3 Golden Rules for Low End Hip Hop Mixing | Lu Diaz (Jay Z, Beyoncé)

[@faux36]

the sauce that everyone needs to pay attention to is the sidechain. he sidechained the kick to the dynamic EQ of the 808. not the actual 808

[@beefknuckles]

Wow I gotta say I've been a bedroom producer on and off for 15 years (just for fun) but never thought of doing that. Such an awesome tip

[@blankcheckguy69]

lol why did he boost 60hz on the sub’s pultech EQ and then set his kick sidechain to lower the sub at 60hz...

[@faux36]

@@blankcheckguy69 so that when the kick its, the frequency of the sub lowers without lowering the entire sub, just that particular frequency. so it carves out a space for the kick to cut through the mix with out taking away from the impact of the sub.

[@Tunez650]

He boost the sub to 60hz because the kick hits perfect around 50hz.

[@faux36]

Tunez650 🎯

[@powerhouse1981]

I watched this a year ago and thought I got everything that was spoken. Coming back to it, with far more experience and having used all these plugins I now really get it. Don't rush through these tips, get deep into it.

[@golddee2040]

agreed. revisiting this video after many months. I actually haven't done the eq stacking or use the puig but have them. Will try them out on my current track to see how it affects it. But I absolutely love Vitamin. Such a great plugin.

[@Ojini]

Exactly!

[@luhcollins]

Timeless comment ! Watched this a year ago and it continues to ring true

[@kxngrxme]

I was literally about to write the EXACT same comment!!!

[@bando6035]

Great comment‼️

[@MixedByS]

This guy is dropping all the sauces now

[@mbf6160]

Yes and its greatly appreciated

[@risenbeats4132]

yeah bro like the sauce i dropped at my youtube channel ;)

[@pariahgaming365]

I was an assistant engineer for Luo a long time ago in Miami and he’s such a cool, genuine guy! He’s also a freaking beast and every bit much a legend!

[@birdmusic1206]

So good he can share the secrets without feeling threatened.

[@TheStudeo74]

Then one finds out he doesn’t only use pluggs but real 550b and other analog stuff...

[@baltaza]

@@TheStudeo74 that ain't the trick friend, your ears are the problem here

[@TheStudeo74]

@@baltaza Yep... my ears are messed up... "deny" isn't part of my issues.

[@baltaza]

@@TheStudeo74 That's why you are going to become greater

[@noworries12]

like great guitar players: they show you their gear, but you will never will sound exactly like them...

[@47buddhists97]

His choice of words is much more effective than most tutorials. Others either stick to analogies and noises to explain what they’re altering... or try to come off *_sooo_* *_”experienced”_* that you don’t know wtf they’re sayin lol.

[@47buddhists97]

AFNacapella yes, thank you 🙌🏽

[@carhartcarl1116]

Lu you're an absolute legend, How that kick punches through the mix with all the low end is absolutely amazing

[@pestmeister2114]

Lu Diaz needs a masterclass!

[@YJbeats]

Pest Meister yupp

[@Lakersandbrowns]

Pest Meister foreure

[@MANTUS.OFFICIAL]

agreed!

[@surfcunt8720]

facts

[@bf2err]

Agree.

[@ricchburglar]

Whenever I see a studio I feel the motivation to make music again.

[@futurebeats898]

Ill mix your music. 1st free!

[@yeshuasweapon4384]

Tru fam

[@futurebeats898]

@Bluestripsaiden i dont collab per say but i work for and with my client

[@mrdollard3859]

that tip in boosting the high end of the kick is actually amazing. never would have thought of doing it and it makes such a difference in cutting through the mix

[@RipperTheEntertainer]

I'm about to be 40. This guy just made me feel proud!

[@veinteduece6625]

42 here... Don't quit!

[@katentu]

@@veinteduece6625 43...

[@bdp5529]

14

[@Synth2000]

46 here! will never ever quit

[@flavioescotto5404]

Just turned 40! Life’s pretty sweet

[@KaitavSapreMusic]

Gem of a tutorial! This guy is a genius. Thank you!

