Apr 19, 2011
My Top Mixing Tip – No effort required !
This post was originally inspired by a great question asked by @joegilder over at Home Studio Corner – I started typing my reply in the comments there and liked it so much I thought I’d make a blog post out of it !
So without further ado, here’s my “Top Mixing Tip”:
Learn what your studio monitoring sounds like.
How often have you got a mix sounding great, you take it and play it on your hi-fi, or in the car or wherever, and all kinds of problems immediately leap out at you ? That’s because you’ve subconsciously learned over the years what things “should” sound like on those everyday systems, just by listening to music you like, the radio etc. We know them so well, we make instant, reliable judgements on them.
Whereas most of us don’t spend nearly as much time just listening to music on our studio monitoring.
So that’s my suggestion – listen to your studio, and learn how it sounds. Whenever you’re not actually listening to your own mixes, plug in your iPod, put on shuffle and have it on in the background.
You don’t have to listen carefully, or sit in the sweet spot or anything – your brain will add all those factors up for you while you’re doing other stuff – installing gear, backing up files, surfing or whatever.
That’s it ! Over time you will subconsciously learn all kinds of stuff about the way your studio sounds, and this will filter through into better results from your mixing – all without trying.
My only word of caution would be to avoid listening to too many “hyper-compressed” Loudness War casualties – these will train tempt to overdo the compression and limiting, which would be a Bad Thing.
(If you don’t know which tracks are over-compressed, check them with the TT Dynamic Range meter plugin – anything that consistently shows less than DR8 is probably too squashed.)
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Great article, Ian! You’re completely right, I don’t listen to my studio monitors NEARLY as much as I do earbuds or a car stereo. Now if only I could find a way to install my monitors in my car…
Ian, that’s one of those tips that makes you go, “Duh, why didn’t I think of that?!?”
Makes total sense to me – subconscious analysis and assimilation of great sounding music on one’s own set-up.
Thanks for the brilliant tip. Gotta go and hook up my music system to my home studio monitors now.
Thanks chaps !
Yeah, it’s something that full-time engineers take for granted – an intimate knowledge of the monitors and the room is a big part of getting a great mix – because no matter what anyone tells you, NO room is perfect.
But unless you work somewhere 24/7, getting that knowledge can be a long and painful process. This is something of a short-cut
You know that’s true. I feel like a big spotlight was thrown on me, because I’m totally that guy who gets so proud over a piece and then goes to play it on different systems and gets bombarded with issues.
I guess pros have an advantage because they are observing music through their monitors all the time and are accustomed to it. This really is a nice tip – thank you.
Trust me, it happens to all of us
Glad you liked the post !
Great tip. Also, don’t listen to web radio, or anything else that is heavily limited at the source.
I am a singer-songwriter Tally Koren writing to you today about the launch of new single 72 Names (Hallelujah) which will last for 72 days. Over the campaign I’m exploring the significance of the number 72 in lots of different situations and I would like you to be part of it!
My blog today is about mixing, something that I’ve really learnt the importance of through my years of recording songs. If I take the parable of baking a cake – you can have the best ingredients to make a chocolate cake but if you put too much of one ingredient in, over the others it will destroy it, if you over cook it or under cook it that will make a big difference, and it is the same with mixing – watch my video from the mixing room of making of my new single 72 Names (Hallelujah).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIk0-H9vFjg
Hi Tally,
Cool video – and good luck with the single !
Ian
Great tip! Also, not a bad idea to A/B against a fave CD while mixing/mastering (along those same lines).
tnx ian. Av bn a victim cuz i spend most of my tym listnin 2 my mixes on d monitor and always disapointd @ it outside.