Mix analysis

A mix analysis is a critical evaluation of all the parameters of an audio recording. This could be a single track, song, movement, or section from a longer piece. Please do your best to identify each individual audio element (track, instrument, voice, effect, and so on). Each individual mix analysis will be drawn from a different set of musical genres which will be noted on the course web site.

Each mix analysis will be written up and sent to me via email. Your mix analysis will include three sections.

(1) The the name of the artist, the album and the recording title.

(2) A listing of each audio source followed by its perceived amplitude (within a range from 0 to 10) and its perceived pan position (within a range from -10 to 10, left to right).

(3) A paragraph or so describing any dynamic (changing) parameters, special effects, unusual qualities, or challenges to your analysis.

Please give your self the time for repeated listening for this project - this is not easy and it will take time. Use the best headphones you can, since this will help you get the low level details.

Once you have completed your write up, please email it to me.

For the first analysis, please use this track

by Andy Ellison, Fall Down (single, unreleased)

*Please see the example we did in class:

Mix analysis example
Category: acoustic
Artist: Ry Cooder / VM Bhatt
Album: A Meeting by the River
Year: 1993
Title: Isa Lei

Sound Source....... pan... level
slide guitar (Cooder) pan 6 level 8
mohan vina (Bhatt) pan -6 level 8
tabla drums (Singh) pan -1 level 7

Notes:
Guitar solos brought to the foreground by the musicians acoustic balance (about 8 vs 7)
Since this was recorded with a single stereo mic, the locations are accurate, but each instrument has some width in the stereo image
Excellent, natural sounding recording, instruments are clear and distinct, with great stereo imaging and depth of field.
Good spectral balance, nice sense of space around the sounds, broad dynamic range.

Interesting interview with Kavi Alexander, owner and engineer for Waterlily Acoustics, the record label for this recording.