10 Years of Mixing Advice in 10 Minutes - Part 2

[@SapperWoody]

I know I'm late to the party here, and it's likely this comment won't get seen since the video is a few months old at this point. But I wanted to say that I really appreciate you talking about hearing loss. I'm just this year getting into mixing and mastering my own material. I got a degree in music last spring, and I got my studio all set up, mostly with gear that I used when I was traveling and singing. I was a 12B, combat engineer in the US Army. I was deployed to Iraq for 12 months, and Afghanistan for 13 months. I was exposed to roughly 75 IED explosions during those times. I came home with hearing loss and tinnitus. Doing my own mixing has been a bit difficult as my hearing loss is not uniformly spread. It's worse in one ear, and at certain frequencies. I liken hearing loss in this business to playing an instrument. There have been many instrumentalists who have overcome disabilities, such as blindness or missing digits or limbs. However, they had to overcome these, which means it was harder to do for them. With hearing loss, as long as it is not severe enough it can be overcome. Which brings me to this; there is absolutely no shame in protecting your hearing, especially if your hearing is going to be part of your livelihood. No one would make fun of a bodybuilder for watching what they eat. No one would shame an athlete for taking care of their body. It's the same in this industry; we shouldn't try and shame people who are doing the healthy thing to take care of themselves, even if it isn't the "norm".

[@inthemix]

Your message at the end resonates with me completely. There should be no shame around this subject. I am deeply sorry that you were subject to multiple IEDs. One would be too many, 75 is unthinkable. It’s powerful to hear from someone who is actively dealing with and overcoming hearing loss. I hope many others can read this and gain insights from your experience.

[@DJPastaYaY]

The first tip with compression on the vocals sounding natural I've never heard anyone say before but now that you do explain it, it makes a lot of sense. Thanks as always for the advice!!

[@inthemix]

It took me years to figure out that in some situations it strangely works. I still have to be careful not to bring up noise, breaths and mouth noise too much when applying that sort of compression but there are amazing tools these days to reduce those noises anyway.

[@AlxanderMoon]

Compression on vocals can harm the intonations and the shaping that the artist is doing. Maybe compression could work well with an automated knob to help shape around the voices decrecendo and Crescendo and paying close attention to the shape the artist is going for. Compression is good. But it's a double edged sword if you're making expression with your voice. But one edge of that sword is definitely hurting more than the other(compression leveling out the volume).

[@ignaciomendozagonzalez6067]

@@inthemixthis is why you’re the goat of yt mixing advice man, thanks as always

[@iampliumbum]

If I see a too big difference in loudness between words, I chop these parts and adjust gain manually. Only after that, I use heavy compression. It works like magic. I figured out it about 6 months ago. The only problem I sometimes encounter is that the higher frequencies become quite annoying after heavy compression.

[@davidemassussi3735]

Also automation can play a big role. If done well can sound more natural then compression and with less artifacts. But can take a lot of time to do it well

[@AZALI00013]

thank you for bringing up the hearing loss point !! this is something I haven't heard much discussion on really as well, but now with this video feel I should treat with a much greater deal of seriousness you really are providing a great help to this generation and the next generation of musicians, and I very much appreciate this aspect of you and your content

[@inthemix]

I wish I’d heard someone talk about it when I was younger. Just doing my part!

[@f1naIity]

AZALI!! i love your music as well :3

[@SuppetySup]

Azali my guy are you stalking all the KZbinrs I watch or what 💀

[@MatthewPherigo]

Andrew Huang has discussed it very openly, it was cool!

[@RueIsYou]

Just woke up, saw this video on my feed, and thought I was in a time loop for a second.

[@inthemix]

I can imagine!

[@tukhu29]

??

[@omnipouf3202]

??

[@RSmith181]

ME TOO!!

[@krystalleite]

take care of yourself. stay away from music production youtube when you're high af

[@trippi2595]

Watching your videos is like having a really good friend that cares about you giving you solid advice! Love your videos, always helpful!

[@inthemix]

I am so happy to hear that. I hope you know that I do genuinely care for anyone watching this. We are all in this together :)

[@trippi2595]

@@inthemix I definitely know you care, it comes through the screen!

[@300mph]

Your voice also sounds naturally compressed. Very pleasing. Great video. Thank you!

[@inthemix]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@Starlite4321]

Man, another ten minutes of zero bullshit, valuable information. So uncommon on KZbin - thanks !

[@inthemix]

Thank you, it’s the only way I know!

