Top Mix Tip: Using Reference Tracks - Warren Huart: Produce Like A Pro

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Warren discusses the importance of using reference tracks when mixing. He offers his top 3 tips for effectively utilizing reference tracks.
Content:
00:52 - Get a High Quality Rough Mix From Artists.
04:19 - Reference Your Previous Mixes.
05:45 - Use Other People's Mixes.
09:35 - Level Match Your References.
Ian Shepherd's Perception - www.meterplugs.com/perception
AB Level Matching - www.tb-software.com/TBProAudio...
Produce Like A Pro is a website which features great tips to help the beginning recordist make incredible sounding home recordings on a budget.

[@marx3110]

it's so awesome when you thank your subscribers...we should be thanking you!!!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Marx Daphinis Aw shucks! Thanks very much for your kind words I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@RubyRupendar]

Produce Like A Pro u r my god.. u r giving life to people out there.. :) u r one in a million

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Ruby Rupendar Aw shucks!! Thanks very much for your kind words I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@ricofivekay6562]

+Marx Daphinis So true. WH is the best for doing this.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Rico Fivekay Thanks very much for your kind words I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@TimeMarchesOn]

I like just hearing Warren say Marvellous.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +TimeMarchesOnBand Haha thanks very much!! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a MARVELLOUS time recording, many thanks Warren

[@tekis0]

+Produce Like A Pro No it's "mahvellous."

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +tekis0 Haha great! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@aries4973]

Such great and sound advice. You provide the important details that are often overlooked when mixing. I truly appreciate your wealth of knowledge being shared with everyone. Thanks brother Warren!

[@BrockBarr]

The presence of the vocals and the space and dimension in the mixes of Daniel Lanois are a constant source of inspiration for me. Maybe a video on production styles could be in order for the future Warren?

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Brock Barr Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Yes Daniel is extremely talented! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@dropsphere]

As always, Warren, Thank You. I have started incorporating reference tracks of artists I like. Also I have recently been re-recording and mixing tracks that I had done years ago (in my infancy when I didn't know what I didn't know) and it has been a wonderful experience to apply all the wonderful knowledge I have culled throughout the years from people such as yourself. Now I am finally "beating" those original/naive mixes. I also took notice that you touched on the point of not getting so focused on one small part of the mix that you lose sight of the broader picture. This in itself could make for a wonderful future video relating mixing to painting (ha again I bring it back to illustration) Have a wonderful thanksgiving. I know all of us here are grateful for your generous knowledge. Peace,

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Christopher Sahlin Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Fantastic to hear you;re growing as a mixer!! Yes it does take time, even the bog mixers if you go back to their earlier work it;'s not that great! They just were afforded many chances that don't exist anymore! So we have to work hard ourselves to improve every day! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@dropsphere]

As a singer/Musician Songwriter, I discovered Garageband in '05 and dove in head first knowing not one thing about mixing. I was painting with sound and no boundries. Completely technically/sonically wrong, but it had a beauty and life to it. As time went on, I soaked up everything I could about the "Rules" of mixing and applied them... my mixes started sounding dull and lifeless and flat. What was wrong? I am now finally able to understand the delicate balance of knowledge, talent and vision and apply it in a way that creates the wonderful depth and emotion I had when I dove in as a novice. I can now paint the picture I hear in my head... thinking less and relying on instinct, ears and heart. Not constantly watching the meters. Knowledge is king, but it;s important to stay in the mind of the novice every day. Thanks Warren have a wondrfully Thankful Day! Maybe you could do a piece on the processes some of us have gone through on this journey of being self taught.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Christopher Sahlin Great comment! Yes agreed, the biggest message I could give away is stand back, listen to the mix as a whole!! All the technical advice is useful, but that's the biggest one I know! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@JLKProductions1]

Love Love LOVE your videos ...Thank you so much for sharing with us what you are so GREAT at and so passionate about!! Your tutorials are down to earth, your methods are sound and advice is out standing. Love this video a lot ... Helped me immensely.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much JLK Productions! I'm so glad to be able to help!

