Unique Thing
One of the big differences in mixing a show like the Grammys versus a standard live show is that it’s got more than one primary purpose, and all have to be met.
The house mix is also provided to the broadcast team as the basis of their mix.
“We’re essentially mixing PA for television, which is kind of a unique thing,” Reaves explains.
“There’s a specific set of parameters that we work within to keep it sounding good for the broadcast, because that’s the ‘money’ mix for millions of people.
“Still, it has to be great in the house, both because that’s our responsibility to the audience and the fact that this is an extremely important night for the entire music industry,” he adds.
The goal is delivering a mix with dynamics faithful to each performance while keeping overall levels well under control.
There’s a very good reason the responsibilities for mixing all music is put in the hands of one engineer, and that comes down to consistency.
Each act needs to mixed faithfully to its unique performance, but the overall sonic picture must remain steady from one to the next, throughout the entire show.
“Every year, we’re asked by management and engineers of numerous artists to make sure they’re the loudest, and my reply in every case is ‘you bet’,” Reaves says.
“And it’s the absolute truth, because we treat them all equally, they are all truly the loudest.”
I asked him if the enormity of the situation – rapid-fire mixing a roster of legendary artists for a diverse audience in the millions on the world stage – ever crosses his mind. “Certainly it’s exciting, but I don’t get nervous,” he told me.
“Sure, it’s pretty wild when, this year for example, you’re mixing legends like Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand along with all of the other top artists, but I stay focused on making every bit of music sound as good as it can sound.”
“You can’t do the job properly, and give it the concentration it deserves, if you let yourself get distracted.”