The Temptation To Try Every Technique

[Mashreef]

Here’s a piece of advice for your next recording or mixing session: don’t try every new trick or technique you’ve recently learned. Instead pick one or two major things you want to try and experiment with those. The temptation is to use every great idea you’ve discovered or heard of, at once. And while I’m all for experimentation, I’m also a firm believer in limiting your options. Here are a few reasons why this mindset will help your tracks.
It’s Hard To Know What Made The Difference
Let’s say on your next recording project you decide to try a lot of new things in the hopes of getting a better sounding track. Perhaps you intend to record at a 96kHz (instead of your usual 44.1), use a new drum mic placement method, switch the impedance on your mic preamps, and record your band live instead of overdubbing like you usually do. And imagine that at the end of the day your recording sounds the best it’s ever sounded. Great! But one question, which of your new techniques really made the biggest difference if at all?

You don’t know. That’s the problem. Obviously what you did worked, but what about it worked. Was the sample rate switch really a game changer? Or did simply moving the mics on your drum kit make all the difference? We don’t know! And not knowing is a handicap because you won’t know much more for next time. Instead if you simply chose one or two of those techniques, you’d have a better clue as to what makes a difference. Then try the other two the next time.
It’s Hard To Stay Focused
If you go into a recording or mixing session with 10 different things you want to try, you’ll never be focused. You’ll be jumping all over the place tweaking knobs, trying to tell if you hear a difference or not. Your final results will sound just as distracted and disjointed as you were in the studio. Imagine trying to mix a song while thinking about 31 mixing tips. It’s insanity! At least all at once it is.
If, however, you decided to pick two new techniques for mixing on your next song, you could focus on the actual song with plenty of focus and till introduce new concepts to your mix. The techniques would serve the song, not the other way around. Focus is such a critical part of anything in the studio, so don’t let new techniques (or even worse, new gear) get in the way.
It’s Hard To Stay Motivated
Finally, think about this: if you go into a new recording or mixing session with a laundry lists of new things you simply “must” try, you’re easily setting yourself up for disappointment. What if some of those techniques don’t work out at first? You feel inadequate, like there’s something wrong with you. Sometimes a tip or idea looks so easy in a video tutorial, but just doesn’t pan out (no pun intended) in real life, for you. It’s OK, you’re not weird.
But overtime, with enough focus and attention you can easily impliment much of what you learn into your sessions. But if you try all at once and much of it doesn’t work out, you get frustrated and impatient. Frustration and impatience lead to a lack of confidence and motivation. And might I submit to you that a lack of confidence and motivation leads to poor mixes, every time.
On Your Next Project
Do yourself a favor: on your next recording or mixing project, decide ahead of time what one or two techniques you’d like to try and commit to those. Experiment like crazy with them. Take note of what you discover. At the end of the projet listen back and decide if those tips/tricks/techniques helped or hurt your results. Then rinse and repeat the process with more techniques the next time. It’s a much more reasonable way to work, honestly.

I found this writing very important
thanks to Graham for sharing..
(the recording revolution)

 

[indecizo]

Or you could just paste a link: http://therecordingrevolution.com/2012/12/28/the-temptation-to-try-every-technique/
I disagree 100% of what this guy wrote.

"And while I’m all for experimentation, I’m also a firm believer in limiting your options." This doesn't make sense.

 

[Mashreef]

well the newbees tend to use whatever they see on the net... (like me )
so i think its best to stick with some general techniques..used by everyone dont you think?

 

[MattGrave]

Will your next post be "Is mic placement becoming a lost art?"?

 

[BLUElightCory]

It's actually pretty easy to try a couple different mic positions (or different mics, or different pres) and hear the differences for oneself. Some things, like changing sample rates, can be harder to quantify. But as long as you aren't changing multiple variables at once, there isn't really any downside to experimentation/comparison in the studio, other than potentially wasting time. The only way to improve as an engineer is to constantly try new techniques, learn what works and what doesn't in different situations, and to never stop learning.

I do think the author makes a good point about not putting yourself in situations where you lose focus of the objective of recording the song, and I agree that sometimes limitations can be beneficial. But you don't want to impose false limitations on yourself if you could otherwise make a better recording. If there's time, try a few things out, and go with what sounds the best.

 

[SoundsLikeFog]

Will your next post be "Is mic placement becoming a lost art?"?

Reading this forum, I'd be inclined to scream: 'YES!', from the top of my lungs.

Learning new things is of course always nice but in my books, when someone else is paying the bill I try not to fuck around to much. For my own shite it's ok to throw all the kewl new plugs on the track and try every moronic sounding techniques some guy suggested on the internet..

But when someone is paying for their time in the studio, wasting it is
just about the worst thing you can do. Of course, healthy adult conversation solves most of these issues.

 

[MattGrave]

dude, i was having a dig at Mashreef for posting the article from indecizo's link as his own thoughts.

