Mixing, and remixing, and remixing, and....
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Posted on Mar 12, 2003 10:40 am
glynb
Member Since: Dec 16, 2002
I've 'final mixed' a song I did four times now, and I'm just about to start again. Each time I've noticed something not quite right about it, kick drum too high, bass too low, voice too high and aloof from the music, etc.
I accept that, as I'm new to home recording, I'm going to have to experiment and learn how to get mixes right more quickly.
I was interested to know what techniques you guys use to judge your mixes. Even with the best monitors in the world and properly placed etc, it must be the case that sometimes the mix won't sound right on an in-car system for example?
What techniques are good for minimising the numbers of 'wrong' mixes, eg using a variety of speakers etc?
I mix on my stereo system, because that's all I have, and I am used to listening to other artists recordings on that so I can judge better by comparing things with how the pro music sounds.
When I remix my song tonight I plan to go straight out to the car with a cassette copy and listen very carefully!
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Mar 12, 2003 12:04 pm Practice, practice, practice. The more you mix, the better you will get.You are on the right track...Getting to know your monitoring system,no matter what it may be is very important.Listen to how songs sound on it and compare that to how things sound on other systems,then make ajustments when you mix.I have found few recordings,home or pro that sound the same on differant stereos.I have a stereo that I use for my monitors in my studio and a surround sound system for my house.I also have a cd player with amplification and subwoofers in my car.All 3 systems have differant overall sounds.when I do a final mix,I have to keep in mind the sound differances between my monitors and my other sound systems that my recordings will be played on..For example: The sound in my car and home stereo is much fuller and deeper than on my monitor system. Also,I can hear EVERYTHING much clearer so if I mix with too much of any effect, it will be more pronounced on my home stereo.
I've just had to get to know my monitoring stereo enough to know how the sound I hear on it will be reflected in the car or home.I also walk around the room and listen to the mix.I even leave the room and listen from another area.
I've had songs I've mixed 5 or 6 times only to rerecord parts I wasn't satisfied with.
I don't think using a differant speaker and/or monitors is a very practical idea.
The only way I know to minimize the mixdown process is to keep doing it.You will get better and do it less.But actually, I find the mix down process rather enjoyable cause it's the part where you turn your playing into 'music'.
juesContributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002
Mar 12, 2003 12:39 pm Gotta agree here.
Mixing is another artform - and as with all artforms, it takes time and dedication to perfect. Keep mixing your tracks until you are happy with them, and keep learning new production techniques, EQ tricks, etc until eventually you will realise that you are quite good at what you do :)
jues.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Mar 12, 2003 12:53 pm I usually start with obvious housecleaning. Editing out stuff I clearly don't want in the mix. Then I will do a rough mix with the "voices" (generic) placed in a stereo field, and adjust the volumes to taste. That's usualy the end of productive mixing for me immediately after recording. I will usually allow myself to play around with the mix and get all excited about how good it sounds. Eventually I will get fatigued and put it up. Regardless of what I do, it takes about a week or two for my "vision" to get out of the way and let me hear the actual recording. After that time lapse I can actually compare the recording to my "vision" and complete the mix. Then its relitive volumes, how things play together, stereo field, effects, etc. Next is the "pazazz" of premastering. Time to get excited again. From there it's play it on a bunch of different stereos and while driving and doing other things. That's where the "not bad but if it only" things come out. The final step is to decide "That's enough!...move on!"
It is an art. What can I say?
glynbMember
Since: Dec 16, 2002
Mar 13, 2003 06:16 am Thanks guys for the insight into your mixing techniques. There's obviously no magic formula ( not that I expected one).
The whole mixing process is taking much longer than I anticipated before i got my (16 track)multitracker to play with. i suppose it's because in the past I've recorded with a band in a studio with an engineer, who has obviously done a lot of the tweaking as he's gone along, just leaving the artistic judgement bit to us. Now, I have to learn to be the engineer too.
I take comfort from the fact that you've all gone down this path and you seem to be doing similar things to me.
The great temptation is to leave a less than perfect mix and say 'That'll do' because i want to move on to write and record a new song. But I'm determined not to let this happen. I'll only be letting my music down and I want it to be as 'perfect' as I can achieve - given a limited budget.
Case in point - I have just acquired a compressor and am now busy re-recording all the vocal parts using compression on all those 'finished mix' songs I mentioned!! And it goes on, and on...
And to think i could never understand why it took a pro band months to complete an album!
Now I'm thinking - how do they do it so quickly!
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 13, 2003 03:55 pm glynb, everyone learns ata differant rate. Like the other guys said, it is a matter of patience. After doing this for 30 years, I still find there are times I will get the mix were I think it should be, burn a disk and run it out to my Yamaha and runit through my Paradigms, and it stinks, take it out to the car, and it stinks even more. So I go back and fix what sounds not bad and try another burn. I am lucky however, that I addded a pair of Large high powered Eden 122s in the studio now, for listening on large format speakers. It has helped imensly in that I dont have to get up and run out to my living room, which I still do, but not till after I have listened twice in hear. Once on the near field moniters, and once on the bigger speakers. If it passes both those, then it is on to the living room and the car.
So just be patient and give yourself some time. Try to remember what you have heard and what you did to make it better.
