Knowledge · Blog · Sound Techniques

The Art
of Sound

We regularly share our techniques, tips and reflections on the history and evolution of the arts of sound — from analogue mixing to digital tools, from plate reverb to artificial intelligence. A space for transmission, by practitioners for practitioners.

Franck Pasquotti Sound Engineer · Founder Sonaxis Studio · 25 years of expertise
6
Published articles
25+
Years of practice
500+
Projects mastered
192k
Hz high definition

All articles

Click on a title to read the full article. Each article closes automatically when you open another one.

Mixing and audio mastering are two fundamentally distinct stages in the music production chain, and confusing them is one of the most frequent mistakes made by artists approaching professional production.

Mixing involves adjusting the sound levels, panning and effects of each element of a song to create coherence and sonic homogeneity. It is a sculpting exercise on the raw material of recorded tracks. Mastering, on the other hand, aims to prepare the final stereo track for distribution by adjusting overall levels, equalisation and compression to improve sound quality and compatibility with different media — streaming, CD, vinyl, broadcast.

Why a sound engineer? An experienced engineer has the skills and tools to achieve the best results. They master sound quality standards, distribution formats (Spotify LUFS, Apple MFiT, DDP for CD) and know how to use equalisation, compression and limiting to improve clarity and power without losing dynamics.

The quality of converters is essential — they convert digital signals into analogue signals for faithful reproduction on speakers. At Sonaxis, we use the Prism Lyra 2 and Lavry DA10, two absolute references in the field. The Klein & Hummel O 300 monitoring speakers guarantee faithful reproduction across the entire frequency spectrum, and the acoustic treatment of the room, designed with Gérard Lavigne, allows for precise and reliable sound decisions.

In summary: entrust your mixing to someone who understands the artistic intention of your music, and your mastering to someone who knows the technical requirements of each distribution platform. Ideally, the same person — for total coherence from start to finish.

Franck Pasquotti · Sonaxis Studio
Request a mixing / mastering quote →

An effective audio mix rests on five fundamental pillars. Here is how to master them:

  1. Level balance — every element must be audible and balanced. No instrument should mask the others without artistic intention. Start with a static mix before automating.
  2. Clarity — each instrument must occupy its own frequency space. Subtractive equalisation (cutting rather than boosting) is the most powerful tool for creating definition.
  3. Dynamics — a good mix breathes. The balance between quiet passages and intense moments maintains the listener's interest. Volume automation is your best ally.
  4. Spatial placement — use panning and reverb to create a wide, immersive soundscape. Place each instrument in a space that is coherent with the artistic intention of the track.
  5. Multi-system listening — test your mix on headphones, small speakers, in the car, on a phone. A good mix works everywhere.
Franck's advice: I advocate intuitive listening and experimentation rather than the strict application of rules. Connect emotionally with the music you are mixing. Take regular breaks — ear fatigue is the number one enemy of a good mix. Come back to your mix with fresh ears and you will immediately hear what is wrong.

It is crucial to work in an acoustically treated environment. Without this, you are making decisions based on acoustic artefacts of the room, not the real sound. This is the raison d'être of our studio — offering an absolute reference environment for reliable sound decisions.

Franck Pasquotti · Sonaxis Studio
Have your project mixed →

Creating depth and dimension is one of the most subtle skills in mixing. A flat mix, without depth, sounds as if all the instruments are placed at the same spot, at the same distance. Here are the techniques to remedy this.

Level control

Louder instruments seem closer, quieter ones more distant. This is the basis of sonic perspective. But beware: an instrument that is too loud masks the others — the art lies in the balance.

Stereo panning

Panning places instruments in left/right space. But front/back space is created differently — with reverb and delay. An instrument with little reverb seems close, an instrument drenched in reverb seems distant.

Reverb and delay

The most effective reverb plugins for creating depth include the Waves H-Reverb and SuperTap. These tools allow you to create realistic virtual spaces. An advanced technique involves using acoustic space modelling plugins to simulate the acoustics of different concert halls — cathedral, jazz club, recording studio — and thus blend different sources into the same coherent space.

Practical tip: Send your tracks into 2 or 3 different reverbs (a short one for close elements, a medium one for mid-range, a long one for ambient elements). This hierarchy instantly creates a realistic sense of depth. Also use a slight pre-delay (15–30ms) on your reverbs so as not to drown the attack of the instruments.

According to Mike Senior's book Mixing With Your Mind, the combined use of delay and reverb is one of the most effective approaches to enriching a mix. The key is consistency: all sonic spaces must seem to belong to the same acoustic universe.

Franck Pasquotti · Sonaxis Studio
Work together →

Plate reverb processors are among the most iconic pieces of equipment in the history of sound recording. Their story begins in the 1950s with an invention that would revolutionise the way sound engineers create space in their mixes.