[@xXValomatXx]

yeah, great tutorial. Especially the part, where he enhances frequencies, that are not even in the sound @ 5.55 ;)

[@LahceneBelbachir]

@@xXValomatXx Yeah he put the boost way too far, but you can see it's still affecting the sound.

[@Storyvilleemcee]

@@xXValomatXx trust the ears, not the analyzer.

[@ezrashanti]

@@xXValomatXx I think he's showing the boost on band 2, not 5.

[@Thes4LT]

I'm not personally a fan of sidechaining 808s to the kick because, if they are conflicting in the first place, then you already have a tonal problem that needs solved and adjusting the dynamics is only going to hide the problem. Sidechaining bass is a band-aid for most producers and it doesn't solve the underlying muddiness/bass conflicts. Obviously Lu Diaz knows what he's doing and he pays close attention to both tone and dynamics; however, most people don't have as much experience as he does, and so I think forcing one's self to fix tone first is very important. Additionally, if you don't have your sub and kick tuned perfectly to each other, sidechaining is going to create a noticeable ugly pumping effect. On top of that, if the kick sample doesn't have a lot of sub in it, it's going to be easy for the listener to hear the pressure drop in the headphones when that bass ducks out of the way. This is why it's better imo to use EQ to sit the kick with the bass. Usually to accomplish that I find the transient of my kick (around 100 - 160 hz,) keep a mental note of that, and then go over to my bass and add a small dip to that frequency, being extra careful to not use too narrow of a Q (too narrow in the low end = ringing.) Then on the kick, if the low end is clashing with my 808, I do a harsher bass rolloff on the kick. Usually rolling off below 40 hz works fine, but sometimes you might want more or less depending on the sound and the 808. Then, if the kick isn't punching through the mix, I usually take an EQ to it and add some distortion. Boosting the transient region (100-160,) and the low mids (200 - 350) usually aids the ear pressure/texture of the kick if it's too weak, and paying attention to the 600 hz - 1200 hz region well aid it if the body feels lacking. And just like in the video, if you want a more audible click or more dustiness from your kick, boost in the highs.

[@rlarudoox]

thanks for your advice

[@subliminalist7539]

While I definitely agree with getting the EQ/toning right first, sidechaining is still an excellent, multi-purpose tool that takes a moderate knowledge of compression/gating to do effectively. It can be hard to judge bass even on high end systems - combining toning and sidechain compression is a relatively safe route to getting a heavy-hitting kick to slap through a chunky 808. You know it's working right when you don't hear it but when you bypass it your kick gets a little lost, loses some punch, and the subtle rhythmic breathing is gone. But yeah pumping is where this can break the mix, so the timing and threshold need to make sense. I wouldn't say you need the 808 and kick perfectly tuned for this - but the right kick sample and tonal balance is key. One of the biggest advantages of sidechaining is being a simple way to make louder masters while maintaining punch and the integrity of the kick and bass on their own. In the end, it's all about what makes the most sense to you in a time-efficient method. Nice write-up :)

[@digitalproducer3500]

But if you look closely, he isn't just ducking (compressing) the 808, he is also EQ'ing (like you're saying) at the same time through the side-chained eq-comp plug-in. I don't disagree with you that if a bass line or 808 is simply ducked (compressed) too aggressively you can lose some of that energy, but if you look at his levels, he is basically eq'ing it more than he is compressing it. Plus, the one advantage of this method is that when the kick is not triggering the side-chain (whatever you have set up) the 808 will play totally naturally and not be permanently notched. Just my thoughts and I appreciate your post.

[@BookooZenny]

This is a very useful comment with several useful responses lol is this still youtube wtf

[@coleeason6007]

Slick wit that you should have a channel if you could you post a link sir if not preciate the knowledge you dropped as well

[@charleshampton1540]

Lu Diaz is the best. Explains things perfectly and allows you to hear the difference it makes when put into a mix. He has got to be my favorite engineer.

[@leonli2582]

How are there dislikes? This man deserves a medal explaining all this, and I dont even deserve to say that.

