(s) to the voice in the headphone mix, again to provide context. Be careful, though — too little effect can trigger “overinflection,” and too much, especially too much reverb, may induce the singer to “cheat,” resulting in weak vocalization, pitch problems, or both.
Weak vocalists often ask for more effects than are appropriate. In that case, it's best to give them what they ask for — after all, providing only the amount you think is right confers no advantage, and it may lead to discomfort for the singer, a substandard performance, or both. If you feel strongly that a singer is hurting the performance by using too much effect, try dropping the level a smidge during the take — a sneaky tactic, yes, but justifiable as long as it helps the performance.
Backup vocalist(s)
Pitch is usually the main concern when recording backup vocals, so you may find that a minimum of instruments — acoustic guitar or piano and lead vocal, for example — yields the best results. I usually pan the lead vocal a bit to one side of center and the backup to the other side. Keep the lead vocal strong in the mix and then find a level — usually slightly below the lead — that is optimal for the backup singer or singers.
If you are recording a group of singers in one pass with a stereo pair of mics, pan the backups opposite the lead voice, but also try to pan the stereo signal so that it matches the arrangement of singers in the room — you don't want the person standing on the far left of the semicircle to hear him or herself on the right side of the stereo image.
CAN DO
In the end, your ability to dial up an optimal headphone mix for any given instrumentalist will have a profound effect on the quality of the tracks and performances you get from your recording sessions. With experienced studio musicians, the job may be as easy as asking what they want and giving it to them; newbies, on the other hand, may not even realize they have a say in the matter, in which case it helps tremendously for you to have an idea of what kind of mix will coax out their best performances. Hopefully, this article has provided insight into how best to proceed in either case and how to minimize bleed and other problems that can plague you during mixdown.
Randy Neiman is an independent producer, engineer, educator, and author who resides in the mountains of Northern California. Additional contributions were made by Robin Hood Brians and Jim Chapdelaine. You can reach the Great Baldini through e-mail at audioguru@mail.com.
MORE ME, PLEASE!
Larger commercial recording facilities often provide separate miniature mixers so that musicians can dial up their own individual headphone monitor mixes. In a typical setup, that requires a series of distribution amps and a separate mini mixer for each musician. (See Fig. A for a simpler, more affordable More Me setup.) The quality of the mixer is not all that critical, as most currently available models provide adequate line-level mixing capabilities.
The following hypothetical More Me setup (see Fig. B) shows signal routing to one or more Mackie 1202-VLZs — an excellent mini mixer for this application. This setup would be useful for a live tracking session of a band consisting of drums, bass, guitar, stereo keys, stereo horns, and a vocalist.
Begin by putting together a nicely balanced stereo mix, complete with effects. It should sound much the way you want the final mix to sound, with the following exceptions:
1.
Mix a little bit heavy on the rhythm-section elements. That's because all the players need to be able to follow the timing easily.
2.
Mix light on the melodic instruments, especially the vocals. (You could also opt to leave the vocals out of the baseline mix.)
3.
Pan each instrument into a more restricted area than you would for the final mix. That is, don't put any element far on either side of the stereo field.
4.
EQ the mix so the highs are less bright than you would want them to be in a commercial mix. The reason for doing that is higher frequencies more readily result in headphone leakage and listening fatigue than lower ones.
Now you have a baseline stereo mix that everyone can work from. Feed this baseline mix to a stereo input on each mini mixer — in this case, Line In 11-12 (which corresponds to the “fader” on channel 8). Next, take direct outputs (or insert sends) from the kick and snare tracks and route them to channels 1 and 2, respectively. Do the same with the bass, guitar, stereo keys, and stereo horns, routing them to channels 3, 4, stereo 5-6, and stereo 7-8, respectively. Finally, route the vocal track to stereo channel 9-10, plugging in to the top (L) jack, which is mono.
With that setup, the musicians can independently add more kick, snare, bass, guitar, keys, horns, and/or vocals to the baseline mix, depending on each of their needs. In addition, they can pan individual elements (except those going to the stereo channels) far left or right in the baseline mix so that they can hear them more easily without adding too much gain. As you might expect, musicians tend to add more of their own instruments to the mix, hence the phrase “more me.”