[@mrjackieson]

Great episode, Warren. I use Magic AB plugin for referencing. Something else that's really worked for me is when the artist told me that I'd nailed a mix on one of the songs, I pulled it into Magic AB to use as a template while mixing all of the other songs. It helped me keep everything consistent: the low end, snare, vocal, etc. When I got finished, everything sounded competitive and sounded like it was from the same album. This completely cut out multiple mix revisions when we started mastering.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Jackie Baker That's a truly fantastic tip!! Thanks very much for sharing that with us!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@hazybrain7]

Thanks so much Warren. The only thing I could add for myself is to get your monitors and room sounding as neutral and as great as you can with all kinds of material and then just go for it mix wise. I think ref mixes can both inspire and stifle.. the boundary is not really clear...

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +hazybrain7 Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Yes there might be some people who don't relate to using ref mixes, I'm only sharing what the mixers I've worked with , such as Pensado, Mark Endert, CLA etc do. Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@LAstudio8]

Thank you Warren. Another inspirational video. I've been watching your video's every day. I guess I'm a fan! :)

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +LAstudio8 Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@SXTransmission]

I set up a track in Reaper, level match it, then there is a command to set the track as the reference, which I combine with an action to take the compressor etc off my mix buss. Works well, I find the main thing for me is not so much to match or even beat (a good aim for sure), but to have the overall change not to be jarring or way off. I'm not so sure about the bass response of my speakers, so referencing is helpful there. I'm working on a plugin to do not just plain A/B but A/B/C etc.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Punk Duck Reaper just seems to have a lot of great functions!!! Thanks very much for this information I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@3leggedcat]

I'm always using a reference track in when mixing, quite a bit at the start then again at the end when fine tuning mostly.. Also just put on good records all the time in my control room to get an idea of how they sound in my speakers, usually when tidying up or doing maintenance... Great videos, thanks very much.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Sam Buckley Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Agreed surround yourself with amazing music!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@castlestudios8767]

Thanks again for the awesome video! Always looking forward to one of your videos coming out!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +CastleStudios Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@CarcPazu]

Those are great tips. I've heard others say similar things on other channel but Warren explains it very well and clearly. I didn't used a reference on my previous mix and I regret it today. On my current project, I will reference it, especially against the previous mix, which I know it will beat but by how much I'm curious. Good stuff!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +CarcPazu Wow!! Thanks very much for your kind words I really appreciate it! Thanks you very much for your positive support, insights and general awesomeness!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@Ajmartinez]

great stuff Warren! thank you for your time making great videos .

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Allan Martinez Thanks very much for your kind words I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@capturelightmedia]

As usual, Warren, great stuff!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Jared Pennock Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@MrChiboiborn]

this is something that I struggle with putting into practice and its resonating this time around. thanks Warren

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +MrChiboiborn Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Glad to be able to help! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@tompaplayguitar]

Great videos, great advices...I've learned so much from your tutorials, thank You for sharing your knowlegde with us....cheers from Croatia. Tompa

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +tompavz Aw shucks!! Thanks very much for your kind words I really appreciate it! So glad to be able to help!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@toddpurnick]

It's good to hear that it's acceptable to reference similar material. I do it because I only have my computer speakers and it helps me to at least know that I'm somewhat in the ball park. Thanks again Warren!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +todd purnick That sounds perfect! Agreed if you're just using computer speakers you need that validation that you are doing the right thing when they can't reproduce all the lows you need! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@SLAMSTERDAMN]

Great fundamental points, Sir, very much enjoy your vids, I'm old school analog intern from the early '90's, So your covering the old hardware besides plugins is excellent, thx much. Your points on referencing are REALLY a big deal when it comes to musical scores in movies & other audio+visual projects!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +SLAMSTERDAMN Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@JohnWallsrockmusic]

We appreciated to you Warren. Thanks for lot for the inspiring content. Best regards from Spain

[@tomogh311]

This is great Warren. So overlooked!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Thomas Hennessey Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@Homestudiosimplifed]

You have stepped in my toes! Ouch! Thank you, I needed that. Great stuff Warren.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Robert McClellan Haha so glad to be able to help! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@jarcau_vegan]

Thank you for these videos!

[@Mr.kobemane]

Thank you so much!!! watching your videos has been so inspiring to me, and I've learned so much!!! Now I'm a better Mixer/Producer and your student!!! :D

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Mosqueda Music Aw shucks!! Thanks very much for your kind words I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@TruthMusicStudios]

Awesome tips. Thank you

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Truth Music (Studio) Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@thetacortex7959]

Thanks a lot for this video, I just recently started doing this and it has helped me tremendously. One thing I am currently doing is using slightly different genres to get unique mixes... for hard rock songs I like to use popular DNB songs that are well produced there are a lot of really big and thick sounds (like drums) that translate well into modern rock / electro-rock

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Daniel Davis Fantastic! Thanks for your insight! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@ferdvs8483]

Thanks so much Warren... You really rocks!!!! You've become a reference Master.... Thanks again

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Ferd! Marvellous!