[@djRoyalTee]

Prolly from the anti-rap crowd...

[@kenthejanitor3456]

Theres honestly not that much compared to the Likes

[@4523167098]

Dislike bots

[@deannagel5854]

@@oOFTJOo bro wtf are you even talking about? lmao

[@TheBlashMusic]

How to mix low end like a pro: 1. Duck the sub whenever the kick hits (Either sidechain the sub/808 to the kick or volume automate the sub/808 to get out of the way of the kick.) 2. Balance the sub and kick as well as you can 3. Compress the kick and sub together (either on the mix buss/master or group the kick and sub together)

[@jamelehampton4255]

Sidechaining the 808/Kick would give it the same effect as Volume automation wouldn't it?

[@anindustryplant7449]

@@jamelehampton4255 I read in another comment that it’s basically the same effect yeah

[@Top10soon]

@@jamelehampton4255 dont use a compressor though

[@0xggbrnr]

This man is a scientist and a wizard at the same time. I hate to shed light on his age, but he really is a testament to the wisdom that comes from experience. This man deserves the utmost respect from those coming up. His perspective humbles the student.

[@kainbaker3356]

not once did he say “thats a vibe” 🙌🏼

[@hadookin47]

Lol

[@Gnurklesquimp]

3:22 If you want more of an oldschool sound with the low end power of modern sounds I really recommend downgrading the top layer with something like Izotope Vinyl, can help a lot when they otherwise sound too clean. I love just taking a sound and putting it into patcher, applying different effects like detune to different frequency ranges, Harmor also has some really awesome detune options like drawing in the amount of detune across the harmonics.

[@amptechno9079]

The mid-range grit in the sub really makes it drive through the mix.

[@3rdeye931]

When he said “bass is life” I felt that

in love with any Lu Diaz video tutorial. He is the king!

[@SPIN4CHEATER]

Wanted to say the same. I love his vids

[@lotr-ral-3332]

A little saturation never hurts. Awesome equ-ing gem's!! Thanks so much!!!

[@hotelsinus]

this is Pure, cant live without your Powerfull mixing tips! Thank you Lu Diaz

[@mintyswirljoy]

In reality, this advice is for every type of mainstream sound. Aint jus' Hip-hop!

[@hv2623]

Well, everything leans hip hop nowadays so...

[@swaymanace]

Can a person who doesn't know to produce learn an master mastering an mixing engineering music

[@hv2623]

@@swaymanace Yes, but you're going to have to know a little producing, a little music theory, music performance, and other music related things in order to be really good at mastering. So you're going to have 1,000 questions. Luckily there's a bunch of online communities that will answer all your questions. Start learning and practicing, learning and practicing, learning and practicing.... At least that's what I think! 😂 I haven't made it yet.

[@rnfr]

Tony Vera true. In the modern realm of low fi, people want to hear everything on tiny speakers instead of taking a record home on their hifi stereo that they had pride in. It’s unfortunate, but also has its perks. Hopefully some day younger generations will want a banging system in their homes again.

[@rnfr]

sway manace absolutely. Do what you’re good at. AKA get in where you fit in. No one can do everything. But soak up all the knowledge you can and you never know. Just that you asked that question says something.

[@LitBoxTv]

One of the best tutorials on 808/kik mixing.

[@ronniepaulinc]

His brother just opened a recording studio in Ky. Lu is a Miami must know and we used him to mix all our tracks. Circle House Studios!

[@helloworldstudios412]

I really like the way Waves Audio arranges their videos to give the best clarity to the viewer. By highlighting the 3 main subjects or lessons, it makes it easier to comprehend and retain the information.

[@Nini_369]

Wow!!! 'Just wow" thank you so much" " . I tried these tips as the video played and wow, crispy clean kicks and 808's starting today ' 🙏🙏🙏 ''' I always clicked the presets for "Parametric EQ" but once I really understood the frequencys it was A giant game changer ,,, I'm so happy I can't explain it!!!!!!

