• Mix with your ears

    by
    alphatonez
    Published on 05-05-2013 05:30 PM      Number of Views: 4195  
    3 Comments Comments
    Attachment 87When mixing a track in your studio, you might concentrate on the visual displays of your controls. So if you want to increase the volume of a track for example, it is pretty easy to move the fader exactly 1 dB. That might not be the best idea to do, because music is made for the ears and not for the eyes.

    While adjusting any parameters, you shouldn't look at the numbers of the displays, but listen how the change sounds. You can close your eyes to get rid of that habit or you can even switch off your monitor for a moment, if you can't keep your eyes off the screen. Just because the curve in your equalizer looks good, it doesn't mean it sounds as good as it could.

    In the end, it only counts how the music sounds and not how it looked like, while you were editing.
    1. Categories:
    2. Mixing
    Tags: listening, mixing
    Comments 3 Comments
    1. dope's Avatar
      dope - 05-30-2013, 05:27 PM
      great advice !
      often we get caught up in that visual aspect... (making sure that we are not making that little red light that says ¨clip¨ go off!)
      listening is much much more important and sometimes a thing i struggle with.

      i can only add that making sure you have the most accurate reference possible WILL help your mixes! some guys like head phones, some guys like monitors. i happen to be a monitor guy. i need 3 more sets!!!
    1. moose's Avatar
      moose - 12-09-2013, 11:01 PM
      More often than not, when setting up eqs comression or whatever, after balancing the output (with/without at same level) I place the mouse arrow on the vst bypass button, close my eyes, then press repeatedly and very fast a few times untill I don't know if the effect is on or off. Then I start the track and listening with eyes closed, I press the bypass button a few times.
      Often I hear no difference whatsoever and in that case I get rid of the VST or try a different one, Other times I hear a clear difference but I still choose what I think sounds best while keeping my eyes closed and believe me a few times, to my surprise, I chose the sound with the plugin bypassed!!
    1. Audi01's Avatar
      Audi01 - 12-12-2013, 12:09 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by moose View Post
      More often than not, when setting up eqs comression or whatever, after balancing the output (with/without at same level) I place the mouse arrow on the vst bypass button, close my eyes, then press repeatedly and very fast a few times untill I don't know if the effect is on or off. Then I start the track and listening with eyes closed, I press the bypass button a few times.
      Often I hear no difference whatsoever and in that case I get rid of the VST or try a different one, Other times I hear a clear difference but I still choose what I think sounds best while keeping my eyes closed and believe me a few times, to my surprise, I chose the sound with the plugin bypassed!!
      +1

      me tooo