THE SECRETS OF ANALOGUE WARMTH

Vintage desks and outboard are celebrated for their ability to ‘glue’ a mix and impart ‘warmth’. But what do these vague terms really mean, and how can we recreate the effect?

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A good mix is so much more than the sum of its parts. And yet sometimes, no matter how carefully sourced our sounds, we just can’t get them to stick together in a way that is musically pleasing. ‘Mix glue’ is a term you’ll hear frequently and it’s self-explanatory; a ‘glued’ mix is one which holds together beautifully, where every part works in perfect harmony with every other.

Exactly how this is achieved is not immediately obvious, so through the next few pages, we’re going to explore some of the ways in which we can bring that much-coveted glue to our mixes. In particular, we’re going to focus on an understanding of why dynamics and space (compression and reverb) should be particular considerations. But we’re also going to go further to explore another commonly used phrase – mix warmth – and discover how we can bring this to our mixes too. For all of its practical limitations, tape-based recording rarely failed to add its own sonic personality and character to tracks, whereas we have to work a little harder to bring these sought-after qualities to our digital mixes. So in the spirit of mix enhancement and hot on the heels of mix warmth, let’s go exploring.

What is mix glue?