 

[Melb_shredder]

I think at some point you just find stuff that WORKS and you stick to it. Andy always uses a 57 on cabs etc and favors the 6505 a lot of the time. There's a reason. It works for him and the results are always to his liking. Who knows, there MAY be other methods that could yield great results too, but he's obviously loving how he does it and knows the golden formula each time. I feel the same with some things, I like certain things, and generally when I try to deviate or throw caution to the wind, it's usually seldom I find that it works. So it's odd, I'm up for experimenting, but usually when I find something that works, I stick to it.

EG. I always mic toms with 421's, I always use 57's on snares and guitar cabs. That's something that isn't likely to change as long as I foresee. I also use my Sansamp PSA1 on almost all my bass tones, at least mixed in somewhere, and I don't mind not trying other methods, because this one works and sounds great to me almost all the time.

 

[Dollarosa]

to MattGrave

Have a read of the whole post, at the end he writes

"I found this writing very important
thanks to Graham for sharing..
(the recording revolution)

so there is no need to be an arse

 

[Star Ark]

i think it's great advice and i wish i understood the value of it about 4 years ago before i made terrible recordings of good songs that i wrote

 

[Mashreef]

to MattGrave

Have a read of the whole post, at the end he writes

"I found this writing very important
thanks to Graham for sharing..
(the recording revolution)

so there is no need to be an arse

Thank you.. hahahaha
fags are always fags

 

[Mashreef]

I think at some point you just find stuff that WORKS and you stick to it. Andy always uses a 57 on cabs etc and favors the 6505 a lot of the time. There's a reason. It works for him and the results are always to his liking. Who knows, there MAY be other methods that could yield great results too, but he's obviously loving how he does it and knows the golden formula each time. I feel the same with some things, I like certain things, and generally when I try to deviate or throw caution to the wind, it's usually seldom I find that it works. So it's odd, I'm up for experimenting, but usually when I find something that works, I stick to it.

EG. I always mic toms with 421's, I always use 57's on snares and guitar cabs. That's something that isn't likely to change as long as I foresee. I also use my Sansamp PSA1 on almost all my bass tones, at least mixed in somewhere, and I don't mind not trying other methods, because this one works and sounds great to me almost all the time.

This is the exact thing i thought...

 

[amarshism]

one great point is learning what made a difference. alot of new techniques you acquire will shift the way you mix and if its for the better, it may be harder to pinpoint which new techniques really helped you get there

 

[SoundsLikeFog]

one great point is learning what made a difference. alot of new techniques you acquire will shift the way you mix and if its for the better, it may be harder to pinpoint which new techniques really helped you get there

Amen. The man with Santa's cap speaks the truth.

As I've mentioned before, to me, everything in mixing is about making informed decisions.. There are many ways to skin people. More important is to know WHY would you want to skin this person with these particular techniques.

And this doesn't mean you shouldn't trust your gut. Quite the opposite.. But you can not trust your gut unless you actually know what the fuck you are doing. And only way you are gonna do that, is to constantly interigate yourself about your methods. WHAT do you want to accomplish and by WHAT means.

In order to trust your gut, your gut needs to know what the hell he is about. And that can only be done by doing shit and observing the consequenses within that context.

We all get stuck in our own presets (or someone elses) from time to time. It's quite healthy to just stop for a moment and ask yourself just what the hell you're doing..

 

[Nimvi]

First of all, I think Graham has done an excellent job with his mixing tips series and I too am a subscriber to his mailinglist. I wouldn't say I'm learning anything new from them, but his articles usually have a soothing and reaffirming effect on me, and I think that's great. His general message seems to be "don't overthink things, but be creative", which is a good ethic.

My personal approach on this specific subject is that I usually try the latest technique(s) I have read about or learned on an appropriate mix. But that's only to get an idea of what that technique can do for me in the future. After that I just forget about it, but when the time arrives where I can use that technique, it automatically pops up in my head.

Compare it to trying that new paint you have just bought on your next painting. You can read all you want about paint, but to get a feel for its qualities and texture, you will have to smear it on a canvas. Just don't try out 20 new colours and 10 new brushes on that same painting.

EDIT: I agree with Soundslikefog on what he previously said.

 

[meanmrmustad]

AWESOME! this place is getting intresting again!

 

[Habsburgs]

There are many ways to skin people. More important is to know WHY would you want to skin this person with these particular techniques.

wait.. wat

 

[SoundsLikeFog]

wait.. wat

Just finished Thomas Harris's Hannibal + too much caffeine. You get the gist. You should see me on scotch.

 

[MattGrave]

Thank you.. hahahaha
fags are always fags

Come on dude, no need for that. I was trying to be funny...thats all, and I didn't see the bit at the bottom.

I do agree with the sentiment of the post though, it's all bout the right tool for the right job. Just coz you used a cool trick in a mix once, doesn't mean you need to do it every time.