The Only 16 Mixing Tips You'll Ever Need

[@martentera]

TIP 17# Always go and test your mix in the car

[@dustinvq37]

Marten Tera this is key

[@el.blanco552]

I'm always playing what I made in my car as I go throughout my day

[@jech1393]

amen!!! sound good in my room! then in the car it sounds like it going to blow up the speakers!!!

[@kimberlyjackson2318]

Yes... Car, Phone, Tablet, Computer, TV, ANY place you think it will be played

[@reinerzufall6715]

he said it...#TIP 12...

[@andrewhall6342]

These are FANTASTIC TIPS., the only thing I could possibly add would be this: If you write and record your own music, you're likely going to be a perfectionist when it comes to mixing. I've seen insanely talented solo singer songwriters and musicians, write and record a song, only to get permanently stuck in the mixing process. The best way to avoid this is to set a finished mixing deadline. After your song is recorded, but before you start mixing it, commit to an absolute mixing deadline (even if you don't have an album release or show planned) This will prevent analysis poralysis.

[@masteringcom]

Great insight!

[@burrellbrothersentertainme2281]

I do everything but I will not set a time limit... only because I will never forgive myself for not finishing strong with my vision of the song. I will cringe when I hear all the things I didn’t do, should’ve done and Can’t do now! That hurts worse than anything.... I’d rather be a month late and in love with my work, than on time and hate it. In short, I’m done when I’m done

[@rasmusrasmussenmusic]

Oh yeah man, I’ve been there! For me I try to use KZbin now, too. Get things done in a week and upload it. Just put music out and good stuff will happen.

[@dudemcgee256]

I have an entire album that I recorded in 2014....still mixing it. This comment hit the nail on the head!

[@doc.skillz7166]

For sure man. self doubt is also a big part of it. you need to have faith in yourself

[@MikeBoyd]

This is really well produced. Nice job.

[@masteringcom]

Thanks!

[@TachyBunker]

What does Mike Boyd come do here? haha

[@danhlavacek8547]

@@TachyBunker Maybe in his next video he’s going to learn how to make a radio ready song XD

[@TachyBunker]

@@danhlavacek8547 i hope haha. He's a great guy, and I think he plays guitar? I'm not sure

[@clearcontentment3695]

: 0 amazing

[@mort4584]

"If you're not happy with your mixes and you're blaming your plugins, then you're not ready to progress yet." damn

[@masteringcom]

🤯

[@jorgepeterbarton]

I sometimes blame the quantity of plugins and me using them....when the stock para eq and comp would do.

[@xanderpills]

@@jorgepeterbarton Where's distortion? Equally as important as an EQ, actually. At least when you advance in mixing

[@aristocratmusic]

00:44 - Tip 1: Get it right at the source. Not a mixing trick, but simply refers to getting good recordings from the start. 01:27 - Tip 2: Get the balance right first. Spend a good amount of time focusing on the volume balance to get a good foundation, and use automation! 02:06 - Tip 3: Time is of the essence. Make the most of every second to maintain objectivity and perspective, and prevent ear fatigue. Spend time preparing your mix ahead of time before mixing. 02:35 - Tip 4: Focus on the key element. Don't waste time focusing on minor elements (such as a tambourine in the background). Instead, focus on mix bus and group processing, along with main elements such as the vocals, guitars, the kick and snare, etc. 03:04 - Tip 5: Loop the loudest section of the song. During initial volume balance, go to the climax of the song, loop that section, and mix that first. That way, you ensure this is the loudest part of the song and make it easier to build to this climax. 03:51 - Tip 6: Start with the bigger picture. Don't start by EQing or compressing kick or bass, as most people do. Instead, start with things like mix buss processing, group processing, and volume balance. 04:39 - Tip 7: Avoid the solo button. If you make decisions without the context of the mix, it's probably a bad one. If you struggle to make EQ and compression changes without soloing, boost the level about 5 db instead, make your changes, and bring the level back down. 05:31 - Tip 8: Have an intention before every move. Don't just EQ or compress because you feel you should. The need should come before the action. Notice issues in the mix, then make these changes. If a kick is already cutting through the mix, you don't need to apply EQ. Just leave it as is. Ask yourself; WHAT are you trying to achieve? You want to boost the midrange of a vocal. WHY are you trying to do that? To help it cut through the mix. HOW are you going to do that? You're going to EQ sweep to find the right frequency and boost to taste. 07:03 - Tip 9: Check your moves. Any time a plug-in is applied, volume match the output level to match the input level, and bypass the effect to A/B the effect. Close your eyes and listen. Does it sound better? 07:41 - Tip 10: Use good reference tracks. Compare your mix to multiple professional mixes and ask yourself what your mix is missing. 08:32 - Tip 11: Mix in mono for the majority of your mix. Limits you to creating separation in your mix with volume balance, EQ, automation, etc., rather than relying on panning. Means you really have to create space for vocals, get bass and kick relationship established, get snare to cut through without fighting guitars, etc., using balance, EQ, and automation before panning and opening up the mix. Use a plug-in that allows for mono playback on the mix stereo mix buss. 09:46 - Tip 12: Listen back on multiple speakers and headphones. Allows you to recalibrate your ears and hear exactly what your mix sounds like on various systems. 10:34 - Tip 13: Mix at a low volume. Mix at around conversation level (85 db SPL). Any louder than that is too loud, with the exception of temporarily checking the mix at higher levels to hear low-end (or lower levels to see what sticks out). 11:14 - Tip 14: Take regular breaks. Set a timer that goes off every half-hour or so and take a quick 5-10 minute break. This will give your ears a break allowing you to come back with fresh ears, as well as reducing physical fatigue, and maintaining that objectivity, which is a mental thing. 11:40 - Tip 15: Assume that volume automation is needed. You can never get a perfect balance without it. There's always going to be sections where the guitar or vocal drops in level, or where you want the bass to be louder in the chorus. You don't have to automate everything. Just pay attention the each section. 12:41 - Tip 16: You don't need expensive plug-ins. You don't have to buy ANY plug-ins. Use stock plug-ins and get great at them before buying premium plug-ins.

