4 Steps To Make Your Mix Translate Outside Your Studio - RecordingRevolution.com

[@SheaRecordmetal]

Yes. I am dealing with this right now. 😆 “you’re gonna be SUPER depressed” “let the depression wash over you.” I keep hearing to use reference tracks and every time i do get depressed and just don’t do it. This was the kick in the ass that i needed. Thank you

[@SheaRecordmetal]

My mixes still aren’t perfect, but the thing my tracks were missing was a good low end. One trick is to check the EQ analyzer of the reference track. And use it as a guide to turn up or turn down certain frequencies on your own track👍🏼 It will help you get in the ballpark. Some people use their ears, but because i’m a novice it was nice to get a visual of what great mix looks like on analyzer .

[@spacemanpope1805]

Graham is all our friend. Thank you for teaching us.

[@drothberg3]

Very useful video. Thanks, Graham. 0. Match reference and your mix volume. 1. Low end. 2. High end. 3. Kick and snare. 4. Vocal.

[@RogerioValgode]

Use reference. Use reference. Use reference. Oh, and use reference. Got it?! Rule nº1, 2 and 3. And also 4. Just by doing that your mixes will get better A LOT. And it's totally free. Trust Graham. I use a LPF and a HPF to isolate the LOWS, HIGHS and MIDS from the reference and from my tracks. IT WORKS, just like Graham said. One of the best tips to get our mixes better (if not THE TIP). Thanks, Graham.

[@RogerioValgode]

@Eric Gerwatowski Try to isolante YOUR bands and compare with the isolated REFERENCE TRACK bands also. Exemple: check the lows of the reference and the low of your track. This tip "make my day" ;)

[@mpmusic9378]

Referencing tracks is probably one of the best pieces of advice you've ever given me.

[@FdUpNews]

This is the advice that I need to follow. I never use reference tracks but I definitely should. Great video.

[@DanielGlenTimms]

Great tips! I use a single Auratone 5c monitor as a mono reference and it really helps with levels and midrange monitoring.

[@JohnPaulRiger]

I do use reference tracks, I pull them right into the DAW. I mix first in Bose QC headphones, then retouch while monitoring in Yamaha DXR10s or 12s or Bose bookshelf speakers, final retouch while monitoring from Macbook Pro speakers and verify last in CD player in my Honda CRV. Great tips on checking low end, highs, kick/snare, and vocals... Never really approached it from that angle and will definitely give it a try. Thank you!!!

[@scrubbersteve]

I’ve only started using reference tracks recently after hearing you recommend doing so in your videos. I found my vocals were usually dull and buried, snares too low/thin and bass not full enough. It definitely makes a difference and I hope to keep learning more as I compare my tracks to professional ones. Thanks for sharing all the great tips.

[@MyBiPolarBearMax]

Graham is the best. I was literally running into this problem and thinking about how to help - decided to check your channel and of course its the first thing to pop up. His advice/teaching is not only professional, but easily understood and free. His channel is a pro course in and of itself.

[@Kyp031]

I am a drummer, thanks for the shout out lol

[@agentcalm]

Im a guitar guy but really envy drummers. Its a great skill bro. Hat off to ya.

[@jordimoraguesmassanet1179]

Yes, referencing is essential. But in my experience, mixes that sound bad elsewhere do so mostly because of a poorly mixed midrange. Not to say that low and high end, kick+snare and vocals aren't extremely important of course, but I think you should address the midrange too. I often apply a bandpass filter centred around 1 kHz to my reference track, plus summing it to mono. It makes it sound like it's coming from a radio. I do the same with my mix and try to match them. If I get that right, the improvement across other playback systems is dramatic. This also is related to your tip in an older video about making the mix work when played through Auratones.

[@kevgamble]

That's a very clever idea - thank you for sharing it. I will give it a try!

[@swingset1969]

I experimented for a long time with all the tried/true methods of mixing for outside listening, and what resolved it for me was using a mid-grade set of commercial speakers in the studio, driven by a modest A/V amp. I have found, more than any other "trick" I've used that what I hear through those does a better job of approximating outside-the-studio listening. Before that, I was guessing and going back/forth endlessly tweaking.

[@aaronvennard9038]

I do use reference tracks mainly to do exactly what your saying and to make sure my master is going to hang. I like the different steps starting with low end good advice thank you

[@KassmeierAudio]

Reference tracks are seriously so important! I have a 1TB hard drive dedicated to just reference tracks. Also, don’t throw away your old CD’s as they contain WAV files instead of MP3 files (usually). Great video!

