Trusting the first instinct: Why recording and mixing are Acts of Courage

In recording and mixing, your first intuitive choice is often not so bad after all. 
In fact, it is frequently the most honest one.

At Sound Liaison, we experience this again and again. Recording and mixing remain deeply creative processes that unfold in the moment.
Of course, you can play it safe. You can repeat the same microphone placement every session. Use the same signal chain. Apply the same balance. There is comfort in predictability.

But comfort rarely leads to growth. The real challenge, and the true inspiration of this craft, lies in continuous development. In questioning yourself.
In asking: Is this really the best spot for the microphone? Or can it be different?

The Search for the Right Position

Before the first note is played, the creative process has already begun. Microphone choice and placement are never routine decisions. They shape everything that follows. Sometimes the answer requires thinking outside the box. Sometimes an idea appears that, after decades of recording, has never crossed your mind before. At other times, the solution lies directly in front of you while you are searching far too hard for something complex.

That tension, between experience and curiosity, keeps the work alive. During recording sessions, I constantly adjust and refine. Not obsessively, but attentively. Listening to how the room responds. How the musicians interact with the space. Whether the sound breathes naturally or feels constrained.
Recording is not technical execution. It is listening in real time and daring to respond.

The First Balance: Creating Confidence

While recording, I always create an initial balance. Not as a final mix, but as a working perspective.
Together with producer Peter Bjørnild, this balance allows us to judge whether a take is usable. Just as importantly, it shapes the experience for the musicians. When they enter the control room to listen back, the sound they hear must feel encouraging. It should reflect the potential of their performance. This psychological dimension is crucial. Musicians need to return to the recording floor inspired and confident. Doubt can easily take over in the studio. A small insecurity about timing or tone can overshadow an otherwise beautiful performance.


Jeroen van Vliet and Mete Erker during a recording session for Sound Liaison. (photo by Kaspar Jansen)

At the end of a recording day, we create a listening copy for the musicians and producer. But we do not send it immediately. We wait at least a week.
Why? Because distance dissolves doubt. Time separates memory from emotion. It allows everyone to listen again with openness and without the intensity of the moment influencing judgment. Often, performances that felt uncertain during the session reveal unexpected depth when revisited calmly.

Editing: Choosing the Essence

After reflection comes editing. This is the process of selecting the strongest takes. Frequently, these are complete performances. Sometimes, however, we combine the theme from one take with the solo from another. Editing requires precision and clarity. It is about content. About musical integrity. It is analytical, deliberate work. And that is exactly why we never mix on the same day as editing.

Mixing: A Different Discipline

Mixing is a completely different discipline. Once editing is complete, nobody needs to worry about the notes anymore. The focus shifts entirely to sound. And sound is something almost intangible. It is the beauty and the mystery of mixing.
I often say: if I were to mix the same recording three days in a row, I would end up with three different mixes. Why? Because no two days are the same. Your perception changes. Your emotional state shifts. Even your physical energy influences decisions. Balance feels different. Reverb choices evolve.
EQ decisions take another direction.

And here lies the great danger. The search for the “best” sound can easily become a trap. Endless refinement can lead to overproduction. You polish and adjust, and before you know it, the soul has quietly disappeared. There are moments when, after a full day of mixing, we revisit the premix created at the end of the recording day and realize that, while it may not technically be better, it feels more convincing and emotionally honest than the final version.

Why? Because it was made in the moment. On intuition, with heart.
When making those first intuitive balance decisions, we are also very aware of ear fatigue. We take frequent short breaks, often leaving the room entirely. Stepping outside resets your hearing and clears your perception. Returning with fresh ears allows you to reconnect with your intuition instead of sliding into over-analysis. Those small pauses are essential. They protect the purity of the first impression and help maintain perspective throughout the mixing process.

The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

When you start “seriously” mixing, the mind tends to take control. Analysis replaces instinct. Precision replaces feeling. The mind is valuable. It solves problems. It corrects imbalances. It identifies technical flaws. But it can also become a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It appears helpful while slowly draining the emotional core from the music.
So what to do? When I mix, I consciously search for simplicity. I begin with a beautiful balance, quickly, intuitively. Then I shift perspective. I stop listening as an engineer and start listening as a listener. What does the music need? Not what could be improved endlessly, but what truly needs attention.
Most adjustments happen fast, based on first instinct. Trusting intuition may not seem like the most obvious strategy in a professional work environment where excellence is the goal. Yet it is a golden source of inspiration.

A Dialogue in Search of the Sweet Spot

At Sound Liaison, mixing is always a dialogue. Between Peter and myself. Often with the musicians present. It is almost a game, searching for that golden sweet spot where everything aligns. Where balance, depth and emotion converge. When we reach that point, there is usually a moment of silence in the room. Then a smile. That is when you know the recording is ready to meet the world.

Conclusion: Mix With Your Heart

Recording and mixing are not mechanical processes. They are living acts of interpretation. Your first intuitive decision is often closer to the truth than endless analysis. The mind should serve the heart, not dominate it. Use your intellect to solve the problems your heart identifies, not to overrule it.
Because in the end, music is not evaluated by technical perfection alone. It is felt. And when you mix with your heart, guided by intuition and supported by craft, you give the music its best chance to breathe.

At Sound Liaison, that balance between intuition and precision defines our approach,  and perhaps that is why the recordings continue to surprise us.

Frans