[@DaveS-B]

I've just recently started using Melda Productions MCompare - which lets you load up and compare reference tracks, and also does (automatic if you want) level matching (like Magic AB). It also lets you compare different stages of processing, like Ian Shepherd's Perception plugin that you mentioned, so you can compare (level matched) before/after a mastering chain, for example. Best of all worlds (and still only $30ish)!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Dave Sunerton-Burl Wow that's exceptional value for money!! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@JakeSharpProfoundStudio]

Great tips. Thank you oh so much, Warren!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Jake Sharp (ProfoundStudio) Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! So glad to be able to help! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@DonCarleoneh]

very useful tip for those who are starting at this world!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Charly Leon Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@noisesoundtonevibe]

Very important stuff, I'm glad you talked about referencing. Maybe in a future video you could show us how you do it and what you listen for... Thanks Warren!

[@noisesoundtonevibe]

+noisesoundtonevibe By the way I have a "Ref" track in my Mix template with a bunch of songs from different genres and eras in the active playlists. That gives me a good starting point. So if I'm mixing jazz, I'll pull up a Miles Davis song from the Ref track, or a Pat Metheny song, if it's a folk-ish mix I might pull up a Neil Young song, etc... They're already in the session so I'm not wasting any time. Just thought I'd share the tip if anyone finds it useful.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +noisesoundtonevibe Definitely! Agreed! That's a fantastic idea! Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@Producelikeapro]

Always a good day when you can use Miles Davis as a reference! Marvellous!

[@Nathankaye]

Really awesome tips! Reference tracks are probably the thing I've struggled most with in mixing my own music. Finding the right tunes to correspond with other people's tracks tend to be a lot easier than mine, probably mostly because I feel I'm just too close to my own music (but also because I incorporate exotic instruments that I play, like Australian didgeridoo, Turkish Cümbüs, etc). This tip helps a lot! Thanks mate!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Nathan Kaye Great! So glad to be able to help! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren

[@jamesthebuilder1893]

warren I love your channel!!1 thanks so much...you do a great job!!!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Jameson Miles Wow thanks!! You Rock! Thanks very much for your kind words I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@mikegibbons3520]

Thank you Warren for the good advice .I took your advice about get one of a high quality something and got the slate plugin bundle with some great stuff for 25 bucks a month and it has really jumped up my game.I can't afford the gear and to buy the plugin out right is out of my reach but 25 bucks a month and I get this bundle with one really cool mix buss with at the gear plugins on the left and you add what you want .Getting a reference is something I need to start doing since I have a hard time some times knowing what direction the artist wants the song to go

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Mike Gibbons so glad to be able to help! The Slate deal is pretty darn sweet!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@pascalhaux]

I Love the perception plugin is a nice one thanks for you´r nice work

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +P. Records Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Yes great plug in! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@MrBam79]

Very informative video, thanks! Have to say, though... the Dave Pensado/Daniel Powter story at 8:22 sounded a bit like when you're trying to open a jar but can't, so you hand it to someone else and they open it really easily, and you say "yeah, I loosened it for you". 😂

[@Greenleaf3791]

Thank you for this great video. Lot of awesome information. I'd like to add one more little thing that I like to do. Obviously, every artist and producer wants their songs to be played on the radio, so I always ask them if there is any particular radio station that they want to target. then I'll have a look at that radio station most recent playlist, listen to a few songs there and then switch to the song I'm working on. Then I can check how the song fits with the rest of the modern songs on the radio. I'm doing it also because there are certain radio stations that are not bound to only 1 type of music (especially when you live in a small country where there are not many radio stations in the first place) so the song will have to compete with all the other songs on that radio. I think you get my point. Have a wonderful day =)

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Greenleaf3791 Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Fantastic insight!! I really appreciate you sharing that information!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@Greenleaf3791]

You're welcome. I really enjoy your videos and sharing my ideas with people who are also passionate about audio production. Have a wonderful day =)

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Greenleaf3791 Fantastic!! I really appreciate your kind words!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@piotr.soton88]

Hello Warren! Amazing video as always! It there any chance u could make us tutorial about heavy rock rhythm guitars please? Im realy interested how u make it sound big without loosing too much dynamics...