[@fgrondon]

This process is spot on. My fifth step would be to use a reference plugin like MCompare.

[@agentcalm]

Haven't use them in the past but it makes a lot of sense. Gonna do this from now on. My room is crap to be honest and my DIY treatment is not exactly award winning.

[@johnaylward6467]

Yes I use reference tracks. Now I'll use these four steps to help my sound be better. thank you for the information. Awesome!

[@Marathanz]

Yes Graham, I use a reference track. I use your steps. They work great! The level match step is crucial.

[@johnmorris2170]

If it works for you and helps you make that great mix then who am I to say....Don't do it! Or anybody else for that matter. But some of us find it useless. All a reference track will do is make your mix sound like all the others. And it won't help if the music you are doing is experimental of off the wall. And certainly doesn't help when I am doing a 5.1 mix of an album. Engineers didn't use back in the 60's and 70's why do we need it now?

[@Marathanz]

Hi John, I think it’s not about wanting to sound like everybody else. It’s about mastering the craft of mixing. And every instrumentalist, every singer, every composer, they all listen to their examples and other colleagues too. It’s only natural. Back in the day engineers did the same thing. The Beatles wanted the same low end in their records as a lot of the Motown releases had in those days. So their engineers started studying those mixes too. Everybody learns from others. The real art is to not lose your own personality in the process...

[@monkeyxx]

I rarely use reference tracks except to LEARN MY PLAYBACK SYSTEMS. Once you get really good, this can be enough to "calibrate" your ears and go on mixing for a while. You can also check on other speakers to sort of "average" what you're hearing. Your advice is spot on though for people that are still learning, as we all were or are at some point. Especially for people in the first couple of years I think checking a reference track is going to be very educational, that depression you get will feed you and point you the way forward. Any time you step into a new room you need to bring out those reference tracks, no matter how experience you are.

[@ianmartin2924]

One of your better vids Grahame. Thanks.

[@peterrhines4940]

I have never used reference tracks in the traditional method, mainly to keep the lowest track count as I started on pt express and tracks are limited. I have adopted reference listening. I will mix a short while and then take a break for a half hour or so, and then will listen to pro tracks of the same category and feel for like an hour or so. Then I go back to mixing and all the issues stick out like a soar thumb. It's like once my ears hear a consistent sonic balance on pro mixes it is way easier to spot imbalances in my mix. Thanks Graham for what you do, you rock!

[@iwxo]

You literally never deserve a thumbs down, haha. Great video!

[@HenryMittnacht]

Yes! And it is THAT important!!! The hardest part is finding a track that matches or comes near to the style your song is...

[@HenryMittnacht]

@@glennbob9315 OMG... that´s a great hint! So obvious but I never thought about that!!! Thanks a lot!!!

[@sharscottyy]

ANOTHER BLESSING VIDEO YES YOU HAVE TO USE REFERENCES

[@rodprod8522]

GC - what a top guy - shares all this great info - thank you!

[@bismaofficialph]

great video you got here! i'm a newbie at music production :-) recently, i had a mixing engr friend advise me on referencing. at first, i never listened to him. but when i tried it, i realized i made a lot of mixing mistakes. i'm using headphones when i'm mixing (32ohms and i'm not allowed to install speakers in my room, not even investing for its treatment; planning to buy 80 or maybe 250ohms for critical mixing) and it's really hard to determine what's too much or too lacking because the sound travels directly into my ears. so when i tried referencing, it helped me out a lot. tweaked some EQs and readjusted some faders here and there as i switched back and forth between my mix and the reference track. P.S. i was researching about how to translate my songs into other speakers and when i watched this, i realized that i just did what you talked about in this video lolll so maybe i don't have to worry about my mix sounding bad.

[@roohshi7839]

Thank you so much I was really confused when my track only sounded good on my speakers I felt like every speaker/headphones was lying to me and I couldn't find a solution but now I see your tips helped a lot!

[@Frank.Zimmermann]

Thanks Graham! 👍 We're on the same page, I use reference tracks in my DAW. I listen to them on my studio monitors and headphones, average ear buds, and my Smartphone (superb for checking in mono!), and I compare my mixes with the reference tracks on these devices to make sure I'm in the ballpark. If my mixes sound great on a Smartphone/iPhone, with or without ear buds, I'm happy-this device became THE most important "tool" in my mixing process aside from EQs and Compressors. I also check the ref-tracks and mixes on my car stereo. I'm still learning, but I get better with every single day, that's for sure. 🙂 BTW: I'm a drummer!