[@zislec]

I wish I was this passionate while mixing my shit 😅😩 This man dropping gems 💎

[@felipedacruz89]

Hands down the best low end tutorial I've ever seen! (and I'm not a hip hop producer... I'm a house producer)

[@morganheberling]

THIS IS THE VALUE OF KZbin! GAINING KNOWLEDGE FROM THE GREATS YOU WOULD OTHERWISE NEVER HAVE ACCESS TO... THANK YOU!

[@thecomprehensionhub4612]

This is so valuable to an upcoming producer. A quality equalizing is just as important as quality melody/lyrics

[@Delston05]

Super useful sidechaining tip on that one dynamic eq band.

[@dissdad8744]

That tip is at least a decade old!

[@davisk4438]

I didn’t understand this, would you mind giving me a quick explanation?

[@nevdo_music]

@@davisk4438 using a comment of another guy to explain to you so you will see this reply: "He sidechained the kick to the dynamic EQ of the 808, not to the actual 808", the timing of the explanation is 7:29

[@roninenlightened6350]

@@davisk4438 Its called sidechain ducking. This video doesn't explain it in detail. But it is a very old technique where kick drums are carved into the signal of bass channel using a compressor or an inverted gate so the overlapping energies both the kick and bass tracks don't collide and clip. But in this context, a single band of a dynamic EQ was used which is like a mishmash of a EQ and a compressor in a single package like the TDR Nova.

[@TheKireal]

i listened to this on laptop speakers and still heard the difference in before/after examples. that's really impressive - a lot of tutorials on low end are barely hearable, but not this one

[@AngelSoul]

An absolute blessing to have these masters giving us some of their time. 👌 Greatly appreciated.

[@samsam2235]

"bass is life" - That's my man! That's my school of thought.

[@ALLGOOD_MUSIC]

Thanks so much for the knowledge Lu. And thanks to the the people at Waves who put these videos together. You guys do a great job!

[@DOKOTV]

Best person who gives out top-notch education in the shortest and simplest way. Thank you sir.

[@oeunouch]

This man is a HIP HOP GOD!! Who would have thought!!

[@MrSpencerMcIntosh]

7:00 this is the most valuable piece of advice ever.

[@ethanvincent56]

lu diaz always gives some of the best tips

[@majestic3404]

Lu Díaz is that cool grandpa that all the producers would like to have . It's a genius.

[@jonathanbolger6173]

How in christ can he see that screen. Dude must have 20/20

[@MixingGBP]

Yeah, I added a 32" in front and a 55" on the far wall and I'm still complaining it's not enough.

[@JimmyBlimps]

Probably has decent vision but mainly I think has that spent that many hours inside Protools and those plugins he doesn't need to be able to read anything to know what it is and exactly how it behaves.

[@---4385]

pretty sure he can pull it forward. But it looks better for the camera to have it back there.

[@orion681]

This is part of a series. In another video about mixing vox, you see the monitor is on an articulating mount and he has it pulled closer.

[@JB-ys8mj]

Lu Diaz is the man. Chaminade Lions for life

[@michaelblackbeats8217]

Mr. Diaz is a boss, thank you for these tutorials, very informative!

[@TheSocialjerry]

Needed my 808 n kick to sit properly, so I tried these exact settings in ableton ... loving the results ... one of the best advise ever of mixing kick n 808

[@kaafaa5944]

u need tuned your 808 with melody, if the fundamental is D, ur 808 too

[@2.nonchalant894]

Niggas would pay for the *SAUCE* that this man just gave us.

[@MaddDrEw]

His method is mainly from years of his ears listening. Focus on ear training and you won't need videos anymore.

[@MaddDrEw]

There's also a lot of different ways of achieving what he did.

[@MaddDrEw]

He made a very boxy. Kick. I would've gone with a more aggressive approach and driven just a bit more, almost to a clipping/distortion point. Or I would've gone digital distortion and gone with some bitcrushing. I don't like the boxy kick he picked.

[@MaddDrEw]

Or being the guy I am, going with a synthesized bass sound (think EDM, but better) a sub channel, and a kick channel.