[@MatArti]

You have no idea how much value you're constantly inputting into the world man

[@iamstorii]

Thank you for talking about hearing loss. It's a real thing that's going to affect most of us. For a few years in my early 20's I worked at an audio production company and mixed quite a few front-of-house gigs - without hearing protection. Now in my 50's I cannot hear above 14k or so. I recently spoke with a mixing professor at a major music college about what those of us with some hearing loss can do to compensate. His response was jarring - he spoke like hearing loss is not a thing, that his hearing is fine, and dismissed the conversation out-of-hand after hinting that I should not even be trying to make a good mix if I have any hearing loss at all. He's in his 70's - I simply do not believe his claim that he can hear 20k just fine (I have evidence of that beyond mere conjecture). It's almost as if he feels he'd lose his job as a mixing/mastering professor if he even spoke about the issue. We need to be more open and honest about hearing loss and take hearing protection seriously. Thank you again for speaking about this super-important issue! As for me, I know if I want a good mix in the high air frequencies I need someone young to give me feedback. It's not the end of the world and it doesn't stop me, but I wish I could still hear more highs.

[@inthemix]

Your insights about the professor are so enlightening! I had a feeling that behaviour might exist but to hear it confirmed is very validating to me. I have no shame admitting that I have imbalanced hearing in some way. I am going to get measured soon out of curiosity but it is better to acknowledge it and help to protect others. Imagine how many of their students might suffer because of their indifference? All that said, I am sorry that you didn’t have the right information at your fingertips when you were in your 20s. It’s a real shame. I would say that you are lucky to still have 13-14k. Below 10k becomes quite problematic.

[@ElectroShockMedina]

I love that you brought up hearing loss prevention, as you said it is very important to talk about. Great pointers on that. Thanks for your videos sir, always helpful!

[@inthemix]

Thanks, I actually just went to the audiologist yesterday for a check up. It’s so important to look after our ears!

[@ElectroShockMedina]

@@inthemix it may be a lot to ask hahaha but if you can can you do a video talking about going to an audiologist

[@Musician1431-g2u]

thanks for sharing mate ❤all golden points: specially the hearing loss part. You are doing a phenomenal job!

[@inthemix]

Thank you!

[@pherrick71]

Love your channel and info but I argue most who need this information are also putting endless hours in and your voice is so soothing… the material so detailed… let’s just say I find myself nodding off more often than while driving in the rain at night with the heater on. Thanks 🙏

[@inthemix]

I appreciate the feedback. Maybe I could liven up the videos a touch more. Admittedly I was a little bit unwell when filming!

[@darbus7586]

Thank you for bringing up hearing loss in the video and dedicating so much of the video to talking about it. Some of the best musicians I've ever had the pleasure of playing and creating with are also people who are suffering from hearing loss simply because they were not properly informed about it when they were young. It was extremely meaningful to hear you say that hearing loss does not make someone less valuable as a musician or as a person.

[@trevordolhan1060]

I was a heavy equipment operator for 25 years. As a result I can't hear much above 12k. But I love recording my songs and I've learned to compensate by either cutting most sound over 12K or getting my teenage son ( who loves music and clocks 200k listening time per year ) to help me discern sounds above 12k) It is what it is. Lol. I do it because I love it. And I take care of what I have left. Thanks for a great vid!!

[@electriccatvisualarts2397]

Michael, your channel is an example of YoutTube at its best . Thanks for always sharing your technical expertise and for caring about your viewers.

[@StephenRezzaOfficial]

I've ALWAYS agreed with a decent amount of vocal compression. Great take.

[@StephenRezzaOfficial]

Also I'm crazy about transient shapers so I'm definitely going to grab Reviver. Looks awesome.

[@CINEMARTYR]

Sooo relieved that your voice doesn’t sound muffled or harsh to me phew 😅

[@Frostbainz]

You are amazing at explaining all of this. Very authentic and transparent! Thank you

[@JaKunaMusic]

I wanna say that I coped reviver like 6 months ago and its an absolutely beautiful plugin!

[@inthemix]

Thank you!

[@Sariyel]

​@@inthemixDude, can you answer something please? You know those old samples that weren't always in the same tempo? How do I put this type of sample at the bpm I want and how do I know that it's in the right tempo?

[@ogKono]

Can you please make a video about how to correct bad pitch in AI Vocals? How can I contact you directly?

