Audio Mixing in Fort Collins, Colorado
A great mix is the difference between a song and a bunch of sounds happening at the same time. It takes a recorded performance and brings it to life: the emotion the artist meant, the thing that makes a listener feel something. I take your tracks and turn them into a finished, balanced stereo file, ready to master. I'm Jeff Burchett. I've been mixing for artists since 2015, here in Fort Collins and across the country.
Science First, Then Art
People talk a lot about the art and science of a thing, like the two always go hand in hand. In mixing, they don't, and the order matters. If you don't get the science right first, no amount of art or taste is going to save the song. If the kick and the bass are masking each other, that's a math problem, and it has to be solved before we can even talk about how you want the kick and bass to feel together.
So that's how I work. First I make the mix technically sound: every part clear, every frequency accounted for, the low end tight, nothing stepping on anything else. There's no such thing as a correct mix, but there are a lot of wrong ones, and I get the wrong ones out of the way first. Only then do we talk about the art, the feel, the flourishes, the choices that make the song yours. I don't mix on vibes. I mix on math.
Mixing Is Not Production
It helps to know where mixing ends and production begins, because they get lumped together. A mix takes your finished tracks and balances them into a great-sounding record. Production is the work that comes before that: vocal tuning, timing, comping, sound design, arranging, building the song itself. The mixing rates here are for the mix. Production is its own service, and I'm glad to do it, so if your tracks still need that work, tell me and we'll fold it in. What matters is that we're clear on which one you're asking for, so the quote and the plan fit the project. If you’re not sure whether you need production help, or now you’re wondering “what is a music producer?” then maybe this blog post will help.
How It Usually Works
Most of the time, it goes like this. You send me your tracks and a few reference songs, so I know the sound you're after. I mix, and I send you the first pass. If it's close, we finish it together and settle the last details, in the studio on the monitors, or live over ListenTo. If it needs more, you send notes, I revise, and then we finish it together. Two revisions are included either way.
If you'd rather be in the studio with me for the mix itself, let's talk. Usually I can make that work.
The Room and the Tools
I mix in a room treated and tuned by Music City Acoustics, on Neumann KH 310 monitors, with room correction by IK ARC. I'm hearing your song as it actually is, and what I sign off on translates to car speakers, earbuds, and everywhere else your listeners are. I mix mostly in the box, because for modern music it's faster, more precise, and more detailed than an all-analog chain. When a piece of hardware does a job better, I reach for it, the CXM 1978 and my outboard delays and reverbs earn their place on plenty of mixes. The full gear list is here if you want it.
Rates
Mixing is priced per song, and the price drops as the project grows:
1 to 2 songs: $375 each
3 to 9 songs: $320 each
10 or more songs: $260 each
Want it mixed and mastered together? Mix and master is priced per song:
1 to 2 songs: $445 each
3 to 9 songs: $380 each
10 or more songs: $310 each
These are base rates. High track counts and complex projects run higher. Get a quote for yours.
What You Get
Every mix comes as a full set of versions, not just the finished stereo file. For each song:
The approved mix, ready to master or release
Vocal up, the lead nudged up for radio and playlists
TV track, the full mix with the lead vocal pulled, for live sets and sync
Instrumental, no vocals at all
A cappella, the lead vocal with its effects
This is the standard deliverable set recommended by the Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing, who set the delivery standards the professional record industry runs on. A lot of engineers charge for these. I include them, because a finished record should be ready for whatever comes next, a sync placement, a live show, a remix, a clean edit, without coming back to me for another bounce.
Extended Deliverables
Some projects need more than the standard set. These are priced per song:
Stereo stem set, $125: your mix printed as grouped stems, drums, bass, music, vocals, and effects, for remixing, live playback, or sync.
Consolidated multitrack, $250: every recorded track, edited and consolidated to a common start, with virtual instruments printed to audio. This is the full source a mix can be rebuilt from, delivered to the P&E Wing archival standard.
Additional custom mix version, $150: any version beyond the standard set, like a dry a cappella, a radio edit, or an alternate vocal comp.
Stem and track counts vary by project, so send me your session details and I'll confirm pricing before we start.
Revisions and Turnaround
Every mix includes two rounds of revision. For an album, the first mix usually takes a couple of weeks; from there the finish goes fast. Single songs move quicker. How fast we wrap depends mostly on how fast feedback comes back.
Recent Work
I've mixed across a wide range, electronic, experimental, rock, metal, punk, ambient, and plenty that doesn't sit still in one genre. Recent projects include Mitchell Leonard, Subsoma, and Death Disco Club.
"Jeff did a stellar job mixing a couple tracks for my latest project. He made it all work together without anything being lost in the mix." — Mitchell Leonard
Start Your Mix
Send me your tracks and a few references, and tell me what you're going for. Get a quote, or hear finished work first.