Randy Neiman, Electronic Musician, Aug 1, 2002
The challenge, of course, is that one size doesn't fit all — a mix that works for, say, the lead singer may not work at all for the percussionist. In this article, I'll provide practical tips for setting up headphone mixes for a variety of instrumentalists. A good headphone mix doesn't just ensure that the artist is comfortable and performs well; it also limits some of the problems headphone monitoring can create, such as listening fatigue and headphone “bleed” into open microphones. There's a nice side benefit, as well: engineers who know how to deliver an inspiring headphone mix are usually highly regarded by recording artists!
CANNED HEAT
Inexperienced engineers have been known to send a different mix — mono, pseudostereo, sans effects, or what have you — to the artist, all the while happily monitoring the main stereo mix in the control room, oblivious to what's feeding the cans. Therefore, the first order of business is to make sure you're hearing the same thing the artist is. Put on a pair of headphones yourself — the same model the performer is wearing, if possible — so you can monitor exactly what's going to the artist.
Be aware that headphones are actually biphonic rather than stereophonic (as speakers are) and thus create a different listening environment. That actually can be helpful to the musician because headphones allow for greater localization of sounds. That is, you can spread things out more than you would in a stereophonic mix, helping the musician feel he or she is more “inside” the music, with each instrument clearly discernible in the biphonic field.
Also keep in mind that, because of the small diaphragms used in headphones, the higher frequencies tend to sound very bright. That can lead not only to a much earlier onset of listening fatigue but also to excessive bleed or sound leakage from the phones to an open microphone, particularly with nonenclosed or foam-covered headphones and when recording vocals, acoustic instruments, as well as other sources with low sound-pressure levels (SPLs). Fortunately, aggressive high frequencies can be tamed with equalization.
Many musicians tend to crank their monitor levels up high, especially during setup. You should therefore mute or disengage any channel that is being plugged in, unplugged, patched, or otherwise dramatically changed, because the resulting pops can be upsetting, and even physically damaging, to the artists. It's a good idea to use a talkback mic to advise players of any noticeable changes you plan to make.
GOING LIVE
Creating a usable headphone mix for a live session — one in which all the musicians are playing at once — not only requires good ears and the ability to manage a console effectively but also usually involves some degree of political savvy. Naturally, each instrumentalist wants to hear the mix in a particular way to suit his or her personal preferences and to better focus on the aspects of the music he or she needs to hear to effectively perform a part. Who gets satisfaction in that regard can lead to some controversy.
In general, the members of the rhythm section (drums and bass guitar) play off one another, so bass guitar, kick drum, and snare should be dominant; lead instruments and vocals, which are potential distractions, should be kept lower in the mix. Vocalists and lead instrumentalists, on the other hand, need to focus more on the melodic parts, which usually are in the upper mid frequencies. Ideally, your console will have enough aux sends to allow for at least two separate mixes.
Another method that works well and is favored in most larger facilities is the “More Me” setup (see the sidebar “More Me, Please!”). In that case, a stereo mix of the entire group is sent along with certain instrument feeds to a number of miniature mixers. Players can then adjust the mix according to their individual needs.
TO EACH HIS OWN
Following are guidelines for creating different headphone mixes for specific instrumentalists. Don't hesitate to ask musicians if they have any personal requests. Some people prefer a dry mix when tracking, whereas others find that some reverb can help them get more “into” the track.
Drummer
The rhythm section provides the basis for the overall timing and feel of the song, so be particularly sensitive to the needs of the drummer regarding levels, balance, and such. Elements the drummer usually needs to have loud in the phones include bass guitar, click track (assuming there is one), and any key rhythmic elements — electric rhythm guitar, for example.
Vocals and solos are often more distracting than helpful and thus should be kept low in the mix or even muted. (Obvious exceptions would be a vocal or other lead cue that indicates an upcoming break or chorus, or a section of the song in which the drummer must interact musically with the vocal or some other lead element. In that case, you can sneak in the cue just when it's needed.) Likewise, acoustic instruments, keyboard pads, and so on can often be kept very low or left out altogether.
Though bleed from headphones to the overheads, snare, hi-hat, or other mics is rare, because of the relatively high SPLs generated by the drum kit, be careful when using click tracks, especially during intros and outros — any click bleed that sneaks in during quiet passages can create havoc during mixdown. Use EQ to soften or round out the click track (see Fig. 1). I typically dial out anything above 3 kHz with a shelving filter and then boost somewhere between 220 and 500 Hz, depending on the sound of the click. (An equalized click is also helpful when tracking low-SPL sources such as vocals and acoustic guitars.)