[@NAof01]

Madd Dr. Ew stfu

[@gonzalodominguez229]

makes a huge difference... even listening through my mobile phone. Thanks! This is how tutorials are done

[@23will48]

To be honest is Good to see an older person making music & giving advice to young music engineers that's the best advice you can get & liv with it forever

[@cliftoncameron5632]

Lu and Waves. Thank you for the gift in these jewels.

[@PaynePresents]

Love music tutorials not made by 20 year old stoners in their room

[@djBlindFaith]

Payne the track sounds like that though 🤣🤣🤣 Auto tune needs to piss off... well, all this hard tuned trash anyway... 🖖

[@sergio4265]

This guy is a engineer, he doesn't have anything to do with the song he just makes it sound more clear.

[@Wolfie99]

@@djBlindFaith Amen to the Autotune comment. Overdone? Much?? lol!

[@Wolfie99]

Hahahah...Indeed. When you read the credits in the description you know that he has some time served value and wise words to bring to the party. Always worth listening to a seasoned pro.

[@rpdigital17]

@Justin Saephan I watched lately audio "masterclass" where instructor had master output clipping all the time. No taste and he teaches young people!

[@ER_aka_RAM]

Bass Capital! Lu’s a legend… Thanx for collaborating on this episode 🤙🏽

[@asaiya705]

Man thanks so much for anouther video with Mr. Diaz I really respect his words and how he delivers his knowledge

[@MichaelHighskates]

You can have Delays, Reverbs, Comps, Flangers, Choruses, Eq´s.......... as many as you want. But if Vitamin is not in your repertoire you have definetly missed out on something. There is no plugin like this on the market. I just feel pure love for this one. This one can truly turn a good mix into a great mix.

[@RealzzOfficial]

My Guy!! 🏆🏆 LuDiaz The Goat 🐐 Thank You!🙏🏼

[@Zanobeats]

fact

[@Mat-ml9oq]

I totally agree about eqing the high end!tonhear then character or punch of the kick! Also, agree about everything sounding good together, because it can sound good alone, but not together.

[@BXMASSIVE]

LU Diaz Should Have a Master Class I'd purchase in a heart beat

[@vallenteen]

Mr. Diaz, I want to personally thank you! God bless you!

[@messiahblack4816]

Sometimes it's not WHAT you say but HOW you say it. There's a million videos like this on KZbin alone but not alot of them get the point across clearly like THIS.

[@zafmo9829]

exactly. this dude explains everything so simple you think your being tricked somehow. but then you go into a DAW, use his tips and wala - ejaculation. amazing tutorials

[@vargasaidan7366]

there is a saying that if you can explain something complicated so simply a 5 year old can understand it then your an expert on said topic.

[@MrTeKKam]

His raw kick layer sounds much better than I will ever be able to achieve with any processing...

[@JonnyBriers]

Who knew Kyle Gass knew so much about hip hop

[@taunoctua245]

Sax-a-boom

[@stevetragg]

ahahahahaha the pick works in mysterious ways!

[@diwashsharma4545]

@@stevetragg Give this man the comment of the year award

[@TechnoNates]

lmao I had the same thought when I saw the thumbnail

[@AndrewScott1337]

That side chain EQ trick is sick, gonna for sure add that one to my bag of tricks

[@lucasrobertomusic8922]

Legit Lu Diaz seems like the coolest mentor. Much respect!

[@metrorockmusic]

Parallel side chain dynamic eq w/ the sub triggering low end of kick, 🔥 trick!

[@brianvega9169]

The man is a 808 himself🎛😭 very good video.

[@tsukiimusic7336]

I love this guy. So fun and entertaining to watch!