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Piotr Borkowski Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Yes definitely! I just worked with a Polish Rock Band called Snakebite, they had some great heavy rock rhythms! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@taxmoneyyy]

Very nice Warren, I agree 100% with what you said. Sometimes I'd reference my mix against a commercial mix that I think is a fit for that type of song I'm working on, and it would come great only at certains listening levels. Perhaps something to be added to what you said is : reference your mixes at different listening volumes, with the best of your attention focused on the lower ones, and see how your work survives the comparison. Cheers

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Tax Money Great tip there!! I really appreciate your insight!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@mycbeats1276]

Sample Magic's AB is a great plugin for this its the last plugin on my mixbus and holds 12 songs that fall within the different styles I typically work in. It also has metering and level matching functionalities, one of the best 30$ I've ever spent.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Faraz Abtahi Thanks very much for your great tip I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@RiotHomeRecording]

I enjoy all your videos, thank you, what makes a mix professional? At what point do you look at your mix and say, that's a professional mix.

[@Producelikeapro]

HI +Steve Antoniazzi Professional? That's a huge question! I honestly think Professional would be boring and flat! I want 'exciting'!! So mix it until it feels like it's jumping out of the speakers! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

Thanks, Warren, for yet another great insightful video! I use reference mixes all the time. I still always have to figure out how to get there, not to mention doing better. My main issue with lots of mixes (including successful artists) are the drums. I think they are very hard to get just right. I often mix stuff with complex horn arrangements and backing vocals with very little space for the drums to "breathe" except for, say fills or pickups after a stop/ breakdown (this is usually where automation regarding room and reverb levels etc. comes in). Mixing is a lot about problem solving. Even if we have great reference mixes with many problems solved, we still need to know how these problems were solved. A mix is never just the sum of its parts. I think the "next level" is always the step after problem solving. I usually mix my own productions - so I don't get good rough mixes. I am often having a hard time convincing musicians not to use the amp they brought with them (many younger folks - jazz/funk/blues players especially - seem to love really crappy cheap solid state or "digital" stuff, calling an awesome vintage tube amp - even when the style calls exactly for that - "old school" in a negative way. It gets worse: if you use the crappy amp and play it back, they blame the horrible sound on you - turning the tables!!! - happens with many colleagues just the same). Don't get me started on keyboard sounds. I had to drag many a keyboarder to a real grand in pristine condition, even though their digital keyboard sound clearly tried to emulate exactly that..... Oh well. Yep: it all starts at the source. Fixing it later is almost always a compromise. It is indeed extremely important to think in context. Some instruments sound awesome when listened to in solo - just to vanish into mud (or sticking out their ugly overtones, attacks or resonances) within the mix. Thanks again for sharing your great insight!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Christian Schonberger Thanks very much I really appreciate it! I agree 100%!! If you can get the drums and vocals right almost everything falls into place!! Horns are fun, I occasionally distort them lightly, also on a sax I'll use a little dirty slap just to give it some edge and energy! Agreed get the source sound right and life gets easier when you mix! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

+Produce Like A Pro Warren, yep: I made the exact same experience with the vocals. These need a lot of attention and work - after all the vocalist is the "communicator" and the focal point of a song. For the last album I did with a 5 piece horn section I used large diaphragm condensers on the saxes and simple SM 57s on trumpet and trombone which work perfectly for me. I didn't have any plugin that I really liked to add that little extra grit, so we ran the final mixes through a recently serviced Studer A80 with 1/2in fresh tape at 15 ips speed (except for the quieter parts where tape hiss became too much audible) and hit it real hard, just before the sound collapses. That made all the difference. I guess as we speak, tape simulation (I was unimpressed with what I had about two years ago) has finally "gotten there" and without undesired tape hiss. Thanks to your channel I know about plugins which provide very convincing overdrive for the different tracks. Sure enough: I always use large amounts of parallel distortion on the snare. Since I am crazy enough to chop up the drum tracks (cut out toms and snare single hits - works IMHO better than gating especially when you have cymbal wash or hard crash hits in places), I definitely need to try out the recent Drumatom plugin which might be great to reduce drum mic leakage without compromising the signal and phase. Just thought I'd throw that one in. :-) Just sharing my thoughts. Always open to new suggestions. That's why I'm here. Thanks so much, Warren!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Christian Schonberger Great stuff! I have a Studer A80 here at my Studio! Truly blessed! A find a combination of a great class A mic pre with Transformers and discrete electronics plus some additional dirt during the mix stage really helps!! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@NicroticSouls]

Warren...thank you!!! as always you rock! Hey.....any news on our next mix contest?

