Episode 95 - Teezio
Show Notes
Live with Matt Rad - Episode 95
June 21, 2022
w/ Teezio - Week 5
Show notes by: Bradley Will
The Upcoming Chris Brown Release
Teezio:
I probably did 60 mixes leading up to this release, out of nearly 200 songs that were written in the process for the album.
I don’t put much effort into a rough mix until the song is ready to be mixed. I know what Chris’ expectation is for the rough mix (which isn’t very much) and anything else is just going to be a waste of time.
Mixing Bright
When I get a rough mix that’s really bright people perceive it as having a lot of excitement.
These days I’m trying how to get things bright and exciting without the harshness.
Some people are more tolerant of harshness that I would normally wish to turn down and are continually asking me for more brightness.
My theory is that because people aren’t taking good care of their ears, their top end perception is more dull, and they’re more tolerant of harshness in a mix.
Effects on Vocals
Teezio:
Lately because music has been trending towards having a lot of effects on vocals, I want to preserve those effects that the producer worked so hard on. So I will ask them to send me the vocal totally wet.
Co-Mixing
Teezio:
Co-mixing is a good way to open doors for yourself that normally wouldn’t be open to you, and I find myself doing it more frequently.
For the tracks that I do with featured artists I will rely on the engineer who worked with the featured artist, and that ends up being a co-mix.
As CB’s mixer I’m in charge of a lot more than just mixing because I’m a part of the team.
Taking session notes.
Keeping track of album credits.
Working on sample clearances with labels.
Doing all deliverables
If I’m working with another artist I’m just the mixer.
Matt:
I think the skill that gives people careers is figuring out where you can fit in and how far you can contribute.
Teezio:
Understand what role you play in each room you’re walking into.
I have an assistant (Ignacio) who does all of the prep.
He sets the session up, prints mixes, does mix revisions, and runs stems.
Having him do this allows me to take phones calls, answer emails, run out to the store, etc.
He receives files from producers
It took me four months to get him trained to the level where he was doing everything to my specifications.
I’ll reach out to the track producer and ask for the song-split credits from their side.
The stems I make for Atmos and 360 go to Chris Brown’s live show for the music playback.
Matt:
As soon as you realize that a job is not being done that needs to be done, then you should step up and fill that role. Then you can become invaluable to the team or session.
Teezio:
I use Mike Tucci and Dale Becker most frequently for mastering.
I give them 2-3dB headroom maximum
Sometimes certain clients of mine are not going to approve the mix unless it matches the rough mix at -4.5 LUFS.
I like the new God Particle plugin. I’m starting to get rough sessions coming in that are using it on the mix buss.
Q: How do deal with fat 808s that take up all of the space?
Teezio:
I’ll slightly dial down the peak at the front of the note.
I’ll collapse the dynamics slightly and then re-boost the energy using lo-fi or other methods to make it feel exciting again.
I have the most issues with the kick.
If the kick is dominant then the 808 is supporting it.
When the 808 is dominant those are the easier records to mix for me,
Because the kick-dominant mixes are the ones that are going to be slamming the limiter.
Matt:
When you’re trying to tame an 808 you have to be careful not to kill the energy and dynamics.
The lower the 808 notes are the more time you need for them to expand and go through a full cycle. If the tempo is slower you can feel that low-end better.
Q: Why do you prefer a Telefunken 251 over a C800?
Teezio:
The question is this: What microphone does the person you’re about to work with sound better on?
It’s not about using a specific mic blindly. It’s about listening to the needs of the artist’s voice.
In comparison, the C800 is more mid-rangey and the 251 is more toppy.
I’m trying to make the choice that will get me closer to the sound that I need, so that I don’t have to fight an extra battle when it comes time to mix.
Matt:
Both of these mics are great for artists that aren’t projecting a lot. It also sounds great for mumble rappers because it makes them cut through the mix more.
You can also record a lot of different instruments with the 251.
Q: Is there a creative momentum to recording every day vs. taking time off? Do you find that it takes time for you to get back into the flow if you take time off?
Matt:
It usually takes me a week to get back in the flow if I take a week off.
Teezio:
I’d never take a vacation longer than 2 weeks because after the 1st week I’d just want to go home and start working again.
Right now I’ve come off of such a stressful period that I’m currently not mixing, I’m focusing on the other work around it like label calls and deliverables, so that in 3-4 days I’ll be itching to jump back into it and start mixing again.
When I sit down to mix 80% of what I do is technical and the last 20% is my creative freedom.
I don’t want to be in the studio every day now because I’ll get burnt out.
The lack of stress during that downtime is the important part.
As you become better at your job, you start to realize how little you know what you’re doing.
