• Mixing or mastering it yourself (unless it’s just a quick demo or reference for your band or a studio).
• Using a low cost engineer or a friend “who can do it cheaper”.
• Using online algorithm based ‘robot mastering’ software. Well marketed, but poor results. Designed for amateurs. These are like the fast food versions in the music industry.

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MIXING

 

Choose wisely: Have you seen this before? A live mixer & quick set up? Few plugins, then “here’s your CD at the end of the day”?

 

No. It’s not a joke. I see this done by studios more and more… Let’s clarify now. The above will give you a sound like you’re practicing with mates, not an album quality sound. Please don’t let yourself to be fooled. Your music is meant to last forever. Be suspicious and don’t believe when you’re told mixing or mastering is free as “it doesn’t take long” or “we mix as we go”…No not joking again. This is what some places will tell you. Be confident and ask exactly what they will do for you when mixing and mastering. (If you want to know more about this topic, read my dictionary for musicians)

What’s the Heavy Rain way?

Flexible pricing: 3 magical words. Flat rate price not by the hour. That lifts the pressure off. Here’s what happens by the hour when mixing. What if the engineer did some mixing and you’re still not happy? You have to pay more. But in reality in many cases musicians just leave it as it is…then they’ll hate the song until the end of their lives as there are disturbing things in it. And I’ll be honest. It will never go away. I’ve been listening to musicians and a flat rate price for production is what everyone needed and that’s what I offer. 

• no surprises with price
• revisions included for free
• no “clock-watching”
• it’s ensured you’ll get what you need

What about the process?

Mixing is the soul of a song. Things messed up in mixing can’t be fixed in mastering. I’m focused on the results and how everything sounds. To reach the best results I use high-end analogue rack equipment and also digital processing the get best of both worlds. I wouldn’t just sit down, throw a few plugins on your project. I use many bonus / extra procedures, which you wouldn’t usually get with mixing. The musician community I work with named it “Andris trademark” process. Although it feels nice, I don’t think I do anything differently than all good honest studios would do. I’m just a sound enthusiast who puts his heart into your project and treat all as it was mine.

I’m very confident to tell you each time what I do for your project. Here’s the process projects go through usually with “Andris trademark” services:

Editing:

Editing is most useful in two cases. It gives you a tight sound as it brings the whole track together. Helps to fix things if there’s an error that is disturbing . I don’t like to overdo it as it eliminates the human elements in your music, but believe it helps a lot to take your raw tracks to the next level.

Track Enhancement:

Maybe you wished for an “in your face” shotgun snare sound and a punchy kick, but maybe you wanted a soft and smooth sounding one. With track enhancement I mainly use analog gear to bring out the best sound of each track and make it sound the way you wanted it. I do this one by one / track by track (real time processing) with high-end analogue equipment, which results in a quality plugins can’t do. (tube & tape, different transfomer sounds, saturation, optical- vca- or fet compressor sounds…etc)

Sound design: (optional)

Does your project need extra instruments? Maybe a synth or a beat? No problem! I’m a songwriter and a musician too. We’ll do what’s best for your track to lift it to the next level.

Mixing:

I have one policy when it comes to mixing: You always have to be able to hear everything. Each hit, pluck, word, cymbals…etc. Mixing creates separation and also a nice sounding stereo for your project. If you can’t hear an instrument, mixing is not done right. After separation is done I’ll create space and placement. It’s not just “oh it’s left or right” as things can also sound up-front or in the back, behind the singer for example. My work is always a second experience through headphones as it has depth and a 3D feel.

Once I’m done with mixing, I’ll invite you back to have a listen together / revise your project and fine-tune it to your likings. If you’re unable to revisit, you have 3 options:

1. I can send you a sample of the full song if the full price has already been paid.
2. I can send you a short sample if the full price has not been paid yet.
3. I can send you a full sample with a metronome watermark on it if the full price has not been paid yet.

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WHEN YOU DIDN’T RECORD WITH ME

Hey Andris what will you need from me to do this?

• Original stem files (dry). No compression, eq, effects…etc.
• A stereo audio track (wet) (optional) This helps me to understand, how you think your song should sound like.
• Minimum 6dB headroom
• All files with the same starting point

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