Percussionist
For a steady-state part — a shaker or tambourine that plays on every chorus, for example — the percussionist may need nothing more than drums and a chordal instrument to indicate the song's form. Some vocal, mixed very low, may also be helpful as a guide to the song form.
Naturally, for percussion parts that are more random or that are just for sweetening — a triangle hit here, a cabasa roll there — the player needs to hear pretty much a complete mix. On the other hand, it usually still helps to emphasize kick, snare, and possibly hi-hat or ride cymbal and to de-emphasize vocals, leads, and pads.
Bass guitarist
An ideal headphone mix for the bass player is typically heavy on kick and snare and light on vocals and solos. If keyboards (especially pianos or bass-synth patches) are involved, those may feature somewhat prominently, so the bassist can play off of, or around, the riffs. When recording fretless bass, it's important that the player be able to hear a pitched instrument (other than vocals) prominently as a pitch guide.
Because the bass is usually recorded either direct or line-out from a preamp or amp, or with a mic in close proximity to the speaker, bleed is rarely a problem. Exceptions are miked acoustic and upright basses. Again, be mindful of those higher frequencies.
Keyboardist
Electronic keyboards are typically recorded at line level, in which case mic bleed is not an issue. On the other hand, when recording piano, harpsichord, or other acoustic keyboards, you may run into mic bleed, so remember to EQ the headphone mix accordingly. Usually, dialing out extreme highs and lows with shelving EQ will take care of general bleed, and you should also EQ the click.
Keyboard parts run the gamut from rhythm section to pads and solos, so each session must be taken on a case-by-case basis. Still, here are some general guidelines. For rhythmic parts, feature the snare drum and bass guitar prominently. Depending on the arrangement, it may also help to highlight the hi-hat or ride cymbal. Pads generally require more chordal information, whereas solos often play off of vocals and other lead instruments.
Acoustic guitarist
Acoustic-guitar parts range from soft, fingerpicked ostinatos to rhythmic strumming to sweetening parts that “converse” with the vocal. Headphone bleed is often a problem — usually from the vocals but sometimes also from headphone feedback — so equalization may be necessary.
Someone laying down a rhythmic strumming part usually requires a balanced drum feed and some bass and vocal; parts such as solos, pads, and percussion may only get in the way. Most importantly, make sure the acoustic guitar is not too loud in relation to the rest of the mix — to lay down an accurate part, the player needs to clearly hear the core rhythmic elements.
Fingerpicked parts, on the other hand, typically need to be a bit louder than the rest of the tracks to let the performer focus on the subtleties of his or her playing. If the part plays against the vocal, you might also need to bring up the vocal as a guide. In that case, use the final vocal take when possible.
Electric guitarist
Generally speaking, “crunchy” electric-guitar parts require a headphone mix containing more of the rhythmic elements, strumming parts need more chordal material, and solos often work off the vocals and other lead instruments. If reverb, delay, or other effects will be added to the final mix, it's important to give the player enough of those effects to allow for a contextual reference. Just be careful not to print the effects to tape! Headphone bleed usually isn't a problem here, thanks to high signal-to-noise ratios.
Vocalist
Creating a great headphone mix for the lead vocalist can be a challenge, as singers tend to have different preferences. For example, one may want a finished full-band mix, and another may prefer to sing only to an acoustic-guitar track. In addition, because of the relatively low SPLs and close proximity of the headphones to an open mic (usually with lots of gain added), headphone bleed is often a problem.
As a general rule, keep percussive elements low in the mix, especially snare and cymbal parts that can create lots of high-frequency bleed (and usually aren't necessary for singers to keep their timing anyway). As long as the singer can hear the song's basic rhythm, you should be fine; most of the time, there's no need for “accessory” percussion parts at all.
The main goal is almost always to find the right instruments and the right balance of those instruments to keep the singer on pitch. Note that a headphone mix heavy on the low end will often cause singers, especially those less experienced at recording, to sing a little sharp as they attempt to “compensate” for the excessive lows. The solution there is simply to provide more of the midrange elements — those between, say, 800 Hz and 2 kHz — being careful not to let in too much of the higher-frequency sound.
Perhaps most critical is finding the right level for the vocal in relation to the other instruments. If the voice is too loud in the cans, the vocalist may not sing forcibly enough; if the voice is too quiet, he or she may strain. In addition, too much or too little vocal in the mix can also contribute to pitch problems.
