The pros' secret to mixing.

bgrotto · 20th August 2008, 10:28 PM

Y'know, it's a funny thing, no one ever seems to mention things like "get a really good balance" or "ride the faders when that part gets too loud". It's always parallel process this, stereo-widen plug-in that. Maybe that's the reason people keep asking the same inane questions about how to achieve a professional sound.

Seriously, guys, mixing is about BALANCE, PROPORTION, and RELATIVITY. There's no black magic or secret trick. And your tools are not the problem.

Just had to get that out here.

brian_delizza · 20th August 2008, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgrotto

Y'know, it's a funny thing, no one ever seems to mention things like "get a really good balance" or "ride the faders when that part gets too loud". It's always parallel process this, stereo-widen plug-in that. Maybe that's the reason people keep asking the same inane questions about how to achieve a professional sound.

Seriously, guys, mixing is about BALANCE, PROPORTION, and RELATIVITY. There's no black magic or secret trick. And your tools are not the problem.

Just had to get that out here.

The ONLY way to get a good sound is LOTS of reverse reverb all over EVERY track.

Balance? Psssh. For the birds...

seriously though. spot on.

Roc Mixwell · 20th August 2008, 10:34 PM

Just use your ears

wax808 · 20th August 2008, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgrotto

Seriously, guys, mixing is about BALANCE, PROPORTION, and RELATIVITY.

Nice post I guess.

But you never said what tools you were using to do that. That might go a long ways towards helping others.

ryst · 20th August 2008, 10:38 PM

Agreed, Benny....AGREED.

One of the hardest things for me to get right when I started out was balancing things. It took a while. it had a lot to do with knowing my speakers too. I never really had a problem with separation when I started mixing. It was balance. Balance of everything from the instuments, to vocals, delays, verbs....EVERYTHING. But, i'm way past that now.

ryst · 20th August 2008, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wax808

Nice post I guess.

But you never said what tools you were using to do that. That might go a long ways towards helping others.

Your ears, practice, your ears, practice.........Don't focus so much on specific tools. Their are no plug-ins to quantify what Benny is talking about.

It's all about your ears, practice and experience.

bgrotto · 20th August 2008, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wax808

Nice post I guess.

But you never said what tools you were using to do that. That might go a long ways towards helping others.

What tools? I hope you're kidding, otherwise you're missing the point.

Like I said:

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgrotto

your tools are not the problem.

Ya dig?

nukmusic · 20th August 2008, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgrotto

Y'know, it's a funny thing, no one ever seems to mention things like "get a really good balance" or "ride the faders when that part gets too loud". It's always parallel process this, stereo-widen plug-in that. Maybe that's the reason people keep asking the same inane questions about how to achieve a professional sound.

Seriously, guys, mixing is about BALANCE, PROPORTION, and RELATIVITY. There's no black magic or secret trick. And your tools are not the problem.

Just had to get that out here.

You are simple describing/asking about the old Gearslutz.

wax808 · 20th August 2008, 10:50 PM

LOOKS LIKE I GOT ME A LUNKER!!!!

bgrotto · 20th August 2008, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nukmusic

You are simple describing/asking about the old Gearslutz.

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wax808

LOOKS LIKE I GOT ME A LUNKER!!!!

Yeah, I figured (hoped?) you were joking, but to be honest, it's tough to tell these days. If it weren't, there'd be no need for my original post in the first place.

wax808 · 20th August 2008, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgrotto

.

Yeah, I figured (hoped?) you were joking, but to be honest, it's tough to tell these days. If it weren't, there'd be no need for my original post in the first place.

lol .. Yeah I know. There's obviously an endless trail of posts out there asking the same thing over and over. The reason for this I believe is the trend over the last few decades for instant gratification and answers. That's how you get kids who go out and buy an MPC, a Triton, Pro-Tools, then immediately go to the internet to ask "How do I hook this all up?"

The teat of the internet is breeding some interesting creatures. Some kids nowdays can't even have face to face confrontations or look people in the eye when they talk to them. Thanks to text messaging replacing the mouth.

irthwirm · 20th August 2008, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wax808

lol .. Yeah I know. There's obviously an endless trail of posts out there asking the same thing over and over. The reason for this I believe is the trend over the last few decades for instant gratification and answers. That's how you get kids who go out and buy an MPC, a Triton, Pro-Tools, then immediately go to the internet to ask "How do I hook this all up?"

The teat of the internet is breeding some interesting creatures. Some kids nowdays can't even have face to face confrontations or look people in the eye when they talk to them. Thanks to text messaging replacing the mouth.

so true

Ken Lewis · 20th August 2008, 11:14 PM

its a secret. I aint tell ya'll nuthin.

Now if you'll excuse me i gotta get back to my plugins.

phillysoulman · 20th August 2008, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wax808

Nice post I guess.

But you never said what tools you were using to do that. That might go a long ways towards helping others.

Its not about tools..your ears are your tools

wax808 · 20th August 2008, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillysoulman

Its not about tools..your ears are your tools

Would you consider the scroll wheel on a mouse a tool?

doorknocker · 20th August 2008, 11:33 PM

A great performance will balance itself.

wax808 · 20th August 2008, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doorknocker

I'm constantly amazed how just-released gear gets bashed here...wait, it's often gear that hasn't even been released yet! Ot it might have been released but the bashers haven't actually used it......

