Engineering Brief
How Can Actor Network Theory and Ecological Approach to the Perception Be Used to Analyze the Creative Audio Mixing Practice?
AES Convention 140 · Paper 274 · May 2016
Abstract
In audio mixing, communication between the artist or producer and the mix engineer are crucial elements in creating a track that is authentic and aesthetically pleasing. Through a MA Record Production module "Performance in The Studio", the researcher explored the idea that mix engineers, artists and producers develop and select appropriate sounds for a track through a process of negotiation. Furthermore, this negotiation occurs through both verbal and non-verbal communication. Specifically, the researcher aims to look at subjective, or as 'vague', metaphorical descriptions and moments where the engineer, producer, and artists agree on the sound by recommendation and by synchronizing their expectations. However, a metaphorical description cannot define an exact meaning as it is insufficient linguistic tools. The researcher uses Actor Network Theory to understand this negotiation between the technical and the creative and the role of this process of communication and cognition in understanding the interaction and synchronization of the participants' mental representation of the mix and mix process. Furthermore, the researcher uses the Ecological Approach to Perception to analyze specific behavior and response from participants in the mixing process.
