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MIX

After recording, it is time to craft a mix that will be balanced and convey emotions. There are thousand ways to mix the same raw material, which plays a central role in the song's atmosphere.
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The main steps of mixing are summarized below and you can find different mixes of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit to hear what great difference a mix can make.
The editing process

  • Noise reduction (remove unwanted sounds such as hiss, breath, background)

  • Comping (choose the best takes and combine them)

  • Pitch/time editing (small corrections can make a huge difference)

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The mixing process

  • Balancing faders (adjust the volume of each instrument compared to each other)

  • Panning (create a balanced stereo image)

  • Equalization (make space for each instrument in the frequency spectrum and remove unwanted frequencies)

  • Compression (level the dynamic range)

  • Reverb (create a 3-dimensional sound and add an atmosphere)

  • Automation (different settings in different sections of the song)

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Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit - Different mixes

Rehearsal demo

Live version

Andy Wallace's mix

Butch Vig's mix

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