The Ultimate " Mixing Tips " Thread

[UMF]

Ok,

Lets say a person that is fairly new to mixing is loading his first big project in his DAW and is about to start his mix, what would be the most important tip that you could give him? In other words, all you experienced mixers, what did you have to learn the hard way to get to the level that you are on right now? What input other than this most awsome forum on the planet did help you to progress when it comes to mixing?

Let me start:

The most important tip I got after a year into mixing was using the good old

HIGH PASS FILTER on everything. Even the Kick, since I could not monitor the Subs back then. I was told "Sweep the high pass filter up the spectrum until you can really hear the instrument getting thin, that back it off a bit. That really helped a lot.

 

[Plendakor]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/f-o-h/770206-best-production-tips-all-stickies-here.html

 

[Fox Mulder]

*For low instruments like kick and bass, high-pass only when shit's too boomy.

 

[Hankyu]

Start with a good rough mix (panning and volume) before you use an eq or other fx. Create a good drum sound first and give it a good room sound. Eqing the other instruments in context.

There is a lot to learn and not only how to use an eq or compressor. More important is to train your ears to hear every single instrument out of a mix and learn how does the different frequencys effect the instrument. Until you've learned this you can imagine what you want to achieve.

My english is very bad but I hope everybody understand what I mean :-D

 

[UMF]

There is a lot to learn and not only how to use an eq or compressor. More important is to train your ears to hear every single instrument out of a mix and learn how does the different frequencys effect the instrument. Until you've learned this you can imagine what you want to achieve.
:-D

That is a good point, and I think when people are first starting out working a 100% in the box, plus using stuff like EZmix as an example, a lot of specific eqing or compression is already there when throwing on the " Metal Guitar Gods" , and I think that is holding people back of really thinking about the sound of the instruments and the construct as a whole.

A second very good tip I just got recently is to build the mix using an anchor point, like the kick for example, and set levels relative to that.
It really helped me a lot.

 

[Plendakor]

Sum mono

 

[UMF]

When balancing the mix, from time to time mute the kick and see if the Bass can carry the mix in the low end. That helped me

 

[UMF]

Oh oh, almost forgot this one:


"Cut before boosting Frequencies"

 

[Machinated]

HPF to free up headroom
mix quietly when possible to do longer hours. also good for bass/vocal levelling.
reference other mixes regularly.
have someone else edit/prep/set up the mix of possible so you can concentrate solely on mixing and not anything else.
gain stage appropriately.
if possible switch monitors to check on different systems.

 

[~BURNY~]

have someone else edit/prep/set up the mix of possible so you can concentrate solely on mixing and not anything else.
.

One of my biggest current problem. Can't afford a slave.

 

[~BURNY~]

Oh oh, almost forgot this one:


"Cut before boosting Frequencies"

Not a good advice if you take it too literally. It's good to make sure something in the low end isn't masking intelligibility of a given source before boosting highs like a pig but there are many case were there's nothing wrong with boosting, especially with digital eq as opposed to analog eq that will generate noise accordingly. And even this is very debatable when using hi-end outboard.

 

[UMF]

Not a good advice if you take it too literally. It's good to make sure something in the low end isn't masking intelligibility of a given source before boosting highs like a pig but there are many case were there's nothing wrong with boosting, especially with digital eq as opposed to analog eq that will generate noise accordingly. And even this is very debatable when using hi-end outboard.

I feel when using my DAW's onboard EQ, it does a bad job when boosting the high end (2-6k). I also have Equality, and that does the job a lot better.
Less harshness, awsome EQ.

 

[Machinated]

One of my biggest current problem. Can't afford a slave.

hahahaha. even though I know you're joking, its worth considering on serious jobs. obviously depends on the situation, but I think it's always beneficial to involve others for a sense of perspective. if you can't afford to pay, you can help edit someone else's tracks in return for them doing yours. or trade (your very decent) reamps etc.

Andy manages to do it on his own, but honestly I see him as very unique to be able to turn out the quality of work he does like that! (unless he has a secret assistant/slave).

 

[UMF]

Andy manages to do it on his own, but honestly I see him as very unique to be able to turn out the quality of work he does like that! (unless he has a secret assistant/slave).

I've heard that Chuck Norris applied for that assistant job once, but Andy blew him off because he couldn't do it as perfect as he wanted him too.

No, but resting your ears is very important when doing everything by yourself.

 

[neptunian]

Select your reference mixes wisely, know them well, and refer to them often!

 

[rapucore]

One of my biggest current problem. Can't afford a slave.

I'm considering to start offering such services haha

I'd love to take care of someones project phase-, noise-, cleaning-, timing-, and tuning-wise. Also properly naming and numbering the tracks for the ideal easiest workflow. Also doing some basic stuff like safe HP stuff and problem frequencies.

I think that a mix will be million times easier to compile, more exciting, less stressed and overall better when you don't have to involve in the cleanup process yourself.

 

[UMF]

I'm considering to start offering such services haha

I'd love to take care of someones project phase-, noise-, cleaning-, timing-, and tuning-wise. Also properly naming and numbering the tracks for the ideal easiest workflow. Also doing some basic stuff like safe HP stuff and problem frequencies.

I think that a mix will be million times easier to compile, more exciting, less stressed and overall better when you don't have to involve in the cleanup process yourself.

That is true, if you can approach a mix with all that Stuff already done for you, you will have a fresh view and can concentrate on the Sound, and won't be in fixing Mode from the Start.

 

[rapucore]

Exactly. It's very pleasing to only concentrate on making the mix and song pop.

 

[Spectivum]

Most important is still the good source, and to train the ears to hear the quality of the source. And yes you might need to pay for that quality. You can filter and EQ bad drum samples and noisy guitar sims all day and it still won't sound good. It was a big revelation for me after I bought a recent drum VSTI and guitar sim, how much clearer the mix became.

 

[UMF]

I am constantly having Trouble with harsh and hissy amp sims. Any tips other than a Lowpass Filter? I seem to have Trouble finding the harsh frequencies in the 2-8k area!!