If the vocal is to be processed in the final mix with reverb, delay, or whatever, it is appropriate to add some of the same, or similar, effect(s) to the voice in the headphone mix, again to provide context. Be careful, though — too little effect can trigger “overinflection,” and too much, especially too much reverb, may induce the singer to “cheat,” resulting in weak vocalization, pitch problems, or both.
Weak vocalists often ask for more effects than are appropriate. In that case, it's best to give them what they ask for — after all, providing only the amount you think is right confers no advantage, and it may lead to discomfort for the singer, a substandard performance, or both. If you feel strongly that a singer is hurting the performance by using too much effect, try dropping the level a smidge during the take — a sneaky tactic, yes, but justifiable as long as it helps the performance.
Backup vocalist(s)
Pitch is usually the main concern when recording backup vocals, so you may find that a minimum of instruments — acoustic guitar or piano and lead vocal, for example — yields the best results. I usually pan the lead vocal a bit to one side of center and the backup to the other side. Keep the lead vocal strong in the mix and then find a level — usually slightly below the lead — that is optimal for the backup singer or singers.
If you are recording a group of singers in one pass with a stereo pair of mics, pan the backups opposite the lead voice, but also try to pan the stereo signal so that it matches the arrangement of singers in the room — you don't want the person standing on the far left of the semicircle to hear him or herself on the right side of the stereo image.
CAN DO
In the end, your ability to dial up an optimal headphone mix for any given instrumentalist will have a profound effect on the quality of the tracks and performances you get from your recording sessions. With experienced studio musicians, the job may be as easy as asking what they want and giving it to them; newbies, on the other hand, may not even realize they have a say in the matter, in which case it helps tremendously for you to have an idea of what kind of mix will coax out their best performances. Hopefully, this article has provided insight into how best to proceed in either case and how to minimize bleed and other problems that can plague you during mixdown.
Randy Neiman is an independent producer, engineer, educator, and author who resides in the mountains of Northern California. Additional contributions were made by Robin Hood Brians and Jim Chapdelaine. You can reach the Great Baldini through e-mail at audioguru@mail.com.
MORE ME, PLEASE!
Larger commercial recording facilities often provide separate miniature mixers so that musicians can dial up their own individual headphone monitor mixes. In a typical setup, that requires a series of distribution amps and a separate mini mixer for each musician. (See Fig. A for a simpler, more affordable More Me setup.) The quality of the mixer is not all that critical, as most currently available models provide adequate line-level mixing capabilities.
The following hypothetical More Me setup (see Fig. B) shows signal routing to one or more Mackie 1202-VLZs — an excellent mini mixer for this application. This setup would be useful for a live tracking session of a band consisting of drums, bass, guitar, stereo keys, stereo horns, and a vocalist.
Begin by putting together a nicely balanced stereo mix, complete with effects. It should sound much the way you want the final mix to sound, with the following exceptions:
1.
Mix a little bit heavy on the rhythm-section elements. That's because all the players need to be able to follow the timing easily.
2.
Mix light on the melodic instruments, especially the vocals. (You could also opt to leave the vocals out of the baseline mix.)
3.
Pan each instrument into a more restricted area than you would for the final mix. That is, don't put any element far on either side of the stereo field.
4.
EQ the mix so the highs are less bright than you would want them to be in a commercial mix. The reason for doing that is higher frequencies more readily result in headphone leakage and listening fatigue than lower ones.
Now you have a baseline stereo mix that everyone can work from. Feed this baseline mix to a stereo input on each mini mixer — in this case, Line In 11-12 (which corresponds to the “fader” on channel 8). Next, take direct outputs (or insert sends) from the kick and snare tracks and route them to channels 1 and 2, respectively. Do the same with the bass, guitar, stereo keys, and stereo horns, routing them to channels 3, 4, stereo 5-6, and stereo 7-8, respectively. Finally, route the vocal track to stereo channel 9-10, plugging in to the top (L) jack, which is mono.
With that setup, the musicians can independently add more kick, snare, bass, guitar, keys, horns, and/or vocals to the baseline mix, depending on each of their needs. In addition, they can pan individual elements (except those going to the stereo channels) far left or right in the baseline mix so that they can hear them more easily without adding too much gain. As you might expect, musicians tend to add more of their own instruments to the mix, hence the phrase “more me.”
Randy Neiman, Electronic Musician, Aug 1, 2002