[@tazisme5751]

1. Please do a podcast answer questions regarding mixing, music, etc. 2. Please share some tips and information for getting high quality vocal audio. Your audio is always so clear and Im curious what you have/do to make it sound so good. Thank you

[@SaltSpirits]

I’ve been following some of the things I learned in your “Sound vs Sanity” video since I watched it a few months back and I can actually, wholeheartedly say that yeah, a lot of stuff in there is solid. It works. I’m more productive in general, not just in music production, but in life.

[@maomallows]

When I was starting out with music production, this very channel is how I learned about taking a break from music. I learned to care about ear fatigue, listening to references, mixing, giving my ears some time to refresh. And in a sense, this increased my level of awareness when it comes to my hearing. Because as a nerd for music, hearing is my best asset. The greatest weapon in my arsenal. And I think that people who work with sound should take it seriously, at least just enough to retain healthy hearing.

[@jdhilario]

Just wanna say, I love how high effort your videos are! I’m a beginner and I’m going through your archive, all great stuff!

[@inthemix]

Thank you! I am always trying my best.

[@davidallyn1818]

I used to work at concerts as security, and since I was really good with artists, they used to put me right next to the stairs right in front of the massive speakers. Oh my those were loud!! Since I was a big, bad security guard, I never wore ear protection. Now, at 56, I find myself speaking loudly simply because I don't hear how loud I'm being. What I've found is that I have a 2k dip and a lot of highs are missing for me. That means I'm constantly looking at the spectrum analyzer to determine if those are at appropriate levels. And, of course, I always work with reduced volume when I'm composing and then only turn it up when I need to hear various nuance (but then right back down for continued composing). Stay safe and healthy out there!!!

[@zekew5084]

I've watched so many of your videos in the last month while learning FL Studio and it is soooo not surprising to see you bring up a very empathetic position towards hearing loss. It's far too late for me 😅 (years of standing next to a 4x guitar cab and worse at concerts as a teenager) but I do what I can now. I wish I'd taken it more seriously when I was younger. There are probably a lot of aspiring young producers among your followers and I can't overstate how much I respect you for raising the subject, especially while you're getting more attention from your recent viral content. I was already subbed but I'm gonna check out your plugin. I feel like I owe you that much. Thank you for doing what you do ♥️

[@Pianoman8125]

43 years old, still can hear 17 KHz with normal volume. But I always protected my ears in too loud environments. Got laughed at, but my ears are important, for my job as a musician and working in my recording studio. Friends of mine at the same age stop to hear at 14KHz. Of course, age limits your hearing ability as well. But you can preserve your hearing with simple methods. As well as not cranking up the volume while mixing for 6 hours. Thanks for the video!

[@Edninety]

Man, how I wish I could travel back 18 years in time to tell my 14-year-old self to not crank up the volume of my mp3 player to max everytime, sigh. Well, atleast my hearing is still somewhat decent and I hugely appreciate this being a more recognized topic nowadays.

[@jvr_music]

just discovered you man. I think your videos are great! Keep it up! We need more people like you, the way you explain and how you focus on what's important. Enjoyed the whole video.

[@oddpanda_beats]

michael, you're genuinely an absolute legend, especially for your realness and videos like this! much love 🤍

[@inthemix]

Thank you, you’re too kind!

[@AnotherMonster]

Love all the points made in the video! Glad you addressed the hearing loss issue. As a teenager I used to play super loud music with no ear plugs with my band in my parents shed, and I know it definitely did some damage to my hearing

[@inthemix]

Thanks mate! I think we all did some damage back in the day, at least we know better now!

[@rezzytheblackrose9212]

The recording quality of your voice is outstanding. As expected from a man of the craft 👏

[@inthemix]

Given that I recorded and mixed this with a head cold/flu, I am very glad it turned out okay. My ears are toast today!

[@rushikeshthawale]

Your videos helped me learn a lot, especially the basics!

