Fixing the Broken Process of Remote Mix Reviews

A picture of a producer

You already know Sessionwire is the premiere application for overdubs, mastering and music lessons, but did you know it’s also perfect for mix reviews? 
Increases in available Internet bandwidth coupled with online file-sharing services have allowed producers and engineers to mix songs and albums remotely for decades.

So, whether you’re an artist, producer, or mixing engineer, you’re able to massively expand the pool of available talent you can work with. If you’re a mixing engineer based in Japan, you can work with producers or artists who live in Canada or anywhere else in the world. You are no longer confined to the limits of your local community!

At Sessionwire, we love this. We’re all about removing barriers to musical collaboration, especially geographical ones. Unfortunately, for many there is a broken part in the remote mixing process; the mix review.

Once the mixdown is finished, it’s time for the mix review or mix approval process to begin. This is where things generally become cumbersome and tedious at best. The good news is it doesn’t have to be this way!

Before we examine a simpler, faster way to conduct remote mix reviews, let’s first explore what a typical remote workflow might look like.

Mixing engineer using mixing board

The Convoluted Process of Remote Mix Reviews

  • Share the files with the client – Typically this is done through online file sharing services such as Dropbox or in some cases a dedicated server may be used. Often multiple versions will be included.
  • Send comments about the mix – It is common for remote mix engineers to share notes and comments about the mix with the client. This could be sent through the file sharing service with the files or communicated via email.
  • The client listens to the mix – The client, whether the artist or producer, listens to the mix without the mix engineer present and only the written notes for context. The client will make their own set of feedback notes about what they like or don’t like about the mix and send them back to the mix engineer.
  • The mix engineer makes revisions – Once the mix engineer receives feedback from the client, they have to restore the session and make tweaks based on the client’s notes.
  • Repeat the process for the revisions – When the revisions are made, they must be sent back to the client, the client listens to the latest version, either accepts the revisions or supplies more feedback, and the process continues until approval is given.

You don’t have to be a long-time professional producer or mixing engineer to see that this process is broken or at the very least, inefficient. There is the potential for lengthy back-and-forth, unnecessary time-consuming revisions, and multiple mix versions floating around. Fortunately, there is a better way!

Mixing Engineer mixing a song

Simpler, Faster Mix Reviews using Sessionwire 

“Sessionwire allows me to connect and make real-time decisions with my clients wherever they are, whether it’s an overdub session, a full production, or a mix revision.”

Dale Penner, Producer/Mixer

Dale Penner

Dale Penner is a producer and engineer who has worked with such notable artists as Nickelback, Matthew Good Band, Econoline Crush, SM6, and more.

Sessionwire takes what is typically a disconnected process of back-and-forth and turns it into a truly collaborative activity where decisions can be made in real-time, saving days if not weeks of time.

Let’s take a look at how a mix review would take place using Sessionwire:

  • Connect with videoconferencing – Sessionwire has built-in high-definition video with integrated voice chat to facilitate “face-to-face” communication about the mix prior to listening.
  • Listen to the mix together in real-time – Sessionwire provides a listening environment with studio-quality audio where you can guarantee all parties are hearing the same thing.
  • Share immediate feedback – Since both the client and mix engineer are on a live video call together, feedback can be instantly shared, which leads to open discussion and collaborative decision-making.
  • Make adjustments on the spot – Based on the feedback, many tweaks and adjustments can be made while the client and mix engineer are on the call together. This allows both parties to listen to the revisions right away.
  • Sign off for approval – Using Sessionwire for mix reviews or approvals is just like you’re sitting in the control room together. You listen together, make decisions together, review revisions together, and ultimately complete the project faster.

The Sessionwire process is built on real-time feedback and a collaborative approach. Not only does this save countless hours of back-and-forth communication but it also eliminates unwanted file versions floating around on disc drives or being uploaded to servers.

Note: Should you need to transfer files during the mix review session, Sessionwire has built-in encrypted, drag-and-drop file sharing.

When you compare the two workflows side by side, it makes you wonder why would anyone choose the back-and-forth approach when there’s a clearly better alternative?

“With Sessionwire, I can finish off mixes with clients in real-time or jump in their DAW effortlessly and tweak for them locally. After years of having to cobble together software for less than ideal performance, Sessionwire put it all together – better. This is the future of audio connectivity. Made by engineers for engineers – that’s the difference.”

Rich Keller, Mixing/Mastering Engineer

Rich Keller

Rich is a 4x Grammy Award-nominated mixer and producer with 29 platinum albums, and over 75 million albums sold to date. He’s mixed for such artists as Nipsey Hussle, DMX, Nas, Jay Z, Alicia Keys, P Diddy, Swizz Beatz, Notorious BIG, Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey, Method Man, Jada Kiss, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Rick Ross, Ja Rule, and many others.

Try Sessionwire for FREE!

Sessionwire offers a simpler, faster, and more collaborative approach to mix reviews.

See for yourself what renowned producers Rich Keller and Dale Penner already know by downloading the Sessionwire app for free today!

•9/20/2022