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Paul Gioia Haha I'm plowing through them! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@jefflondon251]

Warren have you ever used mix craft Pro 7 ? The cool thing about this DAW is you get a lot of free pug-ins with it

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +jeff London I haven't! Sounds pretty cool though! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@nextradioagency2622]

Hello Warren, your videos are priceless! Question: What are you thoughts on Compression vs Limiting? Lately we have been committing to compression out of the box when mixing/tracking, just a enough to gently even out the tracks. When do feel limiting can be an effective approach as far as patching it on a buss/group? Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Chris Hovsepian

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Next Radio Agency Great question! Yes I employ compression on my mix and only use limiting when mastering! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@RubyRupendar]

i love u da dae.. mass mixing tips super

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Ruby Rupendar Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@HarteMusic]

Quick question Warren - You say about getting a rough mix from the client, but what if you've recorded the client yourself? Thanks, Simon.

[@Producelikeapro]

Great question! If it's my recording then I use previous mixes I'm happy with and reference tracks!

[@stevehenderson679]

Hi warran Marvelous vid thanks for your time , quick question , when you've finished your mix and are ready to send to be mastered , do you send it as a stereo mix ? Or do you send the full mix with all the tracks? Cheers

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Steve Henderson Great question! I just send the final mixed stereo file to the mastering engineer. Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@erkamau9629]

Hi Warren thanks for your skill sharing, just two question: is it possible to build, via Group buses in the DAW, an alternative "Perception system" for loudness matching ? The loudness matching question works at two levels: one to check the right gain staging in a FX plugin chain for a single channel, other for referencing our mix/master with a target great song. Other example whe we want to use a song as reference for the other songs of the same album to match the volume of the several songs. Is it possible to use a single plugin (or system custom Group in the Daw, playing with bypass on/off) to solve all these issues ? Bluecat seems useful for matching loudness for a single plugin, perception for reference song, but different needs. I am bit confused... :-) Have a nice day

[@oscarkoronka456]

Hey Warren, many people cite Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name as the best mixed rock song ever, do you agree? If not, what would you cite as your 'perfect mix'? Also, if there was one thing you would characterise as your 'signature move' when it comes to mixing (I.e. Something you love in a track that we would hear in a song and think "that's warren!") what would you say it was? Many thanks for the wonderful tips! Oscar

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Oscar Koronka Wow that's a huge question! I would agree that the intro to 'Killing In The Name' is absolutely incredible!! As far as my signature move..hmmm..getting the vocals to sit perfectly in the mix! The artists I've mixed, Aerosmith, The Fray, Ace Frehley (currently as I type mixing his latest album) all love my vocal sound! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren

[@billyrubin9461]

I've read that some mixers use "end stop markers" reference tracks.Meaning they listen to one record where they know it's really bass heavy and when they exceeded that kind of low end they tame the low end back. Or the other way round: Listening to a record with a lot of high end and compari g their work to it.Do you reference like that and if so do yiu recommend any tracks in this regard ? Billy

[@Producelikeapro]

Interesting! I have never tried that, I only use mixes I know sounding amazing everywhere and recreate that feeling!

[@Akashsama]

Love your videos Warren! Very helpful. Btw your voice and accent (especially on the last word of every of your sentences) remind me of NBC's Hannibal Lecter. lol

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Akash-sama Haha that's scary! Over here he's American, I'm English! Haha Glad you love the videos!! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@guitargalaxy333]

Great Info...Thanks Again.!!! BTW your studio tours are awesome !!! Would luv to get a tour / interview of Tom Scholz ... ? Just a thought

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Paul Bryson That would be AMAZING!! Tom Scholtz is a huge pioneer!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@guitargalaxy333]

+Produce Like A Pro Absolutely !!! Let Me Know if you need a second camera angle for that one ... Lol

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Paul Bryson Haha yes indeed!! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@ruidossantos7661]

