10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Mixing

[@DrProgNerd]

#10) Accept the Journey: After years of gigging, I finally got sick of band drama, and gave it up. But I still love making music - so I bought some instrument plugins and started learning how to compose in a DAW. Being an older guy who's just starting out could be daunting - but the freedom from having to fight for my ideas in a band is just too alluring to pass up. I've hit so many bumps in the road. There's so much I don't know - but screw it - I'm having fun. I just try to learn a couple of new things every day. Your videos have opened my eyes to so much. Thank you.

[@TachyBunker]

Carpenter Brut? Lol

[@imremozsik1012]

Bro, I had the same deal! Played the drums in bands for almost fourty years, then got fed up, built a small studio, bought plugins and started learning studio engineering. Best decision of my life. Cheers! Good luck to you!

[@karolk9walski946]

@Xequalswhat Having fun on your own and ability to analytically rethink everything you do is is the best part of being a late bloomer, good luck bro

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

My journey is slightly different. I was in a band in high school, but with a guitarist 11 years older than me. Instead of finishing high school, I attended the School of Audio Engineering for a year. I did live work for a while, but it clashed too much with gigging so I gave it up after a couple of years. I did set a PA up now and then and set a static mix, if our engineer couldn't show, but not regularly. Then, at 49, I moved 300kms away, so that was the end of the regular gigging. Then, at 51, my daughter bought me an interface, and gave me her laptop. It's changed my life, and gave me some of that 'spark' back! I bought interfaces for two of the guitarists from the band, so hopefully we can collaborate, but having to play 3 guitar parts, and anything else I want to add, has been a good experience. My guitar playing hadn't really progressed at all since high school, since most times I'd just play rhythm in the lead breaks. Learning how to record on a DAW, rather than analogue, has given me a challenge I needed!

[@WaltherSuk]

Half of the musicians in my hometown, and everywhere I've lived, lead very self-destructive lifes. Too much alcohol during practising, snorting all kinds of stuff and messing up their musical aspirations with all that; I hate it. And since I am mostly on my own, my DAW gives me the opportunity to create the music to my likings. On the other hand, I miss the interaction of playing together. My neighbor won't let me have a drummer and a bass player and me on guitar at the same time, although it is possible with most systems. But you can layer your tracks in a home studio, and, very nice too, collaborate over the web. I love my DAW 🎉

[@Babaksaeedi]

I have over 30 years of experience as a musician and over 13 years of experience in mixing. If you take the time to truly comprehend the advice given in this video, you can save yourself years of frustration and avoid wasting your time. Great video!

[@WaltherSuk]

This is just the confirmation for me to know that I'm on the right track with this fellow.

[@chrisburkhardt4902]

Tip #10. I absolutely love this. I actually had a mentor tell me this exact thing. She said something akin to "You've reached that point where it's an inverse bell curve. You're going to hate every single one of your mixes even though they are good. You'll keep getting better and better until finally you come out to the other side where you start liking your mixes again. And it'll feel like you can mix happily again. So just ride out the bell curve." And she was right. I still pick apart my mixes and think there are things I want to do better, but i'm starting to like my mixes again.

[@jasonthomas2393]

Performance and editing can't be overstated. The bass, kick, and guitars all hitting at the same time makes an incredible difference

[@RealHomeRecording]

Just be sure to not make them exactly perfectly at the same time because otherwise that sounds boring and robotic.

[@ryanclark8343]

Phase is magic

[@davidharrison5873]

Forcing a performance to a grid can entirely destroy the pocket and feel of good musicians.

[@jasonthomas2393]

@@davidharrison5873 that isn't what I said to do

[@davidharrison5873]

@@jasonthomas2393 if you edit performances so everyone is hitting beats at the same time, what else are you doing? You can't have that *and* pocket. If the musicians simply can't play very well and they don't have a consistent pocket then fair enough, but otherwise exactly simultaneous playing will kill the groove.

[@cjthomasmusic]

Totally agree with #6. Its funny. I don’t mix rock myself. I’m more in the classical/ambient world. But there’s one reason I actually watch and come back to your videos. Because you mixed some albums that I “grew up” on in my late teens early twenties (ie Silverstein). There are a lot of bedroom producers on KZbin spewing a bunch of nonsense (or just restating what they’ve heard from another bedroom KZbinr) but when you post a video it’s nice to know that it’s coming from someone that I actually enjoyed his output before discovering on KZbin.

[@BrianLarney]

IMO, #3 should have been #1. When I started to pay more attention to the performances, specifically timing and tuning, the skies opened up. My mixes made a quantum leap in quality.

[@elizabethsteele4633]

Good video . I'm a retired film re recording mixer . One of the things I learned after many years was that often the solution to improving the sound of a voice or instrument lies in removing some frequencies - not always adding or increasing the EQ . And , at least in movie dialogue , less compression and riding the fader like a maniac sounds much better than setting a compressor and letting it go . And how many hundreds of times a director or producer would insist in adding and adding and making everything louder - to no avail , and once in a while convincing them that " we need to pull back a few things , carve out a little space and then we'll have a place to fit in the tire screeches or the bad guy's breathing " .