[@rumblef1sh]

only a few minutes in, but WHAT a fantastically helpful and insightful video this is! Wow, so good to hear someone applying thought and reason to the subjects :)

[@kausalsubedi9336]

I've been watching your videos since you've had less then 100K subscriber and I was really young. I always loved music and your videos always inspired me to become an professional/best music editor. Unfortunately, due to financial instability I had to throw my dream felt like I was leaving myself. Till this day your videos brings happiness into my heart thinking people are getting these knowledge for free.❤️

[@ko8032]

i love u not in a parasocial way, just your videos instill this sense of calm in me and your honesty is such a breath of fresh air in an industry rife with trite nonsense. my addition to this discussion is it is very helpful to speed or pitch shift a whole song up/down to highlight weak points or issues in pretty much any aspect of production. it feels like listening to it for the first time. any pitch or timing issues become obvious, same with any areas where too much or little is going on. i use it whenever something doesnt feel right but i cant tell quite what it is or how to fix it. also when i'm tired or bored of a song-it lets me hear all the melodies and changes for the first time again. it feels new and motivates me. also inspires new different ideas if i've run dry. i rarely see this mentioned

[@abnormalthesis3365]

On vocals sounding natural : I usually work on rock songs. Even after a lot of volume automation, i had to go ahead and compress the vocals a lottt to make them cut through the mix. Having learnt music production from youtube, I used to always have a fear that I’m doing something wrong. Finally someone went ahead and said its normal to compress a lot.

[@SHOCMUSIC]

Very nice, thank you for also speaking about less prominent topics, especially hearing less even tho it is important for me and this industry as well I believe

[@Budemberg]

This is insanely good! I was searching for mix tips and I'm leaving with life advice. Thank you for trying to normalize hearing damage prevention!!

[@KDEADS]

The section regarding hearing loss was spot on. Thanks for sharing.

[@justplayflute]

Not heavy at all, I think. I´m glad that you addressed this. To me it felt like a very sincere remark. Maybe beyond the scope of your video, but if you ask me, you were spot on about people projecting their own deep pain on others. And treating others accordingly. I also notice that a lot of people crave for the selfdestructive behaviour that some artists have, so they can avoid dealing with their own feelings of hurt and anger. To let the artist express their own conflicts, which can never truly relieve or solve anything of course. And how some artists feel as if they have to push themselves further and further into an abyss to get or remain popular. And some artists might take it out on others. There´s a lot of abuse and it´s a real problem, I feel. More and more I hear that being expressed in music, which then - to my ears - isn´t music anymore. Anyways, thanks for your video.

[@inthemix]

It really sounds like we are on the same page. I see this behaviour more and more as I grow and heal from past trauma. It’s painful to see it but very good to not get caught up in it. Art and pain don’t need to be hand in hand either!

[@justplayflute]

@@inthemix Agree and good on you. As for myself, at some point I realised that I had issues that I needed to face. Although a part of me didn´t want to and it has been confronting at times - sometimes still is - I´m glad that I didn´t turn a blind eye. It changed my life for the better and yeah, it gave me a better view on the world as well. We´ll always keep growing, I think. That´s a good thing, if you ask me, and what life´s all about. Wishing you the best and keep it up!

[@michaelyankee]

This really is the first video related to audio mixing that I’ve seen that addresses the hearing topic. So important. I have hearing tests at my local HNO doctor‘s surgery ever couple of years. Turns out one ear has a slightly different graph to the other. Great channel. Please keep it up!!! 👍👍

[@corneliusrawness]

I just dealt with the compression realization last night so seeing you confirm this today makes me realize I'm not crazy LOL! Thanks man; you always have great videos.

[@abbadonproductioninc]

Hey Micheal. Absolutely amazing video. The first tip is something I noticed a lot when playing around with compression but I thought I was hearing things. Especially when you have already attained the right tonal balance

[@TheRealEkC]

these kinds of videos are honestly super helpful when i was trying to figure out the slew of info i was running through when starting out and becoming better.

[@synthandsynthwaves]

bro you really have helped me a lot in the last few years, started doing my own production vids in FL, your great inspiration and when I need to know the workings of FL your the first person I go too!!

[@Hansi97]

There are too many videos about music production on youtube. I would say about 90% is not worth watching because its just clickbait or someone trying to convince the audience to buy something. But watching your videos really help a lot when trying to learn about this topic. Thank you :)

[@technowelliebobs4779]

Top bloke, good on you shining light on the hearing loss issue. Highly professional, consistent high quality content, always. Thank you for your service to the industry 🙏

[@blisslate]

In the mix is my GOAT! You’re the reason my music sounds good!!

[@manilabeat]

Always my go to for knowledge! Thank you 🙏

[@MixReady]

Very useful tips and I loved the bit about hearing loss and how it‘s not a shame at all to talk about it and protect your hearing! 👂🏼

[@itsjusterre]

Loved this bro, keep the good work, wish you a lot of success

[@OfficialLSDStudios]

Fantastic video! I learned some of these the hard way. After being a viewer for a few years just wanted to comment and say thanks for getting such useful information out to people who need it! ✌

[@inthemix]

I'll admit that I learned all of them the hard way! You're welcome, thanks for sticking with me over the years!

