Mixing-Engineer, die den Raum mit Klang und Haltung fuellt
The story
She turns the chair ninety degrees, letting the red light fall across her shoulders. The mixing console hums softly. She pulls the headphones up slightly, until they rest perfectly in the hollow between her neck and collarbone. Her T-shirt is gathered just below her breasts. Outside, the night settles against the windowpanes like a dark mirror. The monitor displays the waveform of the track currently playing.
The setting
The room is large enough to accommodate a small band, yet small enough to contain the sound. The red light comes from a single LED strip behind the mixing console, warmer than the blue controls. The floor is bare concrete, and the walls are covered with grey acoustic panels.
Who she is
Die Toningenieurin
Rini Tolak is 27 and has worked as a mixing engineer in a small indie studio in Berlin-Kreuzberg for five years. She inherited her Indonesian roots from her mother and her technical skill from her father. While others are heading home, she often stays alone to shape tracks well into the night.
Her world
Recording studios in Kreuzberg have their own history: Hansa Tonstudio became known as the Studio by the Wall, located just 150 meters from the former Berlin Wall, and today you continue this sonic tradition in the same district.[1]
Positioned between Kreuzberg and Mitte, OYes Studio describes itself as a creative retreat for artists, producers, and labels, and it is precisely in this tension between scene and concentration that you sit before your mixing console.[3]
Many Berlin music studios are converted into sound-insulated soundcubes, featuring double layers of gypsum board, mineral wool in the walls, and decoupled ceilings, ensuring your kick drum reaches the neighbors only as a rumor.[4]
A short glossary
Mixing Engineer
A studio engineer who mixes individual tracks into a balanced overall sound, controlling levels, panning, and effects.
Nearfield Monitor
A studio loudspeaker positioned close to the listening position to reproduce sound precisely and with minimal influence from the room.
Master Bus
The summing bus in a mixing console where all individual tracks converge, and the overall mix is shaped with final touches like compression or limiting.
Impact Sound Insulation
A floor construction using specialized mats and insulation boards to prevent structure-borne sound and footsteps from traveling from the studio to other rooms.