[@beatsbyilydrew]

Thank you ☺️

[@Basu117]

Thx

[@harmonyvegan]

Hero.

[@555tchoutchou]

thanks bro

[@wilfjones4198]

legend

[@amaymakesmusic]

I'd like to take this time to commend your effort on selflessly helping individual musicians. The pillar of support is greatly appreciated

[@masteringcom]

Happy to help!

[@btcbtc3336]

Amay Lakhmani yes !!!

[@ShaktiChanchal]

Haan bro!

[@AliTaj5610]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@TommyVega]

Perfect! My tips: Automation everything - EQ, reverb, echo, volume, HP LP filter everything, also mix on low volume. Clear your sounds from not necessary frequencies, take a break - one or two days and then continue, listen another genres of music and learn how to properly use compressors and limiters

[@Astrovic1]

Turn your screen off sometimes, so you dont stick to the visuals, but more to the sound

[@ColinProcter]

Ooh, good one!

[@masteringcom]

Great tip!

[@TenthElementGraphics]

When I am getting to that stage in a mix, where I feel like it's solid. like around the time you'll take it off mono. I turn my monitor off and play it back and just "meditate" on it.

[@crippleized]

Amen

[@knowbody1253]

or just close your eyes lol.......

[@chiahhuff2634]

When using reverb sends on vocals, throw a compressor side-chained to your vocal track, with the right ratio and threshold you can create a transparent ducking that sounds more natural and allows for that reverb without muddying up your vocal send.

[@Jehudi]

A mixing tip: Try something completely unusual, like pack all reverb channels of your mix together and automate them to create a surreal room movement (for example). Make something interesting to hear. Not everything needs to be common. Common can be good, but creating something the ears are not used to kicks you out of that box.

[@alfieholloway]

Yes

[@brandonobrien7239]

Studios should absolutely be used like a mad scientist's laboratory.

[@datgruvee]

Mixing in mono alone improved the quality of my work drastically!!!

[@masteringcom]

Awesome!

[@fijihorde4966]

how do i mix in mono in fl studio??

[@fijihorde4966]

ShockWave 11 thank you !!!!

[@afaromusic]

So does this mean you pan out your tracks after mixing?

[@rizoros8734]

Azfar Jamili you can hear the frequencies clashing better if you put it on mono, after he is done with the mix he puts it back to stereo.

[@bacontrees]

"Losing objectivity" and "Ear fatigue". Yep, been teaching that for years.Those are my biggest tips. I'm just glad to hear someone else say it. Nice video!!

[@skullytheshaman3947]

It's always beautiful to see a professional saying something you've been trying to argue for years.

[@pablodiegomusic]

"The need should come before the action" goose bumps

[@masteringcom]

So important!

[@thecasualfront7432]

“Every second you spend mixing you’re losing objectivity” ....this is absolutely true.

[@TheBelse]

Super low listening technique...literally put your headphones on a table or something....now listen from afar...is the snare too loud...or are the cymbals too quiet ...can you hear the bass.

[@TenthElementGraphics]

This is actually how I started learning proper vocal levels. This crossed with referencing. Take a song from your favorite artist. Listen to it from a pair of open headphones across the room. Then listen to your track. Are you hearing your vocals the same? Or are they way louder or quieter.

[@TheBelse]

Will Engle Thanks for reminding me to use the technique for vocals ...i generally catch the hi hats out with it.

[@9kanima]

Can you stop talking like the guy in the video? Or is that to much to ask for? Lmao

[@morten1]

Yeah I use the phone speaker on low volume

[@jorgepeterbarton]

For vocals yes. But would you ever hear bass like that?