[@DVNcphr]

Yes for every song! Both in the production and mixing phases. Thanks for the great tips as usual!

[@arrobaroa]

not to blow my own trumpet but i honestly can't find a lot of songs to compare mine to since i do take inspiration from a lot of different artists and i my arragements usually take from a lot of different genres and songs to make a unique sound. however reference tracks are super helpful to get the professional sound. thanks graham!

[@dreambeliever3652]

Yes I use a reference track because of you. Thx

[@GoldenDuckOrchestra]

Yes, I use reference tracks. Thanks for the video, these 4 steps are great!

[@buhimoth]

I've been using reference tracks for a while now, but I wasn't doing so with any kind of purpose or direction, so this video was exactly what I needed! Thanks, Graham!

[@dizzyvisionzmusic]

i love the scenarios. keep them coming!

[@DuoKitharsis]

Great ! Thank you for the advice ! Good luck !

[@mimidhof2179]

You are perfectly right, this is so important to compare our work to good reference track. Grammy nominated sound engineer should be the goal to reach.

[@MrAchris10]

Yes, Sir. I use a reference track or sometimes tracks depending on how dynamic the song is. I like to use the Mix AB plug-in and Ozone Reference in combination. These allow me to use my ears and use metering to help me troubleshoot and make decisions.

[@ApexLaneProductions]

I use reference tracks whenever I can, but the problem is that I do a lot of experimental music. I work hard to build unique sounds, and then there's just nothing on Earth to compare it to!

[@stuu_man]

shades, eprom, g jones, tipper, or noisia come to mind. dont worry, its out there

[@AceDeclan]

You’re referencing tonal balance not individual sounds. Its nothing to do with the sounds individually.

[@JohnMorris-ge6hq]

Agreed. The stuff I mix doesn't sound like anything outhere.

[@ApexLaneProductions]

@@AceDeclan When you find a professionally mixed and mastered reference track that features a tonal balance achieved by recording random objects falling down stairs and someone blowing on the the end of a turkey baster, let me know.

[@matrixate]

You set the curve. Literally.

[@caseyshroyerdrumming]

One thing I think you could add to this is to always check your phase to see if you have any issues. If you do have phasing issues, it can sound COMPLETELY different on a cellphone or smaller speakers.

[@narbonarecords9753]

thanks Graham!! great video

[@alienrefugee51]

The hardest thing for me is finding a reference track that is similar to my own track.

[@johnmorris2170]

Exactly. That's why it's a fallacy. And do you really want your mixes to sound like everyone elses?

[@aholder4471]

Don't worry just keep listening to snarky puppy and you'll be fine.

[@maximilianmustermann5763]

@@johnmorris2170 doesn't have to sound like everyone else. The reference can give you clues why the reference sounds great on all kinds of speakers while yours doesn't. Clues. You don't have to copy the sound. Also, your reference track should be something that you really, really like. Or something that sounds kind of like where you want to go. Assuming that something you really like doesn't sound "like everything else", you're good.

[@dylanm1978]

I think you just need to not overthink the reference track. These steps aren't really about the creativity or artistry of making music, it's just about making sure your song works and sounds the way it should. So you could really use any well-produced song as a reference, but it makes much more sense to find something that is built in a similar way. Like if it uses the same instruments, or at least with major emphasis on the same ones. May not be written AT ALL similar.. but the mix should be close to what you are going for.

[@TheDilligan]

What I think of is what songs might my mix end up on a playlist with? Usually it's the same as whatever inspired it in the first place.

[@prokaryoband5186]

Great video. I definitely relate to that feeling of depression when comparing my mix to the reference. I just have to remind myself that this is part of the process that makes the mix better.

[@fowlthief]

I wish KZbin would allow me to give two thumbs up cuz this video deserves it! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@imagenesmentales]

This is amazing!! Just what i needed. Thanks for this valuable information sir. You rooockkk!!!

[@hleet]

great advices. I don't use reference track (because I don't do music profesionnaly). I use tonal-balance-control plugin (izotope) because my monitors doesn't give me the full spectrum of the low end, so I compensate my "reading" with this plugin. I would add a 5th step : listen to your final mix/master on a lot of audio devices other than your studio like car audio system ; headphones ; whatever. And finally, don't master with headphone (unless maybe you have a special pair that costs at least 600 US $) , it lies so much at your ears ... and it will exhaust them very fast.

[@cheery-hex]

still helpful 4 years later!

[@JMPinker]

Great video! So many knowledge... thanks man! Yes, sometimes but now it means more sense to do it. Thank you one more time

[@TechMetalRules]

Fantastic video... as is tradition.

[@EastridgeAlumni]

I always use reference records & I take snapshots of the graphics just incase I overlook or even underlook anything sonically. Using illustration tools helps alot cause sometimes in the moment, the ear can be deceiving.

[@elidaconto4947]

I typically take my mixes to everywhere and play them through everything from laptop speakers to car stereos even the surround sound system in my living room

[@SebastianJeri]

Great video!! I like using 2 o 3 reference tracks in my mix. I also like using professional stems so i can solo the things i need to work on :D

[@DesmondMason]

From time to time, but I need to use reference tracks more. I pretty much follow your process already when it comes to using references though.

[@guitar8617]

Use reference tracks more religiously in the mastering phase but will use it at the end of the mixing phase sometimes. Usually pick songs based on genre and I'll either just play the track of Apple Music or Spotify or use the Metric A/B plugin from Plugin Alliance if I have a dowloaded copy of the mix so I can see the eq curve of the song and compare mine to that.

[@michaelgaffney4619]

Graham (hoping you see this), would it work to also use the EQ in pro tools I think called Air Kill EQ, and solo out the high, mid and lows of the reference track? Obviously trying to AB without that is the goal but could it be beneficial to solo out those frequencies? Secondly, I'd love if you started a series where you analyze professional mixes. Your tips are great, but it could also help to do a series where you break down what makes some mixes sound great. Rick Beato has the 'what makes this song great' series, and I'm thinking something similar for you. Could be really cool.

[@GerryMoningkey]

awesome as always 😊

[@AtTheSourceStudios]

Cubase is amazing for using reference tracks. You can run it to the control room and have it running completely separate from your master bus and then switch back and forth with a button. Cubase 10 FTW

[@Dunebug01]

Thank for this info, yes do used ref tracks but will now listen to them differently, cheers 👍🏾

[@komalpathy]

Good idea 👍thanks

[@iqi616]

To answer your closing Q; I've used refs for a very long time and discovering step 0 was a huge step forward (Fletcher Munson). I have a CD-R of level-matched multi-genre references that I have listened-to on a huge range of systems over the years so I know better what to listen for.

[@jean-francoisgirard3988]

Awesome tips as always . Thanks for sharing

[@GiannisSimeonidis]

Mannnnn your advice are masterpiece! Thanks for knowledge you share!

[@jerimienewby]

I definitely use reference tracks. After taking recording revolution. I have no idea how I have worked with out it. Great tool.

[@derickjamesjohnson704]

Graham. I love your channel. Your advice has helped me a ton, but is there anyway you can go with a different lighting setup? The ring catch light in your eyes drives me nuts. It makes it hard for me to watch your otherwise informative and enjoyable videos. If not, I guess I'll go nuts because I probably won't stop watching. Thanks for all you do!

[@warchii1846]

Good work.

[@dream.cast.studios]

Less than half way thru this video and I'm enlightened for years!!! Thanks a million Graham... God bless!

[@networkunplugged]

great summary! Thank you!

[@cameron7957]

Interesting. I’m going to try this on my next mix

[@Subeffulgent]

Great video keep them coming.it's funny because the last reference track I used I thought my snare drum sounded better than my reference track so after I listen to it in my car I realized that it created the illusion that my kick drum wasn't big enough. After all some things in a mix really come down to creating a Sonic illusion, like low end on small speakers (using subtle overdrive) excetera excetera , you know what I mean. God bless you and your family. 👍

[@Montelrealtor]

Im trying it on my current mix today

[@rawtradedjwoool6362]

Great knowledge G!!! 💯💯

[@MattMendians]

Yes I do use reference tracks! I’m currently using the first song from Dream Theaters new album as my reference. Yes it’s depressing!! Like you said but I use it to try and get closer to bass, high end and volume!

[@MrDo2an]

Thanks for the video. Very useful advice. After trials-errors and frustrations, I came to these methods by myself. Graham, you should have made this video a few years ago :)

[@ohad8353]

amazing, thank you allot!

[@youngkroniic757]

Great Great video

[@Vambibuda]

Duro 🔥

[@ostovari_swe]

Great tips! As always :) Thank you for sharing!

[@ilikeextentioncords2403]

This is really helpful thank you!

[@philsideorchestra]

Yea is use them,but I import them sometimes when I'm almost done with the mix or when I feel it finished. If I ever begin by adding a ref track,it's because I want to emulate that mix almost entirely.

[@aniketpatil1914]

Brother really you are doing great work by teaching us the art of mixing.. Really awesome tutorials. and Thank you So Much for all the stuff you provided us. Recently i purchased subscription at duelingmixes.com. Your tutorials at duelingmixes.com you did a great job, your mixes are fabulous! but the problem is i cant see the window properly (its little blurry) in 720p Please Do Upload 1080p Also. I would be glad if you solve the problem.

[@nickikonomidis5027]

I find Sonarworks Reference helps a lot.

[@turkerercal589]

Perfect & very helpful video, thank you 👍😊

[@lashachan]

Hi Graham. Love your videos. I have one problem - can't mix drums well. Can you do a complete drum mixing guide from start to finish? (EQ, compress, parallel compression, reverb etc)

[@guystreamsstuff7841]

I've found that the most important part of mixing drums... Is actually during the recording stage :P Really well recorded drums already pop out in a mix without too much aid.

[@kamehenewsnetwork4801]

Amazing

[@nadaboykells7406]

Legend

[@FonkedUpProductions]

"Whoah Graham you pulled a Graham" 🤣😭😂

[@cameronneal4]

Colony House is fantastic

[@johnvcougar]

Know your room: play lots of your favourite tracks on your system; have as many different points of reference as possible - different speakers, cans and earbuds; tune your room and system, then use it lots and lots; play your mixes everywhere and take notes. Then have a buddy who does mastering. Reference 4 and the Waves tools (like Abbey Road 3) will help, once you know them.

[@johnvcougar]

Dont mix when tired, take breaks, dont mix too soft or too loud, be careful with your ears use visual tools to help see your music with your eyes, as well as your ears.

[@johnvcougar]

ETC....

[@garyjohnson4988]

I’m a drummer and I’d love to record with you! Thanks for the drummer love!

[@TheSudan]

Earball, transability, eyeballing 🤷🏾‍♂️ but the level of information 👏🏾

[@leckel1996]

The Sudan eyeballing is a thing, but idk about earballing 😂

[@narbonarecords9753]

i use A/B Reference plugin from plugin alliance. really good one. Someone is using it also???

[@bryanaudio]

I always use reference tracks, but my process is a bit different. My first step before I ever even open a session to mix (but after all the mix prep work) is to sit back and listen to some of my favorite mixes for 15-20 minutes. This allows my ears to subconsciously calibrate to my room right before making all those critical decisions in the first hour of mixing. As I near the end of that initial mix I do exactly the same process by bringing in a reference track to check the shape of the low and top end, kick and snare levels and the vocal level. Saving the reference to the end keeps me from blindly chasing the sound of another mix engineer.

[@erkamau9629]

so next step, how do we analyze in a clinic way the reference to help our mix ? what about custom pink noise built on the reference ? There are, as starting point, several plugin as Span Pro, Master Match, Neutron and other ones that try to replicate the EQ curve of the reference, wich one would you suggest us ? Thanks

[@marcellinoibrahim5911]

hi graham can you do a video about why a mix will sound different and not so pro compared to a pro mix even if both look similar on a spectrum analyzer thank you

[@rajkamaljangir3618]

Thanks sir, how to reverb drums and instruments

[@devonbiker]

I have used a reference track once or twice but I will start using reference tracks from now on. Thanks. My concern is my KRK VXT6 monitors have a week bass so it's hard to judge if my low end is correct. I'm considering the VXT8 because of the lower response. Would love to know if I'm on the right track or just waisting money changing?

[@JasonWelchMusic]

Im thinking about using moises to separate every track from a professional recording... why? So that I can match my kick.... match my snare.... vocals....bass...etc one at a time. Would this help me?

[@midodon4294]

What about if you have acoustic treatment.

[@addisontrashed]

One thing I’ve struggled with is my delay effects or reverb suddenly going from perfect volume to almost nonexistent in the car. Could this be a compression problem?? Only when the effects are way too strong in the studio can I actually hear them in the car. It’s been the same with low end sometimes.

[@akasoleil]

hard to say for sure but it easily could be a compression thing, i like to compress mine pretty strongly sometimes

[@WADS-rr9wy]

same issue here. Feels decently washed in delay and reverb then disappears in the mix..baffles me sometimes.

[@beauharasti6511]

I just started using a refence track. Hardest part is finding a similar song