DE-HARSH YOUR MIXES

Music producers and engineers use all sorts of words to describe audio: for example, a ‘wobbly’ LFO-driven synth bass, a ‘cold’ FM lead, or a ‘warm’ vocal. Similarly, there are a whole heap of terms used to describe something that sounds less than pleasant, such as ‘strident’ guitars, ‘brittle’ drums or ‘harshness’ in general. So, what exactly is harshness in relation to audio?

Well, ‘harsh’ is a term often used to describe anything that sounds unpleasant, or is fatiguing to listen to for extended periods. While some unpleasant-sounding processing can actually add lots of flavour to a production when used correctly (distortion springs to mind), the kind