That is one of the saddest things about the internet. How it taps into the human tendency for despair and criticism, and allows critics to lash out without any sort of repercussion or personal shame for doing so.

The Alesis Fusion is an example of a beautiful product which was nay-sayed into obscurity and eventually non-existence as far as any development was concerned. A few people on a couple of message boards single-handedly dismantled that product.

phillysoulman · 20th August 2008, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wax808

Would you consider the scroll wheel on a mouse a tool?

Hell no

Denny McNerney · 26th August 2008, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgrotto

Seriously, guys, mixing is about BALANCE, PROPORTION, and RELATIVITY.

i'm sure there are a lot of people here reading that, and are now scrambling to find the BALANCE, PROPORTION, and RELATIVITY presets on their waves plug-ins...

phillysoulman · 26th August 2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denny McNerney

i'm sure there are a lot of people here reading that, and are now scrambling to find the BALANCE, PROPORTION, and RELATIVITY presets on their waves plug-ins...

geez.. I thought that they were on the UAD 1 cards.....oh drats

johnbohn · 26th August 2008, 05:20 PM

Who needs level balance when you can just compress the piss out of the stereo bus! HA

rowan_rashard · 26th August 2008, 05:23 PM

are most pros...(turn the knob until it sounds good) type of guys??

rowan_rashard · 26th August 2008, 05:28 PM

how many stages of compression are there?

phillysoulman · 26th August 2008, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowan_rashard

why so much compression...you compress when tracking and then you compress again when mixing...maybe two or more compressors and then compress again on the mix buss and the mastering guy compresses again

...but i guess thats the sound of radio today

and I have to use a cold water compress on my head when I have to listen to some of this crap while going thru a state of decompression

alyricalmind · 26th August 2008, 06:28 PM

Wouldn't you need "tools" such as a mixing board with faders (though a mouse is also an option), a good set of reference monitors, a room with decent acoustics, a sub that translates well to others, etc? Yes, your ears are part of your tools, but I could never imagine trying to mix accurately on a cheap set of speakers with no sub (especially hip hop) in a room full of bad acoustics... it just wouldn't work.

phillysoulman · 26th August 2008, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alyricalmind

Wouldn't you need "tools" such as a mixing board with faders (though a mouse is also an option), a good set of reference monitors, a room with decent acoustics, a sub that translates well to others, etc? Yes, your ears are part of your tools, but I could never imagine trying to mix accurately on a cheap set of speakers with no sub (especially hip hop) in a room full of bad acoustics... it just wouldn't work.

thats why most of it sounds like shit

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20th August 2008, 10:34 PM	#3
Roc Mixwell Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Foxboro, MA Posts: 1,899	Just use your ears __________________ Adam Brass Mercenary Audio adam@mercenary.com ________________ "Any opinions expressed above are worth exactly what you paid for them." Anonymous "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." Thomas Jefferson "If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward. Thomas Edison

20th August 2008, 10:38 PM	#5
ryst Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Atlanta Posts: 954	Agreed, Benny....AGREED. One of the hardest things for me to get right when I started out was balancing things. It took a while. it had a lot to do with knowing my speakers too. I never really had a problem with separation when I started mixing. It was balance. Balance of everything from the instuments, to vocals, delays, verbs....EVERYTHING. But, i'm way past that now. __________________ "you know, while you're at it...what i miss more than anything else? i miss just working on music, for godsake. just hanging with musicians and figuring out what the hell to do. what the F**K is it when all we talk about is gear...gear...and more gear???" - GM

20th August 2008, 10:50 PM	#9
wax808 Gear addict Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 480	LOOKS LIKE I GOT ME A LUNKER!!!! __________________ http://www.myspace.com/wax808

20th August 2008, 11:14 PM	#13
Ken Lewis Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 753	The Pro's Secret to mixing is........ its a secret. I aint tell ya'll nuthin. Now if you'll excuse me i gotta get back to my plugins.

20th August 2008, 11:33 PM	#16
doorknocker Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Basel, Switzerland Posts: 3,618	A great performance will balance itself. __________________ Andi www.doorknocker.ch 'You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap! - Dolly Parton

26th August 2008, 05:20 PM	#21
johnbohn Gear maniac Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 252	Who needs level balance when you can just compress the piss out of the stereo bus! HA __________________ "Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." http://www.JohnBohnAudio.com http://www.myspace.com/johnbohnaudio http://www.AudioEngineerMag.com

26th August 2008, 05:23 PM	#22
rowan_rashard Gear Head Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 38	are most pros...(turn the knob until it sounds good) type of guys??

26th August 2008, 05:28 PM	#23
rowan_rashard Gear Head Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 38	how many stages of compression are there?

26th August 2008, 06:28 PM	#25
alyricalmind Gear maniac Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 294	Wouldn't you need "tools" such as a mixing board with faders (though a mouse is also an option), a good set of reference monitors, a room with decent acoustics, a sub that translates well to others, etc? Yes, your ears are part of your tools, but I could never imagine trying to mix accurately on a cheap set of speakers with no sub (especially hip hop) in a room full of bad acoustics... it just wouldn't work.