Quick Tips: 3 Mixing Tips
Tutorial Details
- Difficulty:: Beginner/Intermediate
- Time:: 5 minutes
- Requirements:: None
Here are some of the best things I’ve learnt since I started mixing.
Tip 1: Rest Your Ears
If you’re mixing for a long amount of time you may be thinking your mix is going well when in reality it’s not. This can be a problem for people who refuse to stop until they are 100% happy with their results. I do this sometimes myself.
But your ears will eventually begin to get tired and you start hearing things that aren’t really there. That awesome guitar you’ve spent hours mixing will end up sound like crap the next morning when you listen back to it.
Your ears can neglect certain frequencies when your ears get tired and you pay too much attention to specific frequency ranges you lose sight of the bigger picture.
Tip 2: Mix At Lower Levels
This is very important. I think most of us know that loud music always sounds better because it allows the frequencies to spread out more.
Our ears are most sensitive to mid frequencies, but by playing music louder it evens everything out making high and low frequencies stand out more.
This is why loud music is more appealing. Why do you think venues play music so loud? It’s not always so everyone can hear. They sometimes keep the master volume down 5 dB until the last song then put it up, so the last song sounds better making the audience leave with a more positive opinion on the show.
So which is the best level to mix? You should usually check your mix in different levels to make sure it sounds fairly level-proof. A multi-band compressor on the master track can also help compensate for this. Usually mix at about conversation level – if you mix sounds well at a quiet level it should sound amazing at a high level.
Tip 3: Mono Listening
Checking a mix in mono is very important to make sure everything is sounding balanced. You may notice holes in a mono mix that you might not hear in stereo.
This may seem pointless as most things are now stereo but a lot of places still use mono. AM radio stations broadcast in mono. Cheap TV’s with 1 speaker and so on.
If you hear very little difference between switching from stereo and mono you might want to consider more panning.
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By Ryan Coombes
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Mixing at lower levels is certainly one of the most important aspects. Initially, many producers can think that making everything loud is the best way for their track, and all its elements, to stand out. Balancing is key, and the subtleties will bring the track to life.
Great tips here!! I always drink a ton of water during mixing sessions….it forces me to run to the bathroom more often, and more importantly, rest my ears in the process.
Also, try this – turn up the monitors pretty loud, then leave the room and shut the door, and listen to the mix from outside of the room. Doing this can sometimes reveal weird things in the mix that you may not have heard from directly in front of the speakers. It can also help with making sure the track levels are well balanced. I know this may not make much sense but try it out! It really does work, some professionals use this trick and swear by it.
One thing about mono, if in mono check you hear that something sounds low or too high, mix it again for it sounds better, after in stereo it will be more balanced!
The trick of the door and hear from outside is more than used! There are so many tricks actually..
I’ve always started mixing on cheap monitors like Sumson A40 resolv for instance with a low/medium overall volume..and swap to the headphones time to time, My first mixing process is always done with a “simple listner ear”.. then when everything seems balanced correctly i swap to my Alesis M1 and then mix and mix again..with different listening points : from outside, moving into the kitchen and even doing things..taking many breaks..and days..well and lots of testings on different players/speakers..and always with headphones also..but always remember there is no norm in mixing a song :)
I also use to listen my songs in different places (like car, friend’s house, small speakers….) to know how it sounds with different configurations, and have a global feeling.
Don’t forget to reference. I keep a folder with about a dozen commercial mixes that are exemplary of the best in their style. Do a little A/B with your mix to keep things honest and and keep you striving for excellence. I find this really helps keep me on track with the most important elements of a mix: (for me, anyway) The Kick/Bass levels and the vocal balance.
thanx i kept on blundering till i read your article pls tell me more
Thanks, i should have more articles here soon, if you click my name below the tutorial title you can see my other article as i only have 2 so far.
Mixing at mostly low volumes can have a negative effect as well. Any low volume compensation for the bass and high frequencies could result in a bad mix at high volumes, since those frequencies are perceived louder (Fletcher-Munson theory). As mentioned in the article, check all volume levels.