[@djvoid1]

Other tutorial providers take note... THIS is how you teach

[@masteringcom]

Thanks for watching!

[@Yet.Another.Rapper.KiG.V2]

Seriously, people waste people's time with 5-10 minutes of fluff at the start and end with unnecessarily long intros and outros, not to mention tangents, fumbling around the topic, complete lack of visual aid, mumbling/low volume for the speaking/nervousness, etc. etc. , it's rare to find a concise and genuinely helpful tutorial that doesn't feel like clickbait 8 minutes in the video nowadays.

[@btcbtc3336]

Kig V2 hallelujah!!! Yes yes yes . Exactly my thoughts

[@pkallday247]

@@Yet.Another.Rapper.KiG.V2 could not agree with you more, attending his webinar tommorow at 7!

[@theaviary238]

Okay I finally broke down and did the mixing in mono trick. I was always reluctant because it sounded weird listening in mono and just didn't believe that it could make a difference. Well I just did it and OMG it worked amazing! Fixed so many problems that I couldn't before. My mix just improved 200% at least by doing this. Thank you!

[@masteringcom]

Glad we could help! it's definitely a useful technique.

[@afaromusic]

So does this mean you pan out your tracks after mixing?

[@chrisapollo6676]

No. You don’t need to touch any track’s pan control. If you look at your Master channel strip in your DAW there will be a means to select between auditioning in mono or stereo (or even surround, if you’re set up for that).

[@afaromusic]

Chris Apollo So I can still pan out my tracks for the recording phase and after that I audition it in mono on the master channel?

[@servanttofriend8481]

@@chrisapollo6676 Thanks... I was hoping this answer would be here.

[@LuisM_Piozza]

I think it's the best summary of mixing tips I've ever seen. Thanks a lot, Rob!

[@masteringcom]

Glad to help!

[@masteringcom]

Get the free Mastering Compression Cheatsheet if you want your tracks to sound loud & dynamic at the same time: go.mastering.com/mastering-compression

[@OllyVert]

I don't think it's necessarily crucial to use volume automation on individual tracks to ensure the perfect balance throughout the song. What I like to do is duplicate the channel strip (let's say we're talking about a guitar track), for each section of the song. So you'd split the verse, chorus, solo sections across multiple channels - then you've got the freedom to add/remove/change settings on plugins/channel volumes for each section. For example, you might want less compression on the verse, and you might want a brighter EQ for the chorus. This makes it much easier to do so in my opinion. Automation can become annoying, if you just want to quickly change a plugin/volume setting and you forgot you've automated, it'll end up reverting to how it was before you changed it.

[@masteringcom]

True! This will have a similar affect just with a different workflow!

[@soniccatalogrecordings1718]

Hi... would this be same as creating parallel channels to allow more flexibility on what we are discussing here?

[@servanttofriend8481]

@@soniccatalogrecordings1718 Yes

[@tainedry2286]

yes i do the exact same thing, it also makes changing volume on tracks soooo much easier

[@RickDrift]

practice is key, ive learned astronomically more by actually trying to mix my tracks in the last few months than my entire 10 years of playing in bands and 3 years of digital production.

[@diondredunigan2583]

as a super beginner in recording and mixing, i really REALLY appreciate this so that i can form good habits early. Thanks!

[@jamesmichalos]

This is so helpful. Zero ego, just total dedication to education and information. I don't think I've ever seen a video that has 43.6k likes and zero dislikes. That must be some kind of record. Well done and thank you.

[@julienmancilla5576]

I have been stuck on mixing unfinished tracks for weeks, (which seemed like years). I think I had all the technique I needed, I was just missing the correct way to put them all together. Just wow, this video blew me away, I devoured every single word that came out of your mouth. Clear, straight forwards and intentional, what an amazing video. Thank you for making this. I am now a loyal subscriber!

[@masteringcom]

So glad we could help! Happy to have you here :)

[@imogg_]

This is great, actually good tips and useful. When it came to getting feedback on tracks i had made, people would always tell my i had a "messy mix" but thanks to this video, i understand why now!

[@petarpavasovic6333]

These are really next level tips! No shit man, I am blown away!

[@masteringcom]

Glad we could help!

[@acemarley88]

Mixing on mono is one of the best tips

[@vandal1z]

For speed purposes, always have a saved rack in your DAW. I personally have one that saves my EQ settings for cymbals, hats, snare, kick drum and leads and bass. It's the same rack settings every time but each track will require adjustments here and there. The key is that they are small adjustments rather than large time consuming ones.

[@petermrd3208]

I initially use same headphones and then check that mix on a lot of different speakers including other headphones, then go back and forth making adjustments again using the same headphones based on what the other monitors revealed and still sounds good with those headphones.

[@clickbaitcabaret8208]

Pretty sure I'm going to watch this about 80000 times before I have any clue as to what I'm doing. Thanks mate.