[@randnewiger6542]

In my humble opinion, I believe 99.9% of the time a great mix starts with a great song followed by a great performance played with feeling. There's always going to be something to find in a mix, but a good song will always stand out no matter what, which is why when I mix a song that just doesn't have it, played sloppily, etc. it is very difficult to craft a good mix.

[@RAILWAY_FILMS]

yeah you can tell when tons of people 100% agree with a list yet these people aren't all cranking out stuff.. how they they know they agree???? great song + solid instruments + proper tuning + REHEARSAL is the first step. but he said a couple of things that are just not so.. ( IN MY OPINION).. there are some key technical things I was listening for and didn't hear and I heard a couple of things I avoid at all cost but hey : its whatever you want.. I mean I have heard songs on the radio with HORRIBLE recordings. it's not all your recording that gets you signed.. a lot of it is politics and work ethic etc. there are hits where cheesy midi drums were used. there are hits where HORRIBLE sounding guitar amp models were used (sounds fake and brittle and bit crushed kinda like if you took a regualar 1980's distortion pedal and plugged the output directly into a Pa live instead of playing through an amp). Embarrassingly bad recordings that went multi platinum.. the engineer did eq the hell out of it so it didn't sound quite as harsh but you could hear what it was and it wasn't good.. its like ? you couldn't find an amp and a mic????? and maybe with their issues, maybe they just couldn't. OR maybe they wanted to flex their muscles and show "hey look, we're so big we can do whatever and still sell millions of copies"

[@perfectlygoodslouch5212]

I agree totally, Robert Johnson's recordings were, rough and mono and they still sound cool today, because Robert Johnson sounded cool...RIP Gordon Lightfoot

[@fytakytemusic]

Great video! - I would add to #1 "stop being afraid... of making mistakes". The irony of YT is that every second mixing/production video is entitled "10 mistakes to avoid blah blah blah etc", and in many people, that just feeds the fear. Everybody HAS to make make mistakes to learn. It's hard to know what "too much" of anything is until you've pushed it "too much"! Sometimes "too much" ain't enough, and sometimes a "mistake" is your quantum leap forward! You'll never know unless you make 'em!

[@patrickmckiernan2742]

Hearing the mix on different speakers outside of your studio is truly enlightening. Like you, I began using my IEMs. I will add that regardless of even the optimal monitoring system, we all can get "ear fatigue". Going back in after a good night's sleep will sometimes reveal the worst blemishes almost immediately.

[@droptarget7713]

This video and especially the last tip and your personal experience through it are very relatable and inspiring to me as I also went through a period where I would compare my old and new mixes together with the old mixes sounding better sometimes. It was so frustrating! Thank you for sharing this 😊

[@illyph9963]

SO TRUE about compression, just fully understanding it period, it’s completely game changing seriously, I been mixing 20 years, took me 15 of those to really start using compression to its full potential lol, parallel is huge too, I really started getting more extreme with my settings using it parallel first, so it was “less scary” cause I always had dry signal there to bail me out lol, but what ended up happening, is overtime I got WAY better at “normal” compression all around, cause once I started doing extreme shit on parallel channels, I really started “hearing” what every setting did, and gave me way better understanding of what I was doing in smaller increments in more normal situations

[@TheRealCalijokes01]

The going bk to older mixes part, almost a life lesson in music why I love this advice

[@davejohnsonmusic]

#9 + #10. Along with that, are session templates and refining them. Every mix I do tends to get better and better, so after it's done, I find myself taking a moment to save/update my tracks presets, bus routing and main template. That way, all the things I learned and refined from the previous mix can be carried over to new projects. It's all about developing a workflow that makes sense to you. Slowly you get to the point when your template has everything you need and your projects get more consistent. That's when you start to see results.

[@T00nMusic]

I totally agree with #6 Often time people who criticized my mix are those who don’t have any official release, are not working in the industry, are doing it for fun The funny thing is, people who praised my mix are the ones who have been in the industry for many years. So I only choose to listen to the feedback of people like this and not the internet commenters

[@stephenbruce5431]

This was sooo good! Saving this video. Thanks for sharing.