[@phil.k1424]

Thank you so much for all of your videos! You're one of the KZbinrs I trust the most when it comes to music cause you're always really genuine & explain things really well!! I've been watching your content for years now.

[@nellytgm]

Just watching and realized I really need all your advices, especially your dog’s hanging tongue. 😅 it made my day!

[@Gabo1600cm]

Thank you so much for all these advises, these are topics that almost nobody talks about, it's always great to learn something new from you! Keep it going and greetings from Colombia.

[@ascarycasta]

I recommend having green plants or anything green, it's a color that boost creativity in the mind☺️

[@inthemix]

That is such good advice. You can't see it in this shot but I have a big fiddle-leaf fig tree just out of the camera shot and some more plants over on the side table. You can never have too many plants :)

[@ascarycasta]

@@inthemix yeah I noticed & exactly 👌😊

[@scruncheduppaper4828]

green is indeed a creative colour!

[@yamtzabeatz]

I've been following you since the beginning of your journey, I can't believe it's been 10 years already.. You really are an amazing person with excellent and true content who is not ashamed to tell his truth, glad to know that I came to the same insights about music. Thanks for the knowledge you share it helps a lot.❤

[@RasheedKhan-bm8fm]

Generally don't comment on stuff, but I just want to say thank you so much for making these kinds of tutorials, ones that are just very real, and made entirely with respect to quality. If I had known about your channel 10 years ago when I was really struggling hard with understanding everything music production related, I personally think I'd basically have a job in this and have made multiple albums and been an extremely skilled music production freelancer. I used to follow recording revolution a lot, but noticed that some of their advice did not always work for me and I never understood why and it would take a lot of experimentation to figure out. Thank you for making videos that go into concepts and the hows and whats properly, they have actually literally changed my life for the better. I am releasing a single on Bandcamp soon, the first ever original I'll be releasing after over a decade of playing music, and your videos are the foundation behind at least 30-50% of its production quality (the remaining percentage is just experience based from applying the knowledge of past advisors and learning from what worked and what didn't). Thank you.

[@sour2396]

Since your last video about hearing loss and a really loud concert that made me question my hearing, I'm wearing ear plugs wherever it's loud: clubs, concerts, small cinemas (they seem to have the volume higher than the big cinemas for some reason),... And people actually find it cool. And if not, then I tell them that I need to protect my hearing because I make music, then they understand. And when we leave and everybody's ears ring except mine, it's the best feeling ever and you realize that you did something good for yourself. All of this to say: Michael, you're so right about ear plugs! 100% recommend them

[@nerdexproject]

YESS!! Finally, someone with reach seriously addressing hearing protection! I'm in my 30s and last year I came very close to a tinnitus! I was in the club and it was too loud for too long. (I don't go often but when I go I go hard.) I thought it wouldn't matter but it left me with a faint noise in my ears I kept hearing for weeks! Luckily, it's either gone or so insanely faint these days that I'd probably have to be in a totally noise-isolated room and focus hard to identify it. Other than that, my hearing is perfectly fine. Bottom line is don't fucking mess with your ears. You only have to screw them one time too much... Btw, I ordered the earplugs from Eargasm to be protected next time I go clubbing and so far I dig them! I would love reviews on other earplugs that protect you well but still allow for a great experience in the club or at an event. Maybe something that could be considered on this channel in the future! :)

[@inthemix]

Thank you for sharing your story, others will hear it and learn from it! So true that it only takes 1 loud exposure to mess them up for a while or potentially permanently if you're unlucky. I'm glad you got through it and took the steps to have a better time at your next gig!

[@tristonthomasmusic]

Thankyou for the reminder to protect your hearing. I work in construction and love loud music it’s just who I am but sometimes I will forget how serious hearing loss is and how it REALLY does happen to people. And just imagining not being able to hear music anymore just breaks my soul so it’s such an important message to remind people.

[@harfenspieler]

Very good points about protecting your hearing. I know so many musicians and some engineers who neglected this and pay a bitter price later in life.

[@SoundPeaks]

After ten years in production, I discovered that a lot of producers don't understand waveshaping/saturation and what it does. In most cases, it is the missing puzzle that keeps people from making good mixes.

[@yaxtro]

Even more solid advice! Thanks!

