Charles - any advise and / or opinions on doing seperate mixes FOR radio?

I know some labels demand it for the single - others don't. What do they typically want and what's your opinion of the whole practice?

--Jeff

Jeff,

Radio mixes. Is there anything else?

I guess you could call me a bit of a radio slut. I grew up listening to Rock + Hit radio, and that's all I ever wanted to have anything to do with. I almost always try and mix for radio, but that does not mean compressing the life out of the music, it just means to arrange + mix the songs to keep the listener interested. And to motivate them to go into the store and buy the CD. (Though these days it's feeling a little futile with all the music theft going on—please don't get me started!)

As far as the practice of doing separate mixes for radio, I have nothing against the practice. I would have never heard a Jewel song, if it wasn't done. I think every single on her first album sounds dramatically different than what I heard on radio. And the singles sounded great.

What do the labels want? In my experience they just want it to sound great. I've remixed some songs for singles and mainly the labels weren't satisfied with the original mix and they want the new mix to sound better. That is sometimes as specific as it may get. But when I hear the original and I hear things that I would do differently—I just do them. That's my approach. I simply try to make it sound big, + exciting, + good.

Good questions. Thanks.

Charles,

When you are given 'unsatisfactory' mixes by labels, do you think "here we go again"- is there a common flaw? or is there a lot of variation track by track in the areas you focus on improving?

Do you get specific, repeat DAW/PT mix problem areas?
Let me guess the number one culprit is..... saturation?? - lack of.

Thanks

Renie