[@sjtheartisan]

I get asked all the time how I’m able to mix all these different types of genres, and really it’s the same process, with little unique things here and there but for the most part, it’s the same. Nice refresher video for me

[@soundsymmetrystudioGR]

FANTASTIC VIDEO, I agree on pretty much everything! HOWEVER, regarding #7: I invested ALL my (our) wedding gift money to buy a Thermionic Culture Fat Bustard 2 Analog summing mixer. One of the most pricey outboard gear there is out there. Took me a bunch of terrible mixes cause my A-D sucked, so I upgraded on a 2.5K audio interface (Metric Halo LIO 3D) to ensure what goes out comes in at mastering grade quality conversion. And then, BOOM there it was. Mixing "kinda" out of the box, elevated my overall sound and perception of things. Same mix inside my Cubase was missing tons of things which I got from mixing out and "printing" it back. ->Then it was the monitoring. I used to work with Yamaha HS8's. I've seen people doing great stuff on them, they're on the 500$ ballpark so I said "why not"? I never liked them, even if my space is like 70-80% treated. The translation was terrible, I was mostly mixing on some 30$ in-ear type of headphones, just like you said. Tried Sonarworks Reference for a while but there was a lot of guesswork to be done there as well. Until I won a pair of Amphion Speakers with their dedicated amp. A 4.000$ thing. Now, the word "translation" exists only in translating foreign languages: everything I mix, sounds great and identical on my car, my headphones, even my Marshal living room speaker (where nothing sounds good there,ya know it) Of course, it took me ages to go to a point that I, my self like my mixes. And I still believe they suck, until I hear/read awesome reviews about the production and my mind rests for a second. BONUS: Your mixing cheat sheet has helped a lot btw, thanks! PS. On one of my best releases (Outloud "Outloud" on Frontiers Records) vocals were recorded with a B1 Behringer on a Steinberg card, guitars with a SM57 on a random amp/cab BUT the songs and performance were there ;-)

[@risingphoenix1484]

Most important part of a mix is………THE PERFORMANCE

[@twilightbiscuit]

9:41 that's so true. I also believed that there is no such thing a repeating pattern one could use. But after watching tons of videos, just like yours, there really is a formula, yes 🔥🔥

[@artie]

The real talk and advice is GOLD! Thank you! I don’t usually subscribe to anyone but your logic and great advice totally got me sold. Everything you’re saying is so true. Thank you once again

[@GuitarLessonsNYC1]

This is all great advice! #6 totally! I forums there should be a way to always hear the posters work. Forget the “credits” as they can be exaggerated and just because you worked with someone doesn’t make you great. Some people that become popular are very talented, but sometimes it is a popularity contest. Always check the source where the info is coming from. You will be surprised what you find with the biggest loud mouths. I stopped going on forums for the same reason. It’s impossible to distinguish the experienced from the hobbyist. Forums can be useless except for troubleshooting. You’re a great teacher btw! I’ve watched a number of your videos and I’m impressed with the quality of your content and the way you deliver information. No gimmicks, no baiting, just quality information. I’m a professor of composition and recording and appreciate how you’re stripping away many of the misperceptions about mixing and music. Nice work!

[@resington]

You have the best advice man truly! I'm a hobby metal writer mixer etc guy here and I always go with my ears no matter what and when I show my process, I explain and prove everything I say.

[@ssmmuzik2908]

You got my subscription when you said most people online don’t know what they are talking about.

[@linkinthechain4259]

In 2005 I disliked my vocals so I just used a de-ess plugin before a limiter. I drew a line before it became a money expense. Get a de-ess plugin, get a limiter, something fast that didn't color the sound and something that can go on anything across all of the tracks. I didn't equalize anything in the box, it was all equalized on a Fostex XR7 with an Antares AVP1 on the aux and Lexicon MX-200 on the other aux. Everything went through that and it was stereo out to a creative x-fi. I loved that setup.

[@ilyap3011]

Number 10 is exactly something I’ve been through recently. I was so depressed, thought all my experience just got me to do things worse than before. But then after some speaking with more experienced engineers I found myself doing things better and feeling happy about it. Thank you for the video!

[@jethlaq8678]

I completely dig your honesty. I believe I've experienced darn near everything you have so truthfully shared. All very valuable insights and suggestions, thank you for such a salient and timeless reminder!

[@danyar91]

I had produced more than 1000 songs for more than 15 years, I know one thing is very important and many experts producers will agree with me, and that thing is (Room acoustics). its more important than your plugins , your gears. Your room response is very important especially low frequencies and room modes. good room acoustic will help you to choose the right kick, snare, bass…etc. i don’t know why everyone on KZbin ignores room acoustic!

[@doranfixeseverything]

It's the second time I watch this video and I just realised how damn true what you say in the last few minutes is. I had exactly the same journey and I think you're right everybody does. Thanks so much for giving this advice for free!

[@jimvanzino7646]

Just wanted to say thanks for this. As an old 80’s engineer getting back into mixing these tips truly stand the test of time!

[@svenolofandersson2572]

I have a small studio and a few times per year I record bands/artists, occasionally for free when I feel like it. I don't buy expensive outboard gear, and I already have a bunch of really nice microphones so I am set. What I do buy, however is cables and mic stand gear to be sure that nothing is missing when you have people in the studio. I recently bought 10/6/3 meter cables and headphone extension cables. I also ensure that headphone pads are good and that there are enough sheet music stands for those who need it. Little things that can be really important. I also spend considerable time in advance on planning which instrument goes where, which mics to use and also set up a basic project in the DAW. I hate when you have to spend half a day just wiring everything up.

