Part II - Mixing & Mastering Levels

Embarking on the musical voyage of recording classical guitar involves numerous steps, each with its own significance. We've previously explored gain staging and setting recording levels - fundamental processes that lay the groundwork for a pristine, high-quality recording. Our focus now turns to two intricate yet essential aspects: setting the mixing and mastering levels correctly.

The mixing phase is where we ensure each microphone used in capturing the performance is balanced and clear, contributing to a rich and harmonious soundstage. Following this, we dive into mastering - the final step that optimizes the recording's levels and tonal balance for various playback systems and streaming platforms.

In Part II of this series, we'll delve deep into the processes of mixing and mastering levels, providing insights to help you polish your classical guitar recordings to their fullest potential.

Mixing Levels

In the mixing stage, we blend and balance the individual elements of our recording. This stage is critical in ensuring the complete richness of the guitar is captured, with no aspect dominating the others. This balancing act becomes especially crucial when recording classical guitar, where we often employ multiple microphones to capture a comprehensive sonic image of the instrument.

Balancing the Multiple Microphones

During my recording sessions, I often employ multiple microphones, each positioned at different locations to capture a broad spectrum of the guitar's tonality. Each microphone contributes a unique facet to the overall sound, and blending these distinctive 'voices' is key to creating a robust and rich recording.

When using the AB Stereo technique, I often process both microphones together, maintaining the natural balance they create. However, it's not uncommon that I might apply additional EQ or other treatments to each microphone separately, if there is a problem that stands out.

M/S Stereo with Neumann TLM 193 & 170, each microphone gets different treatment

For more complex microphone arrays, I apply thorough care to each microphone, treating each channel individually. This might involve applying EQ adjustments or other processing to each track separately, to ensure they blend harmoniously together. For a classical guitar, I aim for a mix level of around -18 dBFS, with peaks no higher than -6 dBFS.

It's crucial to monitor each channel's levels, ensuring that none are too loud or overdriven. This helps prevent potential distortion and maintains the integrity of the recording, leading to a balanced and natural-sounding result.

Using Reference Tracks to Maintain Perspective

Working extensively on my mixes sometimes makes me overly familiar with the material, leading to a potential loss of objectivity. To counter this, I utilize reference tracks. These are, essentially, sonic benchmarks that guide me in crafting the depth, presence, and dynamic contrast of my guitar recordings. My advice is to make a list of your favourite-sounding classical guitar recordings and occasionally compare them to your mix.

While the aim is not to mimic these references, juxtaposing my mix with these standards helps regain perspective and fosters fresh insights. This practice ensures that my recordings can confidently stand alongside commercially produced tracks, adding an invaluable layer of quality control to the mixing process.

Preserving the Dynamics: Taming Peaks Without Sacrificing Expressiveness

Classical guitar draws much of its expressive power from subtle variations in loudness and intensity. To honour this characteristic, I strive to preserve the instrument's natural dynamic range as much as possible in my mixes, generally avoiding the use of compression, which can flatten these dynamics and yield an unnatural sound.

In some cases, however, a track may have rogue peaks that cause distortion. To prevent this, I turn to a limiter, specifically the FabFilter Pro-L2. This limiter tactfully reins in these peaks, maintaining the overall dynamic shape of the performance without introducing the potential adverse effects of compression.

High-quality studio monitors for accurate listening

There are exceptions, of course. If I'm faced with a subpar recording that needs salvaging, or if the classical guitar is part of an ensemble mix, I might cautiously introduce compression to help the guitar find its place among the other instruments. But for solo classical guitar recordings, my preference is always to allow the instrument's natural dynamics breath. The true beauty of the classical guitar, after all, resides in its subtleties and nuances.

Mastering Levels: The Final Adjustments to Your Classical Guitar Recording

Mastering is the last but certainly not the least important stage in music production. It's in this phase that we delicately adjust the overall levels and tonal balance of the mix, making sure it's polished and cohesive for listeners. In classical guitar recordings, mastering's primary goals are to ensure that the recording sounds its best across various playback systems and to prepare it for distribution on streaming platforms. While mastering doesn't drastically transform the recording, it refines it, solidifying its sonic integrity and ensuring it's ready for the world to hear.

Deciphering LUFS for Consistent Perceived Loudness

A significant aspect of mastering is understanding and correctly using LUFS, or Loudness Units relative to Full Scale. Unlike Peak or RMS levels, which measure the absolute values of audio signals, LUFS take into account the human perception of loudness. In other words, they measure loudness as our ears perceive it.

This is based on the fact that human hearing is frequency-dependent. We are more sensitive to some frequencies compared to others, especially in the mid-range. LUFS measurements integrate these psychoacoustic principles, providing a more accurate measure of perceived loudness. This ensures recorded music retains its intended impact, regardless of the playback scenario, providing consistency across different platforms and distribution methods.

***Youlean Loudness Meter is an essential tool***

A reliable loudness meter is a vital tool for effective mastering. My choice is the Youlean Loudness Meter, a free tool that's become an invaluable asset in my mastering toolkit as it provides accurate LUFS measurements, peak levels, and true peak readings, all crucial for mastering.

The Youlean Loudness Meter also gives us the ability to monitor the loudness over time, providing a clear, visual representation of the dynamic range throughout our recording. This information is crucial when making adjustments during mastering.

Aiming for Optimal Loudness

Mastering is not about winning a loudness war. Instead, it's about achieving a comfortable and consistent listening level that provides an enjoyable experience across various listening scenarios. I typically aim for a loudness level of -14 LUFS. In addition, I ensure that my recordings remain below -1dB True Peak. This practice avoids potential clipping and distortion, preserving the natural dynamics and integrity of the recording.

Striking the Right Tone, One Level at a Time

The journey towards a professional-sounding classical guitar recording is a meticulous one. It calls for a keen eye (and ear) at every stage of the process, from capturing a clean signal, through balancing your recording and mixing levels, to the final act of polishing your track through mastering.

But it not just about mastering the technicalities. It's a delicate dance between the science of sound and the artistry of music. We're not simply chasing perfect readings on a meter. Our true pursuit is to transpose the nuances, emotions, and soul of the performance into a recording that touches the heart of the listener.