[@tezeta3725]

Imo the single most important thing to remember is: use a reference mix! Pick a song thats similar to the sound you're going for and check your mix against it. You dont have to make your mix exactly the same, but it really helps to make stuff stand out when its out of place. It also helps to refresh your ears and avoid fatigue. Trust me it really helps a lot.

[@masteringcom]

Agreed!

[@baris-icin-savas]

I'm working on a cover project and my reference track is 17 years old lol. As you can see, the reference mix is bad. I have to choose a second reference that mixed good

[@PhotosynthesisBisector1]

This is the best video ever! More people need to see this!!!

[@masteringcom]

Thanks!

[@btcbtc3336]

The Raffoul Family no I want it all to myself though. It’s so good

[@Michaelbraha]

I actually took your Logic Pro course on Udemy 2 years ago. Learnt so many tips and tricks that I use to this day. its awesome to see you having almost a million views and ton of subscribers here. Keep it up, producers need you!

[@nikhilchugh5702]

This is by far the best video I've ever seen about Mixing. This covers everything. EVERYTHING!! If one simply follows and checks all the tips while completing a mix, it is bound to sound exceptional! I've always struggled with the Mixing part of production. I just cannot ever get the kick and bass to sound good together or the reverb to sound at the optimum level. These tips have helped me so much I cannot even tell you all!

[@thefridge4192]

Great video! To the point and well spoken. You have reassured me that I'm doing mostly the right things (and not relying on plugins.) Love the closing eyes and clicking on and off the bypass until I forget which one it's on. lol. I do that every time! My biggest problem is mixing at low levels. So hard for me to do. Making myself do it from now on. I believe the logic stock is absolutely fantastic if you know how to use it. I only use a few mastering plug-ins. Cheers man.

[@RealSiViX]

My biggest mixing tips are: 1) Learn about sidechaining 2) Keep your channel peaks below -12db and the overall mix peak below -6db to leave yourself or your engineer room for mastering (master to -3db, don't feed the loudness war) 3) Feed your mix clean tracks (i.e. don't record with effects like reverb, delay, etc...) any effects can and should be added during the mixing process as it's a lot easier to prevent/clean any unwanted distortion the effect may cause when sitting in the final mix And last is really LEARN how to use your plugins, don't just slap on EQ, Compressor/limiter, Reverb and Delay plug-ins using presets and expect that you're going to get a professional sound out of it. Take some time to sit with each plugin, adjusting individual settings and seeing how they affect the sound of what you're using them on. Plugins like compressors/limiters can be REALLY confusing to learn particularly when it comes to attack and release and understanding how to set them depending on the effect you are trying to achieve but once you understand the tools you are using and how to apply them to achieve the exact sound you want, music production becomes a COMPLETELY different open world like you've been freed from a prison and it becomes immensely more enjoyable.

[@noompsieOG]

I use reaper so luckily I have Kenny from reaper mania to explain attack and release etc. btw your comment is one of the best I’ve seen on this subject so you take part in any forums or discords or Reddit’s ? I’d love to learn more from you

[@samuelhamilton5245]

I very much disagree. There is no set db amount for anything. -12db and -6db are just arbitrary numbers. How can you apply something like this to any track, given the tremendously vast variety of instruments, methods of recording, genres of music, pre-processing, varying width, etc. There is no set rule. Just do what sounds good and adjust as you go. This is quite misleading. There is no golden rule.

[@RealSiViX]

@@samuelhamilton5245 - OK man, do it how you want, but when you ship your stuff out to a professional studio some day for mixing and/or mastering, these are the guidelines they are going to give you...

[@lone_odds]

Hey thank you so much for this video, you're a genius! And dude, am I the only one who know you have 11 fingers? No wonder you're a genius.

[@corbanfinn4373]

ok...i got eris 3.5 monitors yesterday. i was seeing how they sounded, tried it on a mix i was working on. Turns out my mix sucked really bad lol. Implementing THESE 16 TIPS ONLY after i restarted my mix this morning made my car test sound SO FREAKING GOOD! Thank you so much for these Rob, can't tell you how much it made my day.

[@fiachrarafferty9305]

Most useful mixing advice I ever received: When you find yourself fiddling with parameters, incrementing the release on a compressor for example, instead of slowly moving it listening for tiny changes until you hit the sweet spot, blast it to the max and then dial it back. You will hear the sweet spot loud and clearly.

[@masteringcom]

Great tip!

[@intruth1]

I listened to this every once in a while to get a good huddle before every session before it became naturally to me

[@masteringcom]

Awesome! Glad we could help!

[@88KeysMan]

I think mixing at low levels really helps your mix. It’s helped me a lot. I remember when I heard this first: in my college Pro Tools 101 course, by Mr. G. That really was a game changer for me.

