Mixing quietly

[Machinated]

damn, i forgot how much this can help your mixes. make sure you're regularly changing the volume of your listening set up, and A/B ing mixes regularly.

really forgot how much it can help your mix, give it a go!

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

So true!! I always mix pretty low in volume, in higher volumes you get saturated way quicker then you start to loose perspective

 

[TheDriller]

Indeed, i always monitor somewhere around TV/Conversation levels, and check it cranked up occasionally.

 

[NickL]

not to mention it helps fight off hearing fatigue during long mix sessions

 

[Torniojaws]

It's perfect for balancing the instruments. Just put the volume really low and listen for a while, see which instruments are louder and which get lost, and then balance them out. Especially useful for low frequency instruments.

 

[Morgan C]

Yup. I will drop the mix as low as it can get without being inaudible, then check that I can still hear everything. If I can't I've done something wrong.

I learnt when I mixed one song at a very loud volume, then wondered why it was all mids when I dropped the volume. I can't mix softly as then I can't hear the details, but I constantly check my mixes as soft volumes.

 

[Harry Hughes]

I always alternate between loud and soft, definitely does help.

 

[Fragle]

yes, you definitely need different listening situations in order to make certain things sit right.

low level mixing is great for getting the overall balance right, but sucks for surgical stuff imho.
to me it's especially important to switch between high and low volume when mixing kick and bass guitar.....you want to make sure that each of them can be heard even at quiet volumes, but to me it's impossible to really judge the low end of them without cranking the monitors way up. i got to FEEL the lowend to make sure there's enough and it sits right.

i'm constantly switching between monitors and headphones too.

 

[Russtopher]

i'm constantly switching between monitors and headphones too.

Ditto. I also will listen on laptop speakers too to see if anything sticks out too much.

I'll also run out to the car and plug into my stereo's AUX jack as well every now and again.... I figure, can't hurt to check near-final mixes on just about any source possible

 

[greyskull]

i mix mostly quietish... helps make a mix more exciting. Then bring it up and see how it holds together at volume.

 

[Demonstealer]

I mix at normal levels. Then turn it up and then turn it down and see how it sounds.

 

[colonel kurtz]

i mix mostly quietish... helps make a mix more exciting. Then bring it up and see how it holds together at volume.

same here

that, and i just find it annoying to work with shit blasting in your face at high SPL levels for hours on end

makes it wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more fun to crank the shit up loud when you're done!