Why You Can't Finish Your Mixes

How to overcome perfectionism and finish more mixes.
☛ Learn the go-to starting points for EQ and compression in heavy mixes with my FREE Mixing Cheatsheet: mixcheatsheet.com
Watch This Next: How Over-Complicating RUINS Your Mixes (and how to simplify) • How Over-Complicating ...
Music I’ve Worked On: open.spotify.com/playlist/6I7...
Website: hardcoremusicstudio.com
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MY FAVORITE GEAR:
Computer / Interface:
Mac M1 Studio Max sweetwater.sjv.io/anOMOo
Avid Carbon sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQ6M6g
Apogee Duet 3 sweetwater.sjv.io/y2qXqb
Monitors / Headphones:
Avantone CLA-10a sweetwater.sjv.io/WqyMyZ
Audio Technica ATH-M50 sweetwater.sjv.io/PyOMON
Microphones:
Shure SM57 sweetwater.sjv.io/daOMy7
AKG D112 sweetwater.sjv.io/Kj0MBy
Sennheiser e604 sweetwater.sjv.io/DKyvWa
Shure SM7b sweetwater.sjv.io/5g5vk3
AKG C451b sweetwater.sjv.io/jre9Rv
Shure SM81 sweetwater.sjv.io/eK1LnD
Audio Technica AT4050 sweetwater.sjv.io/JzKMqr
Preamps/Outboard:
API 3124 sweetwater.sjv.io/eK1LRD
EL8 Distressor sweetwater.sjv.io/XYmMd4
Favorite Plugins:
BSA Clipper blacksaltaudio.com/clipper
Escalator blacksaltaudio.com/escalator
Low Control blacksaltaudio.com/low-control
Waves SSL Bundle waves.alzt.net/dMd4q
Waves CLA Compressors waves.alzt.net/0va0P
Waves Platinum waves.alzt.net/jxz2M
Slate Trigger 2 sweetwater.sjv.io/MmAM53
SoundToys Rack sweetwater.sjv.io/xkLgyd
Auto-tune Pro sweetwater.sjv.io/OreMYr
Vocalign Project sweetwater.sjv.io/xkLgyA
Cranesong Phoenix II sweetwater.sjv.io/PyOMrz
Instruments / Amps:
Ludwig Black Beauty Snare sweetwater.sjv.io/1r9vDR
Gibson Les Paul sweetwater.sjv.io/B0nvz1
Evertune Guitars sweetwater.sjv.io/WqyM6P
Fender Jazz Bass sweetwater.sjv.io/nLX5R6
Sansamp Bass Driver DI sweetwater.sjv.io/OreM9Q
EVH 5150 sweetwater.sjv.io/4PGvr9
Mesa 2x12 cab sweetwater.sjv.io/75avGA

[@hardcoremusicstudio]

Grab your free Mixing Cheatsheet to learn the go-to starting points for EQ and compression in heavy mixes: www.mixcheatsheet.com

[@jlamarkjr]

I used your mix cheat sheet on drums I recorded and had it tracked, edited, mixed, and sent out to a client all within 4 hours of work. They liked my mix so much, they asked me to export it with all the plugins still on. Thanks for all your help!

[@LambertDriveStudios]

Finishing mixes and projects for friends and clients is literally the reason I've had success. FINISH YOUR SHIT PEOPLE, MAKE A DEADLINE AND MOVE ON WHEN YOU HIT IT

[@kelvinfunkner]

"have some some courage and commit as you go"...best advice ever.

[@muhsinkartvizit]

why i cant finish my mixes? i delayed clicking this video for 2 days

[@LordStevie]

Perfection is the enemy of good. I started mixing in the beginning days of Neve’s Necam. I soon learned that it was a double edged sword, it was easy to mix all the life out of the song, trying to make it “perfect”.

[@slash196]

The great thing about deadlines is that they force you to focus on the essentials and then get the shit out the door. I don't work in music but in my job we have the same issue, projects with deadlines get done and projects without deadlines get worked on.

[@twilightbiscuit]

deadlines are so important!

[@visionswords5477]

This is all hard hitting truth. Doing weekly KZbin uploads has helped me a lot with this; getting out of revision hell is really important!

[@stockmanager]

This rings very true the songs i've mixed that have the most streams were the quickest to do and had about 3 plugins added.

[@ericrocksguitar]

Thanks, because your videos have played a sizeable role in me going from mixing the same song for over a month, to getting the mix, post-production and master done on a song in two afternoons. My last mix for a current client took about 6 hours total with 3 very minor notes on the revisions.

[@neillsong]

Thank you for this! Seriously great advice 🙌

[@vitsdavids4726]

I really wanna say a big thank to you on your tutorial on frequency. It has absolutely given me more information on how to get good mix. In fact it has really gotten me to this ahaa moments with my mix. I don't have much to give in order to show appreciation for such amazing information. I already have clicked the subscribe button for such good turn deserve reciprocity. Thank you.

[@hcnilsson]

Nice advice. Reaching out to people is probably my favourite advice here.👍

[@jameslandon9194]

Another damn good video that I absolutely needed right now. Thank you brother. You guys at BSA are a good incredible. I trust very few, you guys are at the top of the list.

[@MrMusicopath]

subscribed, this channel is gold

[@RaftelStudios]

I am doing a livestream mixing every Monday 18:00-20:00 EEST. On that two hours I am pushing myself (live) to finish a mix and most of the time i finish it less than two hours. Things that helped me: - having a template - using softube console 1 on every channel on the daw - top-down mixing - using autogain stage - ozone master assistant (always retweak but makes half of the job )

[@SashaGarcia]

''Fuzzy targets