HOW TO ACTUALY LISTEN TO MUSIC! (These Listening Tricks Will Help You Improve Your Mixes)

[@joelwanasekurm]

LEARN TO MIX: nailthemix.com/

[@midlifeadventures3138]

Mixing ITB feels like I'm working and mixing analog feels like I'm creating art with movement.

[@richiesemtner8181]

I’ve been thinking about this topic for the last year and I agree 100%

[@OleVinny]

I had a similar experience with bands like GY!BE. They don't use the hyped-up, radio-style of mixing (and production in general), so back in the day I interpreted that as low quality. Nowadays I hear it as a perfectly organic mass of sonic energy that I LOVE

[@TGSounds-qd5cq]

I need to comment this video. I can’t understand why you don’t have more Subscribers. Every time I listen to one of your videos it blows my mind and opens a total new prospective. I had to pause the video and losten to some songs from appetite for destruction , I was eating this album back then but I never listen it with this kind of ears. It opened my mind, I’m currently mixing a Rap EP at the moment, I had to get back to some Eminem Staff an listen to it to understand why I and everybody was loving the 2001 and 2002 Album. Of course Dr. Dre mixed it on a SSL Console. Some of the sounds-are very weird but its about the feelings and emotions. I wish I could give you a mix from this EP what I have mixed and let you mixing it to see, no to feel the difference. I’m mixing hybrid at the moment, but Mixbus gors trough some Capi Heider Mic Preamps and they are bringing me the space, seperation and analog touch. I would like to try to mix the same song on a SSL 4000. You talk always about the less eqing you have to do. 60% its so crazy, would like to feel that too. Thank you very much for special view on things!

[@danielmihlfeith]

Great rant! I just started high school when Appetite came out, on cassette tape... it was mind-blowing. Lately I've been using my cheap analog guitar pedals on hardware inserts for FX on pretty much everything. It's cool how they liven things up. I suspect it's the non-linearity that happens in the electronic components and cabling. I've been and will continue to be an analog nut for a long time. Also, Bruce Swedien incorporated live room captures to add depth. He claimed that the emotion of the performance was found in the early reflections.

[@joelwanasekurm]

Hell yeah!

[@CloudburstStudio]

I feel like I understand where you’re coming from. I remember a few years ago listening to some of the new metal songs coming out and although as you said they were mixed brilliantly i felt like there was something missing that I could only describe as “stale”. Like the mixes didn’t have any depth and felt 2D

[@edwardkenemorales]

More of these tips please Joel and please update your Plugin Suite (which I own the moment it came out) to M1 already 😅

[@PereRevert]

That's why CLA mixes sounds the way they sounds... huge with depth and natural instrument separation. His SSL console and hardware outboard (and of course his talent to properly use all his analog tools) makes it happen. You can even go back and listen to The Eagles or Lynyrd Skynyrd for instance, they simply sound perfect.

[@joelwanasekurm]

Exactly

[@punkemogeekrock]

@Joel Wanasek: Dude, I totally feel you. There are so many times that I think of you when I listen to mixes... Not necessarily the same genres you are into, but I know there is something about doing these exercises like listening and taking notes, immersing yourself in a mix, and more importantly translating EMOTION. That's something I have really yet to do to my liking because most of the songs I like, aren't available to play around with, but even making a "reference track" is fun to me. I've done that for years (and like you) gravitate to certain songs for certain decades. I'm familiar with late 80's stuff like GNR cause I listened to that stuff in my headphones as a teenager for ages trying to learn how Slash did what he did. Now I'm doing it with genres that are more acoustic and emotive in nature and it's apparent you know your stuff. If it wasn't for URM, I KNOW without a doubt I would have never even picked up the skills that I have. So thank you for being a blessing to me! You the man! - Rant over.. lol. :P

[@AlexeySolovievMusic]

Amazing video Joel! Please do more of these!

[@spacebrotherproductions5453]

I feel like it's hearing that back to front, when you hear it in a properly mixed track it's magical. Most mixes are just flat and stay at the back and don't move out from beyond the speaker line.

[@joelwanasekurm]

True

[@chsprod]

Very interesting topic! Thanks for sharing your wisdom Joel! I'd love to hear your thoughts on headphones. Since the pandemic I've learned to use tools like Slate VSX. I relate to this topic because it was definitely a journey to learn how music sounds in headphones. Now I'm used to it I feel my mixes translate way better, especially the low end. I know it's a slightly different topic, but it would make a cool video. Cheers!

[@jasonclark6058]

This is a great video and definitely something that I personally need to work on, thanks Joel!!!!

[@joelwanasekurm]

Thank you!

[@DavidDavis-FA-photog]

I always appreciate your views and discoveries. Lots of food for thought.

[@joelwanasekurm]

Thanks 🙏

[@jaceychan7099]

The reason analog recordings sound the way they do is because Every aspect of what you hear has peaked in what they can do so you have a pallet of things that work well together but someone along the way said let’s try recording digitally because it’s cheaper and we can sell this to everybody because we’ve all got computers 💻 so we gave it a shot but we found out that we can’t get it to feel the same so developers started tinkering to find out how to make digital sound analog and things got better but we have to except that digital audio is here to stay (until the next thing) and to develop things that enhance what digital is superior at because it’s more than a mixing console it’s more than a two inch tape machine and lots of hardware it’s the total of the whole chain not just an amp modeler plugged into pro tools but the room the guitars were recorded in with engineers that only engineer players that only play and producers that only produce, it’s a 7 layer cake and each layer is the best of the best available so if some of the cake is just ok it’s still pretty damn good The one man band has evolved into the one man record company, recording engineer,singer, drummer, guitarist, songwriter and producer and we wonder why it doesn’t sound as good

[@donrich3927]

Who’s channel did you say you like listening to?

[@PEPPERBOX83]

🤘

[@JustLeonOfficial]

Good video!

[@joelwanasekurm]

Thanks!

[@TheNickmeeks1]

What’s the channel you mention at 5:55?

[@JayKayProductions]

Awesome video dude!

[@charliereeves2146]

Yup, my friend has been saying my mixes need to be more three dimensional, i'm starting to get what he means, i only mix itb and i think that has to do a lot with it. Guess i need an SSL now lol

[@joelwanasekurm]

Try some hardware on access analogue.

[@monchinotdead]

i love this kind of videos! Thanks for sharing

[@joelwanasekurm]

Thanks for watching!

[@owengillett8871]

Totally awesome!

[@joelwanasekurm]

Thanks 🙏

[@AVillain]

🔥🐐🔥

[@GTORT]

Listening is a skill and I will die on that hill

[@GTORT]

To hit on what you said about analog compared to digital, what I hear is that digital doesn't have the same depth analog does. In the box sounds 2 dimensional to me and I was chasing "that sound" forever until I went outboard

[@GTORT]

Idk, I just feel like the technology was literally made from electricity. Everything is electricity based, and built off of the nature of that element. Might be abstract, but in the box, we're taking those elements away and the gear is no longer moving how it was designed to it's potential, if that makes sense.

[@joelwanasekurm]

100% agree!