[@Theboydevoye]

Feels good that i knew most of these principles of mixing already! KZbin is a goldmine for Mixing and production tips! Everyday you can easily learn a few new tips to apply to your production/mixes. Remember* - Using these tips will help solidify them in your sound brain haha

[@mixanalogcloud]

Definitely truth.. it's all centered on the vocal but the low end instruments are very close behind in attention and scrutiny. Really have to do both well to qualify for an excellent hip hop production and Lu knows what he's doing alright :)

[@DYREF]

Even if I'm using Fl Studio and don't cover the waves plugins this are very useful tips

[@jesse4238]

@@h8f5 you cannot explain that to some people no matter how much you try

[@jesse4238]

@@h8f5 I very much agree. Its sad that we are driven by such primitive instincs, but I believe that with an evolution its slowly vanishing in more mentally developed individuals

[@sirkayda7205]

I didn't expect to find deep philosophical conversation on a mixing video, but I'm glad ya'll are talking about this and I agree. 👍

[@sirkayda7205]

@@h8f5 - That's absolutely true. We in the U.S. are especially involved with the debate of tribalism regarding race and gender right now.

[@Nini_369]

I instantly hopped on FL and tried these tips on "Parametric EQ 2" and damn!!!""" Beats are not gonna be the same no more!!🙏🙏🙏

[@elchedda1314]

Dude be dropping sauce and to think I've been scrolling past these videos for months..

[@PapiCee]

I’m from Miami so I know Lu low end is on point, it’ll be a dream to work with him one day 🙏

[@hippietrap]

when he was talking about the relationship between kick and sub - how processing them individually causes problems - when i strarted to think of my mixes as the relationship between all the levels and not just about making things sound good individually - it all changed.

[@blacktraptv447]

best teacher for mixing tips!!! THANKS

[@rolandclark918]

Best tutorial ever, he got straight to the point, explanation of why is good, and examples are awsome

[@BandoLyrix]

Im just here singing .....YOU GON FEEL IT BAAABE....!!!

[@centroculturalal-andaluz8146]

And the car went BOOOOM! Dynamix II - Just Give The DJ a Break

[@migzart1434]

I do 2 out of the 3. The only one I missed is the high end in the kick. I make the mistake of turning up lol

[@ryand4533]

Migzart It’s not a mistake if it sounds good. I’ve worked on a lot of records with Lu he’s amazing but he’d tell you himself every song and every sound is different there ain’t no rules to mixing maybe some guidelines but we break them all the time.

[@donpoulos]

The Doctor Hahahahahaha faders are important dude

[@TheCuttyBrown]

Master one of my tracks... how much

[@dylanjantz1]

@@TheCuttyBrown I'd give it a shot for pretty cheap. I have a gig on fiverr for mixing/mastering tracks. If you have clean recordings I'm pretty confident I can make your track shine.

[@TheCuttyBrown]

@@dylanjantz1 I'll give it a shot.. what's your fiverr info

[@6stringbeats397]

I have literally watched this about 100 times already lol. Love this info

[@listenfidi]

Bass is life 🔥

[@20aftabeats22]

Lu Diaz is the man

[@ISSASLIME]

This dude is too long in producing to give bad advices! Genius!

[@MixingGBP]

@4:10. On the Puigtec EQ you have the bandwidth set above zero, but the Hi Band boost section is set to zero. The bandwidth knob affects only the Hi Band sections, not the low band as your settings imply. I see so many reviews where they even tweak the control, discussing how it changes the low band sound, but it doesn't.

[@Seeattle]

He makes it so easy to understand :)

[@keithdunwoody1302]

One thing to talk about it but quite another to put these tips into practice. Experience teaches! Lu shows his pro skills. Thanks Lu, thanks Waves!

[@rwdy6218]

"Bass is life"

[@vincevangoat1]

Look at 8:45 bypassed the 808 is on low volume anyways and activated the plugins made it louder too. If you would raise the fader so it‘s the same db deactivated it would sound only unnoticeably different!! Guys don‘t let them fool you

[@iliilili310]

You have a volume control in your setup, don't you? Crank that up to match the volumes and you'll see you have no idea what you're talking about.

[@vincevangoat1]

IlI IlIlI I have a very big idea. Ik it‘s different. Bass needs saturation and higher boosts to be heard on bad speakers but the thing is if he matched the volumes you‘d hear a much more subtle difference

[@iliilili310]

@@vincevangoat1 I mean sure, but you just said it yourself, the difference is there. Subtlety is the key to mixing.

[@sunray1984]

I love this man! Best tips for mixing!