[@NicoIbarra-l2j]

more open discussions like this, its awesome

[@apatsa_basiteni]

I agree with all the points you made. When I make my own studio will make sure it's filled with some natural light.

[@timinglismusic6707]

Mate, you're bang on with how moving away from the mic affects the volume. I recorded vocals on a track a few weeks back for a song where I am significantly louder in the chorus than the verse, so I took a slight step back (maybe 4-5 inches) from the mic. When I got home and sorted all of the tracks, I found that my chorus vocals were a lot lower than the verses. I was able to fix it with clip gain adjustment and, as you suggest here, fairly strong compression, but it's certainly something I will keep in mind for the future. I was worried about blowing out the mic, but I needn't have been concerned about that.

[@inthemix]

Thank you. What you have to watch out for is that when you move back, the recording also looses some bass and mids. Sometimes quite a lot to be honest! I'm glad you managed to fix it in post. I am continually surprised by the dynamic range of modern, good quality preamps. The ones in my mix pre 6 (the interface I used to record this video) are almost impossible to clip. When set right they can record whispers without floor noise and shouts/yells without clipping. It's amazing really!

[@reznov2310]

ah yes once again in my life i watch an "In The Mix" video. Very thankful for the effort you put in. For me and many others, you were a mentor back in the early days. been watching your videos and following your advice for half a decade now. thanks a lot. cheers

[@sandersonstunes]

The biggest thing I could recommend on the hearing point is using references. Not just for comparing your mixes to other’s works but seeing what you can hear. Is there a song out there with more high frequencies and can you hear them? Also with the new AI Splitting tools you can see exactly where the important elements are set. Where does the bass peak? What does the Kick look like on an RTA. Where is its fundamental? Where’s the snare’s fundamental? How loud are the vocals and other elements. It has gotten me to where I want to be so much faster than trying to analyze the whole mix all at once.

[@AlpingAround]

I have been watching your videos for years to get ideas about music production, and finally, I got FL Studio and Midi Controller last week. You are motivating and helping me so much on this journey, more than you can imagine. Especially after I tried to dive into details after purchase, I was frustrated because I saw so many courses, plugins, and videos that tried to make me believe I could not do anything without their tools. Still wrestling with FL studio and music theory through the process, thanks to my ADHD :D But I will handle it with you on YT. I wanted to share my thoughts and thank you for your efforts. I spent my last money on the black Friday discount for FL Studio and FLKey :D, but I promise I'll also purchase your plugin. You deserve more than this.

[@lwd_music]

Love you speaking the truth!

[@tijnwillems9750]

He forgot the tip where you need 3 fruity soft clippers on EVERYTHING

[@inthemix]

I dropped the ball on that one...

[@NNNNNNNNNN-nnnnnnnnnn]

You mean Soundgoodizers?

[@inthemix]

@@NNNNNNNNNN-nnnnnnnnnn multiple soundgoodizers are reserved for the master chain, obviously!

[@lilofrfr]

@@inthemixplus 100% wet reverb on the master ofc

[@DonnieRiddimReggae]

@@inthemix😂😂

[@nora1755]

Thank you, i learnt a lot watching your videos, and i cannot wait to release my first songs, so thank you very much💜

[@mikebrigs1218]

Great Tutorial Mike !! Peace and good health!😎

[@binarybotany3218]

Thank you for mentioning hearing loss. I've had bad ears since childhood, still try to do music to the best of my abilities :)

[@Deejaytoxicbeats]

Brother I use to ignore your videos because I thought you explain too much until i saw some one video that took my production 👌🔥 nw am the biggest fan

[@neuroxik]

A friend of mine also told me that overcompressed vocals were how to make it sound good and I always wondered why, thanks for making sense out of it!

[@56Sheckles]

The ear protection point is what I needed to hear(pun intended). My hearing is totally fine, but I want it to be perfect for the rest of my life, let alone career.

[@inthemix]

You’re lucky it’s perfect, definitely try your best to keep it that way.

[@shorerocks]

Words of wisdom. Thank you.

[@lawtyarg]

What a genius, thanks for so much good information, greetings from Argentina

[@Amuzukiq]

Someone by the name AZALI recommended your channel It has been a life-changer keep up the good work!!

[@JohnSmith-wj2wd]

Props for bringing up hearing loss. I find that even with hobbies like working on cars, there's a stigma against wearing hearing protection. People wear their deafness and lack of PPE usage like a badge of honor, and I've had my fair share of mockery if I'd halt my work to put on earmuffs and glasses first. I honestly don't get it. Deafness and tinnitus aren't cool. They're a fool's markings.

