Mixing habits

[alexkemp]

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us!

I was wondering about your way of mixing: what are your favorite monitors, do you switch between multiple pairs, and do you listen to other music as a reference?

In other words, what good habits can we form to maintain objectivity when we're mixing? Or does that matter?

Thanks,
Alex Kemp

[Daniel Lanois]

I use a combination of quiet listening and loud listening. The loud listening juices me up and causes me to be brave. The quiet listening gives me a realistic view of vocal to track ratio. Listening from another room is good for hearing stand-outs and will quickly tell you if you have dead wood. i.e. meandering sections with no melodies.