[@Silent_Stillness]

Here's a great mixing tip for you: Always assume that if you have digital plug-ins, the action of boosting frequencies with an EQ is going to deteriorate the original integrity and nuances of the tone of the sounds that were recorded analogically. In order to greatly minimize this effect that tends to ruin the "magic" of the sound, I recommend only cutting frequencies, and compensating with added volume if necessary. This way, you never tamper with the extremely sensitive high frequencies, and you avoid brittle sounds, which always poses the danger of making a track sound cheap despite having high quality recording equipment to capture analog signals.

[@nikhi1595]

that's such bs

[@fidrewe99]

Very good list! 7:30: Exactly what I started doing, when I learned that expectation has a big influence the sound we perceive. If you have the prejudice that something will sound better, the expectation will corrupt your listening ability and will make it sound better, while your mix is actually getting worse. It's important to trick yourself to listen properly through blind tests from the time to time.

[@SamSkilz]

Very well said. Agree 100%! One more tip that I can suggest is to listen to the final mix in very cheap speakers to check if you can hear all the important elements in the track.

[@masteringcom]

Great tip!

[@annother3350]

use the solo button to find clicks, pops crackles and unwanted noise.

[@masteringcom]

Agreed, mostly talking about mix decision stuff, tonal EQ, compression, saturation, etc.

[@thejasonknightfiascoband5099]

Yeah. That is absolutely something I spend a lot of time on.

[@mrburns366]

Listen the Luke Skywalker. He knows ;)

[@evad520]

Learn how to frequency sweep without the solo button.

[@p0llenp0ny]

Or make sure you have a robust signal chain that negates the need for doing this. Invest in good cables and of course a decent preamp.

[@Omrie69]

Great vid pal, wish i had this info 20 years ago the frustration of trying to get the sound that was in my head out was enough to push me away from the whole thing. Realising now just being a composer is not enough you gotta do the whole thing!.

[@MrCoComit]

best ever mixing tips at one place...thanks...

[@masteringcom]

Glad we could help!

[@davefhill]

Thanks for this video. EXCELLENT content, clarity, videography, graphics, audio! And thanks for bringing the focus and big picture home. I’m going to save this and rewatch it when I need to be inspired!

[@TheJchimusic]

I've seen so many videos and guides to mixing and eq's, but this has to be one of the best general guide and tips video that I have seen.

[@masteringcom]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.

[@dollarsaurus01]

2:41 “Don’t spend an hour mixing a percussive part like a tambourine” Excellent tips btw, thanks a ton!

[@masteringcom]

😂

[@jporlandini]

Thanks for the tips my friend! Looking forward to see you your webinar

[@hyun1874]

00:44 - Tip #1. Get it right at the source - Good recording is a must. It makes up 80% of the whole mix 01:27 - Tip #2. Get the (volume) balance right first 02:06 - Tip #3. Time is of the second - You lose objectivity and perspective the more you listen (especially with high volumes) 1, 2, 3 -> Always prep well and remember that maintaining freshness of the ear and mind is important 02:35 - Tip #4. Focus on the key elements - Spend more time and energy on the overall mix as a whole (mixbus processing, group bus processing) and the stuff that the listeners focus on such as vocals, lead guitar, snare 03:04 - Tip #5. Loop the loudest section of the song - Listen to the climax of the song (chorus/bridge/etc.) and mix that first - If the intro sound is huge, you can't get any bigger 03:51 - Tip #6. Start with the bigger picture - Instead of starting with channels one by one, start mixing with the bigger picture in mind first (mix bus processing, broad sweeps like group processing, volume balance) - Focus on the final details towards the end of the mix 04:39 - Tip #7. Avoid the solo button - Make decisions with the context of the mix - If you struggle listening to a single instrument, turn that channel up by 5-10 dBs (great way to develop your hearing and skill) 05:31 - Tip #8. Have an intention behind every move (Be a problem solver, not a meddler) - Never do something just for the sake of it, the need should come before the action. - Go through the process of what, why, and how; What are you trying to achieve? Why are you trying to do that? How am I going to do that? 07:03 - Tip #9. Check your moves - Everytime you change something, use your ears using bypass and adjust (the change itself or match the volume) 07:41 - Tip #10. Use good reference tracks - Use more than one track to be safe so it doesn't result like a copy - References are like shortcuts, almost like cheating; use it 08:32 - Tip #11. Mix in mono for the majority of your mix - Mixing mono helps to create separatation with volume balancing, EQ, and automation, allowing/forcing you to create space for each instrument with volume and EQ. - Start panning when starting to apply effects and automation - Using a mono switch plugin on the master fader helps 09:46 - Tip #12. Listen back on multiple speakers and headphones - It's to get a good balance between a wide range of playback sources, giving a fresh perspective each switch and adjustments through these moves help with the translation of the music - Try constantly switching your listening system every half hour or so 10:34 - Tip #13. Mix at a low volume (conversational volume; being able to hear conversations through the playback sound or yourself) - Reduce ear fatigue 11:14 - Tip #14. Take regular breaks - Time away from the mix allows you to come back with fresh ears physically and mentally (reduce ear fatigue and maintain objectivity) 11:41 - Tip #15. Assume that the volume automation is needed (Volume automation is necessary for perfect volume balance) - There is no need to go through every channel but to pay attention to the volume balance when going through different sections of the mix, listening out for things that are sticking out or too quiet, and reduce the whole section 12:42 - Tip #16. You don't need expensive plug-ins - Even if you're not happy with your mixes, plug-ins won't fix it - When you are at the point where your mix sounds awesome and you're looking to get that final 10% of quality, start something about premium plugins - Even then, be very careful since it's an easy trap to fall into because researching plug-ins, installing, learning the plug-ins, and having too much choice is very time-consuming to take the creativity out Extra thoughts: create a workflow, a set of plug-ins that you use to start your work and automate it so that you can take more creativity out when mixing and try other plug-ins that interest you in your free time (never during the mix), looking for opportunities to improve your mix

[@hyun1874]

Excelente tips, and I'm amazed by how easy the video was. All the basics were covered nicely. Thanks for the video!

[@paolo1334]

Thank god for people like you who actually know what they’re talking about and being willing to share their wisdom without a cost.

[@benny_ey]

Probably the most honest video about production I watched so far ... finally

[@gentlemans.guidance365]

Good luck to ALL inspiring artists.

[@PureAmbientDrone]

#11 with 6 fingers on the right hand LOL 8:32

[@infinityhighway5092]

I'm gonna say, "no fuckin way? Really?", now, and then go check, and then I'll brb and comment like, "holy shit" or something after.. hehehe. Hang on, I'll brb...

[@infinityhighway5092]

Pure Ambient Drone Awwwwww holy fuck balls! What the fucking shit was that? Oh damn holy damn shit funny bean fingers in the city Batman!!! But wait, there's more.. Uh... Not really though... Wtf didn't they put the extra one on the port side, I wonder? Like, that would be more "handy" if he was a guitarist, but then again, maybe he is all about the quantity, than the quality huh?.. ehhh, Ma, who gnoes such things eNaways?

[@Jaywillalways]

i had to rewinf the whole video to make sure i wasn't tripping.... he had 11 finger on that screen.

[@djmaestro249]

goddamit lol I never noticed that, good 4 u brother lol

[@clemalford9768]

That was a stick on finger, maybe his dick!!!

[@randyh3761]

I think treating recording as part of mixing is also an important part of it - not just getting 'good quality' recordings, but understanding how things are recorded. Review the frequency response (and bass proximity effect) of your mics, understand what frequency peaks and nulls you're getting from the room (it can and does affect what is recorded, even close mic'd). Use a mic that fits the singer/situation before grabbing the mic that is the most expensive or cliche. Understand that due to room and mic response, there is also some significant eq happening. Also, don't be ashamed of your cheap gear - learn how to use it well, and you'll find that it's often already way higher quality (s/n ratio or freq response-wise) than you'd ever need.

[@masteringcom]

Love it! Totally agree!

[@zuider77]

Soooooo true! If you record with the end result in mind you've already done most of the hard work of mixing.

[@arcticturd4969]

I love your videos man great work. I’m taking your class tomorrow morning I can’t wait!

[@judithvoiceandpiano]

I just started,icing my music again after years of a break and not ever really knowing how to. BUT, you are just a MASTER in explaining things very clearly and understandable! Thank you A MILLION TIMES! Bless, Judith

[@andromedasmoons3647]

the cooking metaphor at the beginning was great

[@jakobole]

Panning in mono can help find the sweet-pan-spot for the instrument - it'll "pop-out" when it's "there"

[@JiihaaS]

I'm curious, what exactly does this mean and how does it work?

[@jakobole]

@@JiihaaS switch to mono monitoring, pan the signal around till it sounds the best.

[@JiihaaS]

@@jakobole But if you're monitoring in mono, how can you hear the difference when panning?

[@jakobole]

@@JiihaaS try it. You can. It'll change in level.

[@JiihaaS]

@@jakobole Ah I see. But I think how this works depends on which pan law is applied. It may differ between DAWs / mixers, and in some cases panning with mono monitoring doesn't change the level at all. This is an interesting idea though, and I should give it a try.

[@Sleepingwiththefisheszzzz]

I needed this, i feel like Ive been going in circles with mixing

[@masteringcom]

Hope this helps Nate!

[@mahines2290]

Nice video! Thanks for the helpful advice. I’ve been live mixing for 14 years and just recently at a point in life where I realize that there is still so much more to learn after picking up pieces here and there and not having official training from an expert. Audio has become a huge passion and I’m interested in explosively learning more in months to come. Keep up the great work! Studio work is just another level of greatness and attention to fine details and I am interested in moving that way.

[@ucn3683]

As a producer of 41 years, awesome tips for beginners!🤫🧏🏽

[@JussBRAVOofficial]

THX bro - been rappin for like 14 yrs and juss been self-producing for about a month... it can get tuff but with DEDICATION we gonn SHINE!!! 🎵💪

[@koraiki11]

I really really like the content of the video. Thank you so much.

[@Deezystep]

Thanks for all these awesome mixing tips man!! Hella appreciate you #audiosquad

[@grizelda4526]

Boom. Knowledge bomb. Thank you.

[@theankitnagar]

Man, thank you so much. I have a song that I am about to release and I had finished the mix down today. And then I came across this and it has really helped open my eyes cause you have given such practical advice. It all makes perfect sense. I'm gonna start my mixing again from scratch and keep these tips in mind. Thanks a ton!

[@gabrielnavarro749]

I've been learning how to record/mix on my own for 3 months with very little research. I noticed I was already doing some of these things but it is always good to know why and to get some extra helpful tips. Awesome, thanks for the sheet btw

[@masteringcom]

Glad to help!

[@JussBRAVOofficial]

same here bro - been rappin for like 14 yrs and juss been self-producing for about a month... it gets tuff but with DEDICATION we gonn SHINE!!! 🎵💪

[@Sanctorum1]

Nice tips, thank you for ponting them up :)

[@masteringcom]

Anytime! 😁

[@tristantrey]

One of the most well-deserved likes I've given

[@masteringcom]

What's your biggest mixing tip?

[@ozymandias2726]

To use a spectrum analyser showing you the different section of your mix with different colors (use something like voxengo span to do so) Of course you should still rely on your ears and make the effort to listen. But using that spectrum analyser in conjunction with critical listening is really useful, all the more when you can see how the different section of your songs interact with each other. Also very useful to analyse stems and reference mixes.

[@ozymandias2726]

Another tip as a bonus : you can produce at night but you should always mix during the day it's a biological thing

[@ralfnolte174]

Lowcut the hack out of each and every channel, except for those where you REALLY need Bass. Make 120Hz Lowcut the default. On real drums use the overheads as a timebase and get the snare (even the bleed on the other drummics) in phase (delay and/or phaseflip the other chanels) to match the overheads. Leave the roommics (if any) as they are.

[@beelrustle2621]

make sure its worth mixing before you spend the 25hrs on it haha

[@iamdeejaymelody]

i'd suggest you to make the default 30hz and then decide where you need to cut more

[@HamzaKhan000]

this is the most clearest explanation on mixing. Truly helpful. much love and blessings to you.

[@benchavarria]

Seriously, one of the best videos on how to do anything!! Please do more. Do them about anything, you’ll have everyone watching again and again. Amazing video. Good job team! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@masteringcom]

Thanks Ben!

[@Somnic]

Thanks for a really helpful video man :) Appriciate all the tips

[@doc.skillz7166]

Something thats very important, know your genre and whats most dominant about your genre, get the most dominant part right first. For example, I do HipHop. With HipHop, the most important part of the mix is the beat(specifically the snare) and the vocals. So what I do is turn up the snare first, to quite a loud volume, like almost to the point where its too loud, then follow with the vocals, then the kicks and percussion, then fit everything else in. Always focus on dominant sounds first because if you focus on other things first, it will be hard to get the dominant parts to really pop if you dont create enough headroom, then you might have to redo most of the mix.

[@masteringcom]

Great tip!

[@Pcatt]

Good stuff I love the tips!

[@davidtroia1010]

I think you nailed it.....mixing at a comfortable low volume and using reference mixes!

[@jrhager84]

As a mixer of over 10 years, I fully agree with EVERYTHING that you've said here, and I'm so glad that you've taken the time to explain why it *should* matter, as I was an idiot that didn't think it did, and I suffered for years because of my own hubris (I don't need a ref track. I will get the balance perfect w/ no automation). I was a fool, and I'm so glad people are here now to explain why it's a good idea, and you're not 'lesser' for using refs or that you don't need anything other than stock plugins to get a solid track. Keep rockin' dude!

[@masteringcom]

Appreciate your thoughts! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@44gg37]

Editing game on point 👌

[@TruQinG]

Got a whole page of notes off this, thank you my man

[@masteringcom]

Awesome!

[@JaneDoe-zo9jb]

Well damn. Mixing at low volumes was such an eye opener for me. I always mix loud and my mixes sound very limp at lower levels. I tried that today plus your "check if you're actually improving the sound by bypassing lots of times and closing your eyes" and I was very surprised at what I actually ended up keeping. I was eq-ing and compressing everything without improving the sound. Also turns out I had the instruments too low, and then I was overcompressing the voice to compensate, which of course made it sound weak and limp. Today I tried lots of volume automation on my very dynamic voice and I turned the instruments way up and already it sounds loads better. Thank you for the great tips, you're spot on.