The EMT 140 — the original legend

The EMT 140, developed by the German company Elektromesstechnik (EMT), was the first commercially viable plate reverb processor. Its principle is remarkably simple yet ingenious: a thin steel plate suspended in a frame is excited by a transducer (like a loudspeaker), and two contact microphones capture the resulting vibrations. These vibrations create a reverb of incomparable richness and density.

The EMT 140 weighed nearly 270 kilograms and occupied an entire room. Despite this — or rather because of it — it became an absolute standard in the world's greatest recording studios, from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones, from Phil Spector to Quincy Jones. Its unique sonic character, at once dense and transparent, remains unmatched.

Personal experience: I had the pleasure of using the Arturia Plate-140 on the vocals of singer Caroline Joy Clarke for the last album I produced, Dust Opéra. The warmth and density of this virtual tool brought exactly the dimension I was looking for — an organic presence without the heaviness sometimes associated with large digital reverbs.

The Arturia Plate-140 — the digital resurrection

Arturia, the French company specialising in virtual instruments, has produced a remarkably faithful emulation of the original EMT 140 with its Plate-140. This plugin models not only the acoustic characteristics of the original plate, but also offers two other types of plate reverb, thus providing a very complete sonic palette.

Its main features: an integrated tube preamp to add subtle harmonic saturation, pre-delay controls, high-pass filter, modulation and sonic contour. The interface is intuitive and the presets provide an excellent starting point.

I invite you to try it without limits — its versatility constantly surprises. On vocals, of course, but also on drums, acoustic guitars, or even entire mixing buses.

Franck Pasquotti · Sonaxis Studio
Discuss your project →

Saturation is one of the most powerful and most misunderstood tools in modern mixing. Far from being mere distortion, saturation well applied brings warmth, roundness and presence to a signal, reproducing the sonic characteristics of analogue equipment — tape recorders, mixing consoles, tube preamps.

I regularly recommend it to those who want to enrich the texture of their instruments without resorting to heavy dynamic processing. It is often the difference between a mix that "sounds" and a mix that remains clinically correct but lifeless.

The BlackBox HG-2 — my reference tool

Among the saturation plugins I use regularly, the BlackBox HG-2 holds a special place. It emulates "creamy" tube and transformer sounds with remarkable precision. Its architecture is particularly well thought-out:

  • Pentode and triode tubes in series — two distinct characters: the pentode brings clarity and presence, the triode a rounder, more enveloping warmth. You balance the two to your taste.
  • Density control — pushes both tubes simultaneously without altering their balance or the output level. More roundness and mass without audible compression.
  • Calibration menu — simulates the effect of an internal adjustment of original equipment, modifying the high-frequency response for a darker, normal or brighter colouration.
  • Air button — adds airy high frequencies, ideal on vocals, strings, piano or complete mixes to bring "presence without aggression".
  • Mix control (parallel) — allows blending the processed signal with the dry signal, combining tube warmth with the precision of the original signal.
Usage tip: Use the HG-2 in parallel (mix at 30–50%) on your drum buses to add warmth without compromising dynamics. On vocals, triode mode with a touch of "dark" calibration can transform an ordinary recording into something memorable.

This plugin is remarkably accessible despite its depth: the interface is clear, the presets well thought-out. An essential tool in my daily mixing chain.

Franck Pasquotti · Sonaxis Studio
Contact the studio →

Artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming the music industry — and this is only the beginning. As a sound engineer with 25 years of practice, I observe this revolution with both fascination and discernment.

What AI can do in music today

Current applications are already impressive: fully automated music generation, creation of original harmonies and melodies, recognition and categorisation of musical works, translation of scores between formats, stem separation from a stereo mix (Spleeter, Demucs), automated mastering (LANDR, iZotope Ozone AI), personalised content recommendations.

These tools can analyse a user's musical preferences and suggest works consistent with their tastes. They can predict upcoming musical trends and help labels and artists anticipate market developments.

My position: AI is a formidable tool for assistance and exploration — but it does not replace the emotional intelligence of a sound engineer. An algorithm analyses frequencies. A human understands the artistic intention behind each note. This is the fundamental difference that Sonaxis embodies in each of its services.

The real limits of musical AI

Music creation remains above all a human activity that requires passion, inspiration and expertise. AI lacks emotional memory — it does not know that this guitar riff recalls a heartbreak, that this harmonic progression evokes a particular childhood, that this tempo corresponds exactly to the urgency that this artist wants to express.

The challenge for the coming years is to use AI responsibly and equitably, to amplify human creativity without replacing it. The best results will always come from the collaboration between the analytical power of the machine and the irreplaceable emotional intelligence of the human.

Franck Pasquotti · Sonaxis Studio
Emotional intelligence at the service of your project →

Your project deserves an exceptional ear

25 years of expertise at the service of your music. Mixing, analogue mastering, recording — studio sessions in Bagnolet or online from anywhere in the world.

Book a session → View rates →