[@BriansThing]

I've shared this video with some of my students! Great tips!

[@BigBabyProductions]

Beautiful technique! I love Lu Diaz and wish I could intern with him!

[@ryand4533]

Big Baby Productions Were do you live? He does most of his work out of Circle House Studios in Miami FL. They take new interns all the time just send a resume and hope you get a phone call.

[@BigBabyProductions]

@@ryand4533 thanks for the insight! I live in Richmond, VA. I'm thinking of relocating to FL.

[@ryand4533]

Big Baby Productions Yea no problem, if you want to get into the hip hop industry Miami is the easiest way to do it but it’s a cut throat life. I worked at Circle House from 05-09 and worked on everything and with everyone and Lu is by far one of the best and most humble to work under.

[@dcxbatman8005]

you're the man lu!!! thanks waves!!!

[@4EverEvolving1]

Very well explained. Thank you for the knowledge!

[@rnfr]

True Master. You can feel the years of work and knowledge.

[@psysword]

Wowo just changed my Master for the better!

[@buildingblocks8287]

master at work. Dynamic EQ is the number one weapon to clean up your lowend. gorgeous toneshaping with the eqs on top... this guy will make all of our speakers exploder :-)))

[@iammaxp]

Give the DJ a break was a revelation

[@Zwidawurzn]

I'm basically playing heavy Rock on the guitar and i'm not into making Hip Hop at all. But i still enjoy watching that, it's a bit like watching Bob Ross when he's painting.

[@JohnMorris-ge6hq]

This is one of the top mixes around and I would never question any of his advice. However; he can ACTUALLY HEAR THE BOTTOM END. His studio has full range (16 - 22 000hz +-2db) far field passive monitors tri-amplified with a half a dozen 300 watt high resolution mono blocks. whereas most amateur studios can't hear the low end very well. A lot of amateur mixers are either mixing through headphones (very bad. Don't do it.) or are mixing in an untreated room with a pair of KRK 5's or something similar. And on top of that no stands and monitor pads. They either can't hear the low end (below 80hz) or can't hear it properly. The most important part of your studio is your monitors and the room. Get a pair of powered monitors. The monitors should be on monitor pads and stands. And do a basic acoustic treatment of your room. Just a few bass traps will make a big difference. Again great advice but it's useless if you can't hear the bottom end right. BUT THEY ARE PROS WHO MIX THROUGH HEADPHONES! If they can do it why can't I? Good point. Eddie Kramer calls this the MIXING IN CANS FALLACY: Yes they have been some fsmous albums in the last 20 years that have been mixed on cans. (Headphones)., But they don't do the whole mix from beginning to end on cans, burn a CD of the mix, pop it into their car and say, "Sounds good...O.K....Send it off to mastering." Nope...They will do a mix on cans. When they are satisfied the engineer will play it on the near fields and then the far fields full range monitors.. FYI: The 808 kick is overused and has become a cliche of itself. Of course if you are mixing someone else's song then you are stuck with it. If it's your own stop usimg the 808. Replace it with a sample of an actual real kick. And you can use a Sub-Harmonic synthesizer to create new lower harmonics for your kick. You see real bass instruments produce upper harmonics that Wil take it right into the midrange. A real kick won't have trouble in the mix. The upper harmonics mean you will able to hear it no matter how busy the low end will get. Same with the bass. Replace that fake bass with a sample of a 5 string bass.

[@gavinjurewicz8848]

John Morris most important tool is your ears.... if you get used to how music sounds in YOUR environment/room/headphones, you can make some pretty damn good mixes with some amateur equipment. A/B with a professionally mixed track. It's totally doable although not optimal.

[@dedik8SKB]

My man you just had a whole ass debate with nobody, good points tho

[@Yetnag]

Lu Diaz or 40 Oli is honestly who I aspire to be when I’m older, they have one of the best minds in the entertainment industry, and they’re so educated when it comes to record production. (Also their studios are Gorgeous 😂)

[@keytarmusic1951]

wow that F6 is great

[@mminjarez]

Keytar Music cough...fab filter is better...cough