Chapter 6

Music Surround Mixing Tips

If you’ve struggled making your mono and stereo music mixes sound their best, you may find surround sound surprisingly easier to work with. Sound engineers always complain about how hard it is to balance disparate elements into a coherent mix.

Surround lets you literally move problem sounds out of the way. Many mixers comment on how there is a reduced need for compression and how radical EQ is so important to stereo mixing. The 360-degree sound field gives a wider and deeper stage for placing sound elements. The result is a more open and natural mix free from the over-processing required by stereo mixing.

The Rules

Early surround music mixes used the Ls/Rs primarily for ambience and effects. Today, the trend ...

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