[@Partybob1]

All your comments “hit home” I experimented for your years and realized that I have “formula” that I start with that works well on a variety of music styles. My gut tells me to do it then I should do what it’s telling me. Thanks for your video

[@GrimaldiSound]

100% agree with you on the 'forumula'. Finding out what works for YOU is SO important. Doing the same things all the time that work = consistency. It makes it simple when you finally find what clicks for your personal work flow. People often ask me 'how do you get the vocals (or whatever) sound like that? What's your 'chain'? Just because my personal chain gets me awesome results, doesn't mean it's going to work for you, or anybody really! Keep up the great videos!

[@heavenly2k]

Morrissey had some really good points in this video. I gave a thumbs up 👍🏻 i like how you encourage people to experiment and play with music - that's always a good.

[@chinmeysway]

Morrissey..?

[@BukanIbuMu]

This charming man

[@SoundDiscovery-c3u]

Ok - you're cool. It's awesome to find someone authentically sharing their experience with a clear sense of - "Do what works (for you)" etc. Thanks for this! (you have a new subscriber)

[@masonshirley4051]

My top ten without watching the video (well I just watched the first tip) 1. YES I felt the same way about extreme EQ moves and aggressive use of compression. Some things need a ton of EQ to "sing" in the mix... Snare and Bass stick out as really obvious examples requiring LOTS of boosting 2. Try to get all faders up with a vibe established within one hour. This is vital so you don't get bogged down and hyper focus on some minute thing that won't make a difference anyway. 3. Try to get the mix going without solo'ing tracks. 4. Set up a template with everything you normally use in bypass and ready to go. This prevents getting bogged down in plugin menus and wasting time...which then causes a loss of perspective 5. AB a lot and take lots of breaks to maintain a fresh perspective. 6. Pick three volume levels to monitor at...a "low" level (where you spend most of the time), a medium level, and a loud "fun" level....only go the "Fun Zone" a few times because it's very very deceiving. 7. Just mix in the box....this would have saved me so much money...THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to mix using a hybrid rig. It only adds time to the process and complicates revisions. 8. Don't waste time testing your mix in an environment you don't know super super well...like a car, or your friend's car. Pick 3-4 environments to listen to your mix and learn them well. For me it's my monitors, open back headphones, iPod earbuds, and a mono $90 Bose speaker. 9. Never work on a mix for more than 1 hour at a time, in fact, the more breaks you take the better you will maintain perspective. Stop mixing and take a break when you think, "damn this is really starting to sound good". 10. Do whatever it takes to make the mix great. Even if it's counter intuitive or unorthodox. Mix aggressively. Super interested to see the rest of this video and see if there's overlap...

[@thomasshaw3760]

Accepting the journey is the one which hit home for me. I started with a 003 rack+ on PT 7LE in 2009, recording mainly myself but also various bands in a variety of locations. All the experience mounts up, and intelligent, non-impulsive gear and plugin choices along the way. I've been in that gear/plugin trap, and to a certain extent much of it didn't help until I realised what was really making the difference, and what makes for good results. I guess everyone's journey will differ from person to person, and depending on individual circumstances, budget and motivation. Now, I've got a solid signal chain, flexibility in and out of the box, and a well-honed workflow. All that took a lot of time outside my full time job, and above all the acceptance that it requires patience, discipline and a consistent degree of effort. Thanks for your videos. I'm considering applying for the PPS training, mainly for the career advice, but also to see where my unknown gaps are.

[@JUNK_ZONE]

To your point at around 4:00.. that's exactly how so many great distortion/overdrive tones were achieved all the way back when recordings and more abrasive music were new. It was mostly REALLY pushed or cranked clean amps that got gross and distorted by using them for something other than what they were intended for. Use stuff and make insane moves JUST to learn how these knobs/plug ins affect the audio sources you work with and how those huge moves can be utilized in the future.

[@DiziDoberman]

Even years in, I feel like I'm at a stage in my journey where I ought to just save this video and watch it every so often. Thanks for this.

[@demetriusstump8654]

“Gear is not the problem or the solution” My drum set is a PDP Z5 series that I bought new back in 2009, CAD drum mics, Epiphone SG Pro (2013), Digitech RP500, cheap entry-level Ibanez bass guitar, 2013 model Yamaha DGX keyboard and just recently purchased (and most expensive) Zoom LiveTrak L-20 I do a mix down on the LiveTrak or move the files to GarageBand and work from there It’s just fun to work on mixes, even though I know it’s nowhere near professional-sounding, but it’s getting better and better!

[@66fitton]

Very cool! Lots here that resonates! (no pun intended haha). Especially listening to old mixes and going "wait what!?" Easy to feel like you're wasting time when that happens! Cheers!

[@LucasConforti]

agreed on 421 on toms. I always choose 57's. I LOVE 421 on Snare top

[@BrofUJu]

#3 is so spot on. Editing so your transients and drums line up is so massive.

[@MoreMeRecording]

Great advise. Compression is a a key point, its so important. With that, the 2 most common mistakes I hear in new to mixing tracks is :1 - way way too much reverb 2- way way too much compression (super high ratios) especially buss and and/or master buss compression with the life being squeezed out of the track. Linear flat, extremely dull and boring.

[@NealMiskinMusic]

This is all good advice! One thing I wish I had known at the beginning of my career is that ultimately my personal taste is what people will actually hire me for. Yes technical proficiency is important, but beyond that you need the confidence that what sounds good to /you/ will generally sound good to other people.

[@Zardox-The-Heretic-Slayer]

with the forum people, I learned that lesson when I went into their profiles and found out that the only audio that they had were null tests on DAWs and hundreds of posts about how transparent a plugin needs to be.

[@silentalliance3269]

20 years ago I heard a track that was PUMPING bass and I wanted to know if I was destroying the speakers so I gently put my finger up against the cone!? the speaker was hardly moving at all !! that is the true test of an engineers ability to give you “The perception of big bass!” with little output….. and that’s what I do in my studio every single day I put my first finger up against the speaker cones to make sure that the base is barely making those speaker cones move and they should only be vibrating against your skin lightly.

[@coreyhanrahan4541]

I really appreciate your channel! Upon my retirement I needed something to keep me sane. I got back in to playing my guitar and then recording and mixing. If I had known how much I love the whole process I think I would have made a different career choice. I felt your comment about starting with knowing nothing then evolving hits close with me. I can go back to when I first started recording (4yrs ago) and hear the amount of progress I've made. I have friends in the music industry that tell me that I'm doing a great job and each song is better than the last. That keeps me going and learning how to find issues and then knowing or figuring out how to fix them is so rewarding!! Please keep making the great content and I hope all goes well for you! Thanks!

[@edwardkenemorales]

Jordan's take on gear (plugins in my case) is so true. If I would've known, I would not have bought all the plugins I have and just concentrated on training my ears

[@gravityfreaksmusic]

This, folks, is pure gold! I ran into ALL of these traps and it's mostly just a matter of gear and no fear.

[@ANARCH3TYPE]

Great vid! You nailed the descrip of my journey with the statement at the end. I’m not at that place where it’s easy again but I’m getting there. Eventually!

[@bulletproofzest]

Man, the thing about following online forums... your example of the 421 hit home. When I first started I bought three of them because everyone said they were the best on toms. But I just found myself never liking them. Kick? yes, Bass cab? yes, but on toms, the First time I tried a condenser I was like "whoa, there it is," then when I mic'd top and bottom it went to a whole new level. There are so many ways to accomplish things that it's important you are constantly trying new things and seeing how they work for you. Tons of guys love the 57. I hate it. That doesn't mean they don't get amazing tones; many of the very best have been recorded with one; I just so happen not to enjoy the results with it myself. and that's the beauty of this craft. Recording and mixing is just this really fun laboratory where you get to figure out things that work for your style and taste. I remember after I'd been at this awhile, I went back and listened to the first album I'd ever done, just as sort of a progress check, fully expecting to laugh at my early efforts, but instead I was kinda blown away. Sure, the sounds were not anywhere near what I could do by that point, but on the other hand I'd made some really, really bold, creative, and interesting mix choices that enhanced the songs. But it seems in the pursuit of getting better sounds and worrying about consistency that I'd lost touch with the creative side. Returning to that first album was a real wakeup call to not get too too caught up in what the crowd says. I think it's important not to take anything someone says as dogma. Nor be dogmatic about approaches yourself. It can be a helpful guide but common wisdom is not always wise.

[@boringbambo]

Tip 10. Looks like I'm in the middle of the Journey. I feel exactly as you've described. And I regullary catch depression after hard learning something new, putting big hopes on my new mix made with new knowledge and after all understanding I still suck. It's a big relief to know that this is common thing, and thank you very much for your advice. I just got to admit the Journey is much longer than I thought at the start and keep moving forward. Best regards,

[@BigMTBrain]

"I just got to admit the Journey is much longer than I thought at the start and keep moving forward." For you and me both, brother. Thanks for sharing!

[@Sweetmanthanks]

Thank you for pointing out "the formula". Over time I've been able to streamline my recording process by relying on a process (aka formula) that works. Templates, recording techniques, overdub methodology, all of these things become familiar and the processes become reliable over time and it's awesome to be able to rely on them without pretending each song is it's own universe of sound.

[@inflam52]

This is probably the best mixing advice video I’ve ever heard. I was checking each of these as you named them. Learned them all the hard way. This video would have saved me so much time when I started 😭 Thanks for this…and those who are starting out mixing listen to this!

[@brandonmurray3629]

Would love to know what desk you’re using, I think it could be perfect for my needs. I’ve learned a ton from your channel, thanks for all your time spent sharing your knowledge!

[@iam-music]

Great vid...appreciate when experience is shared and I relate to it well. I had the advantage of my next door neighbour managing one of the largest studios in Australia and directing me to a lot of stuff ie I bought dt 770/hd600 back in 2005...still using them and you get what you pay for. Monitors and the journey of midrange brought me to a 'Monet' moment which Im writing about at the moment...it of all things changed things the most....much like your NS10 vibe...but its about macro/micro imvhexperience. RE crazy eq moves...he showed my upfront that subtracting was just as powerful as adding :-)...put the 2 together and its unlikely you never need to use 2 serial eq hehe. Thanks again

[@davidhayman9330]

As always very helpful and insightful video, thanks Jordan...I think your point about tightness and tuning on the way in and the effect on the mix sticks out the most to me...but all 10 points are much appreciated...

[@bhosterman]

I know this is probably frowned upon but I gave up my studio monitors and used some old Yamaha home stereo speakers with a receiver/ amplifier and turned the bass and treble up to where I would listen to music and mixed on them. After that I never had mixes sound way off when I’d take them out of the studio. The other tool I used was the EQ matching in isotope. I would sample the style of music I was going for and would apply it to my mixes and that helped a ton.

[@lylaznboi01]

7:13 I actually still use a Samson mini C02 from the Samson 8-kit mic pack I bought years ago as my ride mic. Still does the job and sounds fine after many years. I don't know if the company sells that specific mic separately, but I'm sure the normal sized one would still do the job for anybody.

[@Travisstyles]

😂😂😂 I mix on ear pods too When I really Wanna use a familiar Device Though I was crazy . Great video

[@jonesnyirenda]

Starting out in mixing, guys may pick out flaws in your work, even if your mix is great. Remember that mixing is subjective, trust your instincts, and be confident in what you do. Your unique mix will be appreciated and respected by others.

[@frankiesunswept]

These kinds of videos are pretty helpful, thanks man. I love the don't be afraid to go extreme one. I have been a/bing my mixes and noticing how gnarly pro mixes can be. I love bad and good sounds haha

[@michaelbarbacow3217]

Man this is exactly what i needed to hear. Hit me hard. Thank you

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

“there is a formula” oof yeah i hate it. It’s part of why I’m frustrated with the current mixing environment. so many professional mixes sound the same these days. Like they all sound good, but also the same. So nothing stands out. I think we need more than 20% to put our own flavor on it. Like it’s okay if things aren’t mostly perfect or a certain way. You kinda touched on it in the video too. There was some magic of the early to mid 90s mixes that we don’t have today. Love your tips on gearsluts/gearspace forum stuff imo it’s less about ‘good or bad’ but more ‘does this engineer get the results i want in my own work?’ Because I’ve heard plenty of engineers who worked on major label stuff preaching guitar tone, but they also worked on plenty of artists where i was like ‘this guitar tone is awful but the rest sounds good’ 😂. Or even better it’s a jazz engineer telling you about how to mic drums/guitars when you are a metal engineer. It’s a different world. I always researched stuff and found that some of the tips gave a little improvement, but it wasn’t always worth the money. I remember one was to replace tubes with NOS tubes in a cheap preamp i had. While it did help a little bit, it wasn’t the night and day difference i was expecting. Like a slight tonal shift in how certain frequencies responded to input, but it was sooo subtle it wasn’t worth the 150 extra bucks. I feel like many engineers on there often have many things already setup so those subtle differences feel huge to them. They aren’t always the bedroom musician but the rich person with a project studio at home or a commercial facility in the middle of nowhere USA. What works for them won’t work for us imo. And when things are already kinda maxed out by your space you’ll often notice little changes that no normal person would notice or care about. But any change can be super exciting. Don’t buy into the hype, listen for yourself. KZbin is a far better resource imo. And always look for comparison tests on forums before a purchase.

[@TimOost]

For referencing i set up my default render folder to google drive which uploads the latest render under the same name to the cloud. On my phone (Android ) i have a home screen shortcut to the song im working on. In the time it takes me to grab my phone the latest version will be updated and i can check the mix on my phone. Works well for me

[@mrcoatsworth429]

Really cranking out great content lately, Jordan! Love it! I think of all mixing channels, I probably learned most from you, especially in terms of the mindset. Thank you! By the way, I think I'm not the only one who would love another of those one hour mix videos! That was so interesting to watch.

[@BigMTBrain]

Thanks for mentioning it. I'll look for it now.

[@badra9190]

I appreciate your time, your work, everything in total that you set aside for this and other videos. Advice is always helpful. THANKS Jordan.😉✌

[@cellardoreproductions]

I started mixing and regularly referencing on my earbuds recently and it’s a game changer.

[@stockmanager]

Performance really can't be overstated theres like a special energy you can put into the micorphones and a good edit is like cutting all those special moments together.

[@sylvainnavarro5570]

Love the ride cymbal microphone anecdote! As a drummer (and home studio enthusiast, but mostly as a drummer), I've always found it strange that some engineers are so adamant that THIS is the right mic for a particular cymbal or for snare. Again, speaking as a drummer and not denying the fact different mics have different characters, I don't see why a single microphone model would accommodate all rides or all snares, given the variety of said instruments (i.e. from gongy super heavy B8 to washy thin B20 rides, or from a crancked up zero damping shallow brass snare to a low tuned muffled extra deep wood snare).

[@tomverstappendrums3423]

Started watching drummixing videos of this guy when I started to learn how to mix. This guy made me completely get it and actually have fun with it. A rare case of someone who actually takes you somewhere by explaining the 'why' and not the 'what'

[@richwebster117]

For me, Many of the points resonate with me - there is was initially a lot of fear, like all the time it felt as if I was being judged from afar by all the great masters; and everyone on KZbin was an expert. It took a while, but what helped was getting reall with everything - finding a great mentor helped me find both humility and confidence to overcome that fear. I'm only 3 years into my journey and recognised the 'breakthrough point' - my mixes do have a formula now, but the greatest realisation is that there will always be something to learn.

[@clowncarqingdao]

Thanks! I really like this. I'm over all these things, but I agree these are all things that I've hit my head against the wall against or emptied my wallet for. #was particularly apt for me. I had so little gear for 40 years and then I had a lot of money so I bought lots of toys (mostly to play with and I did a lot of live gigging) but when I record, despite having several amps and over 25 guitars and dozens of other musical instruments, I generally use a custom Fender Nono Strat, a Japanese Fender Tele II, a couple of Fender and Höfner basses, and a Godin SA nylon all direct into the DAW. No amps and none of the 50 pedals I have. All DI and software (not that I'm against hardware but DI does me fine). I have 15 mics and some are cheap and others reasonably expensive but I ended up using mics from €50 - 300 only. I use the ones that sounds good. My cheapest is good in many situations. My Rode and Austrian Audio for most others. I do have great headphones because my son hates me using my studio monitors and consequently I record and mix with headphones most of the time. I'm not a pro, I do good mixes and my mastering is getting better - and I noticed that I have hearing loss. in one ear so balance is always off - regardless - I endorse this video (very American huh?) as I agree.

[@jeramiahrossnz]

the thing I found the hardest to overcome is that it doesn't need to be complicated, you are making music for people that mostly have no idea about how it was created or what plugin you are using, speakers, microphones, instruments, ideas and concepts, mixing approaches, compression, dynamics, eqs, what studio, how, when why etc... all that matters to people that listen is if it sounds good and they like it, connect to it, and accepting that whatever you create not everyone will like it, but some people will and trying your best with what you understand at the time, it's an ongoing skillset evolution, 2 steps forward and back and sideways, but when whatever process you have decided to follow for yourself, when you export that final mix, share it and people like and connect to it, You have made it...the music :)

[@mortalflower1]

Good tips! I can especially relate to the last one. I'm trying to get over that one at the moment by simplifying my work flow; trying to do most of the work using only one channel strip, then listen to hear if anything else is needed.

[@BigMTBrain]

Oh, NOW you tell me, AFTER the 100 plugins YOU got and told ME to get. 🤪 Seriously, keen, practical insight, approach, and practice here for a noob like me. Thanks. 👍

[@thomasheimer3578]

Good video! These tips are generally basic but often disrespected. Learn to know your workspace and DAW to feel comfortable while mixing. Everything is allowd as long it sounds good in the end! There are no rules, just guidedlines. Most important: learn to mix without using any plugins but just EQ. A good engineer will archive a better sound with crappy gear compared to an average engineer with gear worth a million. I started in the 90s on a Monarc Mixer with an awful 3 band EQ and horrible monitors but it teached me how to get the best out of it. I Always checked the mixed in my dad's car and it helped a lot.

[@carlsheperd2471]

"Breaking through the complexity"... Perfectly stated!!

[@ringomaharaj1268]

Great video...I think we all started the same way, some dropped out on the way and some stuck it out. It is a long but enjoyable journey.

[@dwaynearthur1476]

Good advice 👍🏾. Be honest with your self , use what you have , refine your skills and move from there . Progression will come eventually .

[@chaiayling9831]

I would also say with 4) monitoring that having a good sound card (good input and output convertors as opposed to price) is really usefull too ! but all these tips are great !

[@cmax4358]

10 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 I can't tell you how frustrating it is now that I know all of these techniques but everything seems so complicated. Back when I barely know anything it was so much to discover new things and it would sound so good. In my opinion some of the best work I did in my earlier stages, although some would disagree.

[@Then.]

These are all really thoughtful, useful tips. Thank you. Subscribed.