Hi Warren, this might be an elementary question, but as I plan on engaging with a Pro Studio for my Mixes, I wanna be sure I'm giving them the right stuff. Right, as I produce, there is an element of Mixing I will be doing of course, now when I send my song off to the Studio to be mixed, I send a Mastered Track for reference right, but then the stems i send through must that be the mixdown stem of all that I have put on that track or the Raw Track with nothing on it?? Because it's possible that the Studio might have the Plug in's I use or not..... is that something I should check first? (Provided we are both using the same DAW of course)

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Rui Dos Santos Firstly I would find out what DAW they are using, also I would directly to the mix engineer and found out what he requires from you specifically. Thanks very much for your great comment I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@ruidossantos7661]

Makes Sense! Thanks!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Rui Dos Santos You're welcome! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@jaybones7492]

Hey Warren ! I love your videos :) I have some questions for you if you could answer I would be soooo grateful ! I have been recording on my iPhone's GarageBand app and having lots of fun ! It's very convenient . I bought an apogee mic 96k condenser mic that plugs right in . Anyway . My question is this . Can I get pro results on an iPhone ? I think it sounds good until I reference other stuff I like . The pro stuff sounds so real and full . I have a computer with GarageBand also . Would that give me better results ?

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Jaybones74 Great question! You can et great results on Garageband! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren

[@jaybones7492]

+Produce Like A Pro I have been comparing my stuff to pro stuff like Seether . It's not even close to as full sounding. My question is should I use the computer version of GarageBand for better results or could I be doing something wrong. My dry vocal tracks don't seem to stand on there own . The Seether recordings vocals seem to be dry and occupy a specific space like the singer is right on the other side of the speaker . Lol ! I know he's not :) Anyway ! Are those tracks possibly one track and dry just eq'd well ? An example I guess would be a song called weak or a song called fur cue or their cover of careless whisper . Any help is appreciated ! I love this stuff !!!!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Jaybones74 The Seether recordings probably have a lot of processing on the vocals to get them full and upfront! You can do this with the compression and EQ. Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren

[@larrytate1657]

Warren I'm not too sure about going in and manually automating drum tracks to get rid of bleed from unintended other drum sounds that bled onto another drums mic. Is it ok to just use gates on everything on my drums? Leaving it the way it naturally recorded with the drums bled in isn't really a good idea right? Thanks in advance.

[@Producelikeapro]

HI +Larry Tate Thanks for the great question! I do automate the toms hits because I can control how they sound much easier that way! However on average drum track that might take me 10 mins and is guaranteed to sound great every time where gates tend to need a lot of adjustment for variable hits and in the long run takes me a lot longer to get sounding right! I wouldn;t do any automation on any other drums unless there was a huge issue I had to control! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren

[@larrytate1657]

Thanks for feedback. So it's not too much to worry bout on the kick and snare buts worth the time on the toms.cool. I see this one engineer that's crazy over drummers keeping their hats way up high away from the snare to help reduce hi hats bleeding into the snare mic. He's got drummers looking a bit uncomfortable with their hats way high. What are your thoughts on this? Is it rly a big deal if a lil hats bleed into the snare? Is it worth me being uncomfortable playing over or can it just be automated out easily enough?

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Larry Tate If you can gently raise the hats as much as you can to try and reduce the bleed into the snare! Most session drummers keep them quite high. Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren

[@jupitergiant1417]

Hi Warren! it's me again , again with a question :P you say to reference other mixes, and i think noone can't agree, but my question is: what about the fact that all we can grab outside our studio is well polished and (in some genres like heavy metal and extremes fringes of electro) heavily mastered? do you have any tips on...let's say discern, or in fact ignore, what has been achieved by the mastering process, therefore to be considered beyond our "mixing goal" and what should be the real "limit" while mixing? thanks again!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Jupiter Giant Great question! If you match the levels of a mastered track you should be fine, yes the master will have some limiting on it, but I would still use it as a reference track and frankly that's what all mixers do! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren

[@djvidio9018]

Great advice as always- Thanks again Warren! I was wondering- what's your take on printing a single track w/ processing / effects - and then going back and re-running it through another stack? I find that I have to do this almost all the time to get the "BIG" kind of sound I'm usually looking for out a sample. Also, is there anywhere you could recommend getting multi-tracks cheap/free to practice on? I'm not sure if it's just MY recordings, but for some reason or another, I can almost never match that "radio" kind of tight sound. If not - any tips? Thanks again - as always - much appreciated. - Brad Donohoo -

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +DJ VIDIO Great question! If you sign up at my website www.producelikeapro.com you'll get two free multitrack to use for free forever! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@djvidio9018]

Thanks! Will do man. I was also wondering- what's your take on printing a single track w/ processing / effects - and then going back and re-running it through another stack?