[@inthemix]

Hey John, I’ve found the same thing. You would think it’s a no brainer but in many of my hobbies people seem to make a point of absorbing damage in one way or another. Cyclists and hikers going out without warm clothes. Mechanics using impact wrenches without ear plugs in. Guys at the shooting range without decent ear protection etc. It is one of the few things that baffles me completely. I don’t know if it’s just a male thing but it’s sad to see!

[@JohnSmith-wj2wd]

@@inthemix Baffling indeed, and something I will never understand nor appear to ever get through to others. It's just such a weird thing to be proud of, and definitely something I feel is a macho thing. Perhaps originating from the old tales of men working dangerous jobs with zero safety who "didn't whine about it." I'm quite sure the people who didn't live past 40 in the early 1900's would have gladly preferred the safety precautions we have today.

[@TraxtasyMedia]

Thank you very much for your content and your clearance towards mixing, mastering and basics of producing.❤ Never regretted to have subbed since 2019

[@sonicart1808]

Spotless advice as always thanks Michael 👍

[@ZachNa]

There really needs to be big warning signs in every video to new musicians to mix at low volumes, keep an eye on their levels, and never try to make things more present by just adding more gain. 2 years into making music I discovered I had lost significant hearing in my right ear, all because I was trying to learn FL studio by following trap beat tutorials with loud 808s and loud kicks that just fought for volume and not a single tutorial showed how to mix them together to have them both sound cohesive, it was always just "I added this cymatics distortion to the kick to make it punchier, I added fruity fast distortion to my 808, etc." Now everything I hear in headphones sounds like it's panned to the left because I was just uneducated about what to be careful with and how to handle competing bass frequencies, and it makes me wonder how much of my solo-produced music will be hurt by the fact that I can't accurately hear stereo or right-panned sounds.

[@inthemix]

Honestly I am so sorry to hear about your issues. I have always tried my best to keep my audio examples relatively low compared to my voice volume to help viewers avoid blasting their ears. I hope your hearing recovers and balances out, maybe try using studio monitors at a lower volume and turn the left one down a little? It might give your ears more rest?

[@ZachNa]

@@inthemix Unfortunately I have very limited space so I have to stick to headphones, I've tried audio balancing but I kept running into issues (I don't remember what they were so I'll try again soon.) Honestly I know nothing about ear damage so I don't know what the chance of recovery is. I've been going easy on my ears for close to a year now and the damage has remained the same.

[@rayson154]

@@ZachNa​​⁠I am not an expert on hearing loss. I was told that the damage is permanent, it has to do with a wall of cells in the ear that once weakened by too long an exposure to loud sounds, does not regenerate, leading to tinnitus and the likes. From what I know, this is the reason why construction workers must use ear protectors on the job.

[@neuroxik]

@@ZachNa Have you tried getting your ears checked? I am serious, MAYBE it's just wax buildup. I had this twice, went to a drugstore (or anywhere where they offer it) and they jet a hose of water to push the clog out and it's like stepping out of water. And yes, it can happen in only one ear (mine are always one more than the other). It's not a hygiene issue either

[@ZachNa]

@@neuroxik I've used those before to no effect. I've also got extremely frequent tinnitus so it's likely permanent damage.

[@natus49]

Really appreciate the discussion of hearing loss. I went deaf on one side due to an autoimmune disease about 5 years ago, and it also affects my right side in more minor ways. I really felt like Id lost everything, but seeing the way many people in this space who don't have hearing loss talk about those who do drives me mad. There's always this underlying assumption that it's your fault, and it would have led me to believe I really had lost everything. Not true! You absolutely can do this with hearing loss, it's just yes, an added set of challenges, and you have to get used to your situation and find appropriate workarounds.😊

[@inthemix]

Thank you for sharing your journey with us. It sounds like a horrible thing to experience but I am glad you have overcome it and found ways to continue mixing though it. I think our skills and attention to detail are more important than the theoretical maximum frequency we can hear and I think you prove that too! I am happy to keep talking about it, it's a topic that needs more light shed on it and it really shouldn't be taboo in our industry.

[@echoesandnoise]

On point. Thank you!