[@FMwin900]

I did buy the CLA 10s because of you and I gotta say this is the one piece of gear that really changed things . That and soothe lol 😂

[@chibisven]

Regarding the “formula”, I feel like 99% is just learning how to identify what you want it to sound like ahead of time, learning how to get that sound from each element, and then remembering what you did to get there. I LOVE 1176 compressors and use them all over the place and can get the sound I hear in my head really quickly even if someone else would get that exact same sound with a different compressor. The gear doesn’t matter, only the sound. The other “rule” I would add is that the song is always king. I’ve gone back and did deep mix dives on songs I love and realized that I didn’t actually like the mix that much but loved the song. A great song can save a boring mix but a great mix will never save a boring song. Many times we will mix a song we don’t like and wonder why we can’t make it “sound good” when what we don’t like is the song itself. If you’re mixing for a job then you’ll have to do those songs, it’s fine. Just learn to let go of the expectation that you can polish a boring song into an amazing one. It only teaches you to over process and can cause you to ruin a great song when you finally get your hands on one.

[@br00talbr00skeez]

Inspiring. Very good advice. I think finding an i tuitive formula really hit me. And yes the one piece of gear that matters is speakers. My own experience learning the space recorded, and how well something is recorded (quality of sound and play), can save time too.

[@indivisibleman]

Literally EVERY SINGLE THING JORDAN SAYS is a thing I wish I knew when I started mixing. Every day is another avalanche of information. It's tough to retain it all at once.

[@tomkent4656]

Always remember, if it sounds right, it usually IS right!

[@stevenm78]

Your list is so…. True to the point! I think that the internet leads way to many of us in the wrong direction. So many people have their ideas and are set in their ways. If you want to do yourself a huge benefit… use your ears and use your mind. Some things are a given right…. Or are they? No one gets good without a lot of practice and most never create something new and exciting when copying someone else all the time! Learn the basics and then be you and be creative.

[@DreTheEngineer]

all but tip 10 is real. Getting better comes w serious anxiety and depression, but once you hit that comfort/"mastery" its smooth sailing

[@theshawnfussellband]

You are quickly becoming my favorite advice channel. You are to the point and not trying to sell us something. Question I have is you said mixing through airpods...which I would love to do. How did you set up to do that I know pro tools added the alternate outputs but haven't quite figured it out. Are you routing it through those outputs or what? Mixing through my airpods would be a game changer for me. Thanks in advance.

[@hardcoremusicstudio]

You connect the airpods, then under IO settings in PT, click "AUX IO" and your airpods should be there. The session has to be 48khz

[@correametal]

Amen Jordan, Amen!!! Recently I got completely tired of two things....1. Buying every plugin I could get. 2. Trying or believing on the advice that anyone would mention in their channels here. I am done with all that and mostly resumed my viewing and getting good advice from your channel here and from the channel of Bobby Torres apart from having your Hardcore Mixing Course. In terms of plugins, I already have everything I need....the only one that I am looking forward once I have the chance is your Escalator....because I already have Low Control, Oxygen, and my favorite one Clipper. Thanks for all you do and the great advice always! Cheers!

[@matthewhoffman4675]

This is the most important video I have ever watched about mixing.

[@DavidDavis-FA-photog]

This video is just what I needed. Thanks for share your experience with us.

[@vooveks]

Good point on the gear problem/solution, especially these days. A laptop, a cheap audio interface, a mic is fine for most people (home recordists I mean). You don’t even have to spend a penny on software if you don’t want to or can’t afford it. There’s so much free or very cheap stuff out there. In the end, it’s ideas that count and skill at realising those ideas. Imagine what a pro producer or musician can do with the aforementioned equipment/software. It will sound amazing.

[@cbrooks0905]

Accepting the journey is definitely the hardest one. I’ll often pull up old mixes back from when “I didn’t know what I was doing” and I’m blown away by how good they actually sound. I no longer try to remix old projects that turned out good, or even ok, because I can never beat the old mixes. I’ve learned that it doesn’t make a difference if I know more now than I did then. Clearly I knew enough to get it to a point where I was ok with it, so trying to redo it is always going to be like covering a song for me. Even though it’s fun, and may even sound ok, it never sounds better than the original.

[@davidlawrence3560]

100% true. Embrace the journey 👍🏾

[@zachskatesstreet]

the 6th tip was the most hard to swallow. knowing that that delayed my creativity by 3 years at the beginning of my journey till i woke up and just used my freaking ears

[@sandersonstunes]

Something I've started doing is using more side chaining. Everyone knows about kick and bass but vocals and guitar? Simply having the guitars ducked a couple db when ever the vocals hit means you don't need to manually draw automation of the volume. This also works for soloing. Having the solos control the rhythm section like this allows the solo to stick out that much more. For context I work on a lot of post mixing for live music so having 3 hours of music to mix in less than a week means I don't have the luxury to automate every song like a studio production. These tricks save so much time as its a set and forget work flow.

[@JayKayProductions]

Agree 100% with everything. Great video and a good reminder what to focus and what not to focus on. #10 is super important 🤓