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +DJ VIDIO I mean try it and see, personally I wouldn't do it expecting hifi results, but it might be cool for special effects and just and all around cool guitar sound!

[@djvidio9018]

K - thanks. What about Multi-Tracks for practice? - By Multi-tracks I mean songs that are de-constructed and downloadable track by track. (just to be clear) Know any good links / sites?

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +DJ VIDIO If you sign up at my site you will get two songs worth of multitracks to mix! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@jcoriha]

My problem is "cloning" reference tones too closely. I rarely try to clone a whole mix, but especially with guitar tones I find myself getting closer than I should to references and changing the arrangement to fit the reference too much. Once I tried EQing a guitar to sound like the piano/Leslie tone on the beginning of "Echoes" by Pink Floyd; only to pull up the reference to have the engineer tell me we "beat" Floyd/John Leckie!...I don't agree with us beating them but it was pretty close. The only memory was me saying I wanted to EQ my 335 tone with the Chorused/Gain sound of Alex Lifeson on Moving Pictures; as we pulled up the reference I found I had already dialed the tone in while "Printing"...sometimes all these modelers and references are great until we find ourselves plagiarizing!..."Good ones borrow, great ones steal" and all that I guess...Great clip as usual Warren. You continue to be on a roll

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Jake Modica Wow! Honestly I'm impressed you can get that close! That's a pretty amazing skill! I tend to just get the feel and overall picture of what I love about the song! Wow you got the Alex Lifeson 'Moving Pictures' tone?? Great stuff! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@jcoriha]

Too close is subjective! That F#7add4 chord gets you a lot of the way there before even dialing in anything! Thx Warren and have a great day

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Jake Modica Haha I'm still impressed! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

very good

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +João Pedro Frasseto Cardoso (Futebol) Thanks!! Glad to be able to help! Have a marvellous time recording and mixing, many thanks Warren

[@rawstarmusic]

Referencing is very good. You can discover many things that you didn't realize. I guess one could say there is an invisible scale of how bad or how good it can be and without reference you don't know where you're at. It's like the scale for a singer, without a scale it doesn't sound to bad but if you use a scale you can realize how good it can be. Personally I like graphical representations for most things. Using Melodyne I can be happy until I watch the singing. Then I can see that low note is 34% sharp but it sounds reasonably ok -until I correct & compare. It was not bad but could be so much better, I just didn't know that. I get knocked on the head by all those who say use your ears but I use my eyes, then my ears when my ears have a reference to compare it to. Doesn't mean it has to be spot on pitch but I can make a choice on how to treat it. The graphics only points out the place for extra attention.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +rawstarmusic Thanks for the great comment!! I understand! Anything for me that makes our job better is fine by me!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@bloodlord1989]

A rough mix is great though for those not mixing for themselves . But I herd from jack joseph puig to be careful about reference tracks because it can mess with you (other songs). The biggest issue is not being committed to your own special spice you like to cook up your mix with because your hearing someone's style of mixing. I never listen to reference tracks for that reason when mixing,but when i'm not mixing or mastering I'll take notice and notes on reference tracks before i start a new song even for arrangements and add my own special spices lol. Referencing your best tracks is a great idea though because it was you who did it in your style. I find it hard to do so because i work with different genres mixing them together which i just call EDM so i don't have to make up new genres everytime lol.

[@PJSGBC]

Howdy, not at all trolling or looking for a fight, but having JJP say that about references is a little Michael Jordan saying don't depend too much on teammates. Only a few people have the talent and ability to work apart from references (or helps). JJP is right in that we don't want to copy, but until people are asking for exactly what a mixer does in and of themselves, it is healthy to learn and compare... same with any instrument. Listen and emulate the greats and then your own greatness will grow. I think most of Warren's audience would fit in the learner category, so this is a pretty healthy blanket way of learning. Oh, and the guy that said has sold millions of records. I have noticed what you say being true of me though and I really am not dismissing it. Too easy to just copy instead of being creative and growing in our own ability, so thanks for the thoughts.