[@masteringcom]

Awesome! So glad we could help.

[@CubReaf]

What a great video ! Very clear and more than useful, it's essential. Thank you very much

[@DanielDeakin]

you really are on a mission, that was literally a perfect video. makes other vids seem like a waste of time! subscribed!

[@rodriguez63]

Trust your instincts and your Ears...and...your taste

[@js100serch]

Mixing in Mono really does make a difference.

[@briandunham3093]

First of all, these are all excellent tips. If I were to add a #17 I'd say: be organized. Sort and declutter your plugins folder, create project templates, and keep your outboard gear organized and easily accessible. It's amazing how much time it can save you.

[@masteringcom]

Great tip!

[@JiihaaS]

Yes! Also try to document what you're doing, while you're doing it, so later on you know exactly what's been done and why. Sometimes a project is so big I'm struggling to remember something I did to it yesterday.

[@audioworks247]

Thank you for you tips as mixing in my opinion is an ongoing learning experience. The main one that you discussed is the (MONO MIXING) AND CHECKING THAT MIX IN MONO. It is imperative I think as a great Mono Mix usually always makes a great Stereo Outcome or result. I have heard beautiful mixes only to engage the Mono Button only to go,, Looky, Looky. What I discovered was that something either disappears, or something or an element jumps out too loud and other things that make you go, What Happened? Great Tutorial for seasoned engineers as well as beginners. Thanks a million.

[@JibberJabJones]

i've seen many different approaches on the subject of mixing in mono. a lot of other people say check periodically, rather than mixing predominantly in mono. also, waves InPhase is your friend. if you mono the mix and something disappears, you can redeem it while still maintaining the stereo effect by using the plugin to bring the left and right channels back into phase. it's pretty magical.

[@dnny9486]

Thank you !

[@MinisterCrowley]

Use head phones and the solo mode to clean up imperfections in individual tracks.But never mix in solo mode .Mixing solo tracks individually is a big mistake i see a lot of beginners doing. I will be your Ed McMahon you are correct sir.

[@EddyDucreoMusic]

Awesome stuff man! :D Superb! You got a new subbie here. :) Thanks for these tips!

[@masteringcom]

Glad we could help!

[@hardrod6989]

The best video on mixing ever. I appreciate your generosity to share your knowledge and experience. Thanks mate!

[@Mopsie]

I’m glad I bought one of your tutorials a few years back, you deserve it!

[@attentionlabel]

I thought this was going to be about mixing cocktails 😢

[@alessandrodavoli9016]

XD

[@MikeInsanity]

Attention is your real name😂😂Mr Bartender💪

[@poulwinther]

At least some of the tips still apply: Start with good ingredients and take regular breaks. Especially if you're mixing your own cocktails.

[@naomisalama430]

"get it right at the source", "get the balance right", "focus on key elements",... ;) Works there too ;) And take regular breaks, especially if mixing for yourself ;)

[@naomisalama430]

@@poulwinther god damnit didn't read your comment first before reply to the original, you beat me to saying that

[@Jenalgo]

Here's the only tip a KZbinr needs in order to make a video about mixing tips. Don't assume we all mix rock music. You keep mentioning: drums, a bass guitar, a lead guitar, a vocalist. I wish my projects were as simple as that. That said, I was buoyed up to find that I have independently discovered for myself all of the items you mention. And I agree whole-heartedly that these are extremely important factors. So I can confirm that you have probably assembled the most important 16 tips possible. I know this because I found myself repeatedly nodding my head.

[@masteringcom]

Good point! Thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@dennisvanopstal7360]

I am into electronic music, hardcore techno. Its easy to translate these tips to other genres. Drums and bass guitar take the space that the kickdrum alone takes in Hardcore techno. In drum and bass and dubstep its the snare, kick and wobble basses or reese basses that take up that space. He talks from his experience and his background and you translate it to yours. If you dont hold on to much to the words you can apply these tips to all genres.

[@Jenalgo]

No. That is incorrect. You have made the same mistake as this youtuber, and most others too. You are into a genre of music that is similar in instrumentation to most others, though different of course in how it sounds. It's the instrumentation similarity that enables you to make that statement. More complex projects yield very different challenges.

[@Jenalgo]

Did you pick random words from a dictionary, fool? You felt a need to comment but sadly your brain is devoid of intelligent content.

[@Jenalgo]

You have copied some random phrases from wikipedia. You are using words and phrases you don't understand, but wish you did. You are a moron.

[@DavidHudson]

Loving Mike Shinoda at 2:58.

[@nickperryproductions]

THE biggest tip I learned in the short time I have been mixing, saturation is the best way to make the sound you want louder. Turn it down so I can turn it up is what I say!

[@nlbeast1929]

thought it would be clickbait, but dude u just give some gold tips! Really appreciate this thanks!

[@masteringcom]

Our pleasure!