[@lucasnyberg6412]

I would absolutely love to hear you talk more about hearing protection. I’m 18 and have ever since I started making music been protective with my hearing. Nonetheless, there are plenty of times when I experience loud noises and don’t have earplugs available and I spend a long time afterwards worrying about whether it has affected my hearing negatively. Every time you mention something about the topic, it’s of great value for me and I’m sure for a lot of other people as well🙏

[@P.A9165]

nice advices here again...And yes, REVIVER is really a fantastic plugin ! Big THX !

[@PsychopompPsy]

The first is eye opening. First time hearing about it

[@inthemix]

It's a bit of an odd concept. I was completely against heavy compression for a couple of years and I don't know where I picked up that idea from. Honestly don't know how that got into my brain but I'm glad that I can see past it now and learn from the mistake.

[@PsychopompPsy]

@@inthemix And I have watched all your compression videos, and it would leave me a little confused when I watch others going for agressive compressor settings, i have seen someone going for 12:1 ratio, 0.1ms attack time and it sounded good

[@rome8180]

Dude, if you can still hear up to 18K you're extremely fortunate. Most people in my age range (40s) can't hear anything over 16K. And if you've played in bands or spent a lot of time blasting music like I have, you can't hear anything over 14K. It's one of those things you just have to be aware of while you're mixing. I still feel like my mixes have gotten pretty good, but I have to be sure not to make them super bright.

[@Fastvoice]

I'm 63 and have a natural LPF at about 8 kHz. Not sure about the dB/octave steepness though. 😉

[@Daftsins]

I've unfortunately been born with tinnitus and have never tested how far up I can hear until a week ago when I had a headache in the studio and I felt like the tinnitus is getting worse. I paused and listened for a second and realized what I was hearing wasn't my tinnitus but an actual high-pitched noise. Turns out there's a resonant noise at 19531,8 Hz which appeared recently when I had my electricity redone. I was extremely surprised I was able to hear that at all considering I'm 23. Now I have to get it fixed. After listening more carefully and some doing some experiments I realized my tinnitus was actually lower-pitched than what I heard and got a headache from.

[@Keroser1983]

Amazing insights as always and please please continue... For me: Education and practice is on the top. If I were to start all over, I would not evet consider looking after all those high end plugins / sample packs in the beginning.

[@Chaos-Dynamics]

Overhere almost everyone is using earplugs at concerts, when I was young nobody used them and I tell you that our concerts were way louder than 100 db. I still miss it sometimes because I like loud concerts. Be careful with your ears because they can only get worse and never get better. With Atmos coming out I think the loudness target for streaming will probably go to -18 Lufs, so basically all playback devices will be forced to a lower volume. Who knows when it might change. Great video and yes 25 db of compression on vocals can do wonders 😊

[@jordanmattievisuals]

Great video! And I love your sweater.

[@inthemix]

Thanks Jordan!

[@thomasbroker69]

Great that you mention hearing, spent 30 years as an audio engineer, always looked after my ears, always used ear plugs for gigs, rarely use headphones in loud environments, rarely listen to music for long periods with ear buds, etc etc I have kept testing my ears over the years to keep an eye on hearing loss, now I have lost a bit of top end but no more than normal however I do have a mild tinnitus. Yet a lot of the music students I’ve met seem unaware of hearing loss, massive use of headphones & ear buds & monitoring in the studio at extreme levels, the chance of them have a sustainable career is slim as their hearing will be shot quite quickly.

[@whanowa]

About the hearing loss: I have tinnitus since I started making music with my band 20+ years ago. Yet I don't feel like it hinders me in hearing a lot of details in the music. Dave Grohl said something similar in a late night show, reporting of his ringing in the ears and still being able to mix and master music. That being said if I could turn back time and tell myself to wear earplugs right from the start during rehearsals and loud metal concerts... I'd definitely do that.

[@palaraga]

I agree with every word. I worked in big nightclubs for 15 years and ended up with incessant buzzing in my left ear. And now that I spend a significant part of time in the studio, I have to deal with the high frequencies in my music with one ear. It's horrible. Take care of your ears. Make the sound as quiet as you can hear it. And if at some point this level seems "not enough", then it's time to switch off the sound and rest. That's the only way, no other way. And of course, in noisy places it is better to use ear protection, whether it is a concert or home repairs.

[@melissarainchild]

Best tip: hearing protection! At 60, I wear ear plugs at work (noisy place) and let everyone know about that. And why I wear them. Thank you so much!!

[@gracied.3599]

Great tips, can't wait to apply some of them. Great hair too, chur.

[@Pxy212]

Love this, thanks for posting ❤

[@twyjoshy7796]

First tip is insane in itself