[@bloodlord1989]

PJSGBC Yea like i said they do have their use even outside of mixing like for producers to check out arrangement ideas, sound designers checking out new sounds or even singers hearing new voices and tones or styles ( I always pay attention to vocals being a singer as well and does help with ideas). But in the process of working on something it can conflict with one's style especially if you have not found your own. I had huge difficulties with that in all areas of music because of comparing. It never stood out till i added my own taste. Working on a song I isolate myself from all music as I can so i don't change anything that came from my own inspiration. Everyone works different so it could just be me. Makes me think too much about everything.

[@PJSGBC]

Thanks for the reply. My guess is Warren is really trying to help people get on a road that leads them to what you are describing. There is probably a balance in there somewhere where we can learn from others without feeling compelled to duplicate. Warren is also I think trying to help folks break into an industry and in that industry it helps to know well what is going on in your surroundings... not for duplication, but for competition. Glad I am not in the industry!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +blood lord (Chaotic Sonics) Thanks for the great comment! +PJSGBC I have to agree! haha JJP is the only mixer I've ever met who would say that! I can list you the top current mixers and they all reference things that they looking to emulate and beat! The mixers I love want to get better and make better music!! They don't have 'a sound', they don't rest on their laurels and only listen to themselves! They are striving to be better! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +PJSGBC and +blood lord (Chaotic Sonics When working with Pensado recently he had several tracks in his reference bank he was checking against to make sure he was taking what was best about them and beating them! It was very inspirational! Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@vanexelvansy6591]

can u do a studio tour

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +vanexel vansy Haha yes one day! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@jefflondon251]

Warren do you want to send a stereo mix or reprint tack mix's?thank you Jeff

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +jeff London Sorry I don't quite understand the question? Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@darlenesheffield9835]

wonderful video!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Darlene!

[@westgatefilms]

how to we hook up the iphone to ACCESS our reference track library?????????

[@AllenPendleton]

Are those Genelec 1031A monitors?

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Allen Pendleton Those are Genelec 1032's. Thanks very much I really appreciate it! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@AllenPendleton]

I have a pair of 1031a's and they look alike.

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Allen Pendleton Yes agreed! I also have a pair of 1031a's I use in another room! Great speakers! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@haydengist4168]

Concerning the rough mix thing; I used to be a programmer in college, and almost the exact same thing can be said about computer programming. If not even more so - just look at open source culture. I actually took a Python class where I did a whole code from scratch, couldn't get it to work, and my professor was appalled that I DIDN'T directly copy a block of code he used for reference because I thought it would be cheating.

[@RescueCrew669]

Thank you for your videos I find it refreshing after Recording Revolution started to feel recycled too much for me =) no offense to Graham just telling my opinion...

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Benjamin K. I'm so glad to be able to help! I appreciate it! Graham does a great job of helping people! I'm not a professional teacher, I'm currently making Cristian Castro's album, finishing some Daniel Powter and mixing Ace Frehely's album and fitting this stuff hoping to be able to give people sound advice (pun intended! haha) So I really thank you that enjoy my videos! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@RescueCrew669]

You are welcome :) I'm looking forward for new videos ;) Try to see what everybody is teaching and work around something different to show your years of experience :) it will be much more valuable always instead of general knowledge that so many people teach on KZbin

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Benjamin K. I really appreciate it! Yes I work every day still, mixing Ace Frehley's new album, making a Cristian Castro album, keeping very busy and I'm very glad to be able to do the KZbin series and give back! I'm not a professional teacher, I just want share what it's really like to be a Producer and Engineer! I'm truly blessed! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@BenvelMusic]

+Produce Like A Pro cool could you give me a list of records you worked on I'd like to listen to the catalog :)

[@Producelikeapro]

I've worked on the first two The Fray Albums, Aerosmith's last album, the two last Ace Frehley Albums, James Blunt 'some kind of trouble' and loads more! Fun times!

[@metroidandroid]

who's going to do the rough mix? sometimes is hard to try to be a pro

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi Davi, yes, we don;t always get one! Does;t have to be great, just has to be a good reference that you can reference panning and the artist's intentions!

[@sanderblom]

What Marx said!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi +Sander Blom Haha Thanks!! You Rock!! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren