The Mixdown Tips and Tricks Thread
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:58 pm
I hope this hasn't already been covered but I had a quick search and there doesn't seem to be a thread like it yet. If it takes off maybe someone could summarise and add it to the bible? I know there's the awesome macc thread about gain structures but there's a lot more to it than that...
Mixdowns are something I consistently struggle with (so this thread is self-serving but I'm sure we all suffer from some similar problems), but I'll start with some things that have helped me:
*A/B your tracks with others by producers that you like. Don't worry too much about loudness as mastering will cover that. Match the perceived volumes and switch between the two to get an idea of general levels.
*Listen to your mix on as many different sound sources as possible. Monitors, headphones, hifi's (ideally good quality and cheap ones), earphones, car stereo; anything you have available. Great for breaking fatigue and picking out problem areas that might need some eq work. If you can play the tune out in a club then do it.
*Over-compress/Distort. Obviously don't trust the results whole-heartedly, but sometimes frequency clashes can jump out at you if you do this. Also helps to check that you're not over-compressing, as limiters are used in clubs, your tune should be able to survive extra compression without sounding like crap. Don't forget to take it off afterwards.
*Lowpass the master to work out how your sub-kick relationship is. It's easy to get distracted by all the other stuff going on in the track so isolating this section helps.
*Listen to it from outside your studio/bedroom door.
*When you think you have it sounding good, hit 'save as..' and bring all the gains to -inf. Go have a cup of tea and come back to it fresh. Bring the gains up one by one starting with your key element (bass/kick) and working your way finally to the least key bits (i.e atmospherics). Do the same thing a few times, and compare the results, the best mixdown is not always going to be the first one.
*Take notes as you listen. It might seem a bit dry, but if you get in the habit then it really helps to keep your head clear. If you're not worrying about remembering every thought you have as you listen then you can focus better.
*Play it to a mate. I have no idea why this works but it really does. Somehow the weak bits of the track just hit you when there's new person in the room, even if they say nothing.
I know I'm nowhere near to covering all the tips that have been mentioned on the board so far so please fire away...
Mixdowns are something I consistently struggle with (so this thread is self-serving but I'm sure we all suffer from some similar problems), but I'll start with some things that have helped me:
*A/B your tracks with others by producers that you like. Don't worry too much about loudness as mastering will cover that. Match the perceived volumes and switch between the two to get an idea of general levels.
*Listen to your mix on as many different sound sources as possible. Monitors, headphones, hifi's (ideally good quality and cheap ones), earphones, car stereo; anything you have available. Great for breaking fatigue and picking out problem areas that might need some eq work. If you can play the tune out in a club then do it.
*Over-compress/Distort. Obviously don't trust the results whole-heartedly, but sometimes frequency clashes can jump out at you if you do this. Also helps to check that you're not over-compressing, as limiters are used in clubs, your tune should be able to survive extra compression without sounding like crap. Don't forget to take it off afterwards.
*Lowpass the master to work out how your sub-kick relationship is. It's easy to get distracted by all the other stuff going on in the track so isolating this section helps.
*Listen to it from outside your studio/bedroom door.
*When you think you have it sounding good, hit 'save as..' and bring all the gains to -inf. Go have a cup of tea and come back to it fresh. Bring the gains up one by one starting with your key element (bass/kick) and working your way finally to the least key bits (i.e atmospherics). Do the same thing a few times, and compare the results, the best mixdown is not always going to be the first one.
*Take notes as you listen. It might seem a bit dry, but if you get in the habit then it really helps to keep your head clear. If you're not worrying about remembering every thought you have as you listen then you can focus better.
*Play it to a mate. I have no idea why this works but it really does. Somehow the weak bits of the track just hit you when there's new person in the room, even if they say nothing.
I know I'm nowhere near to covering all the tips that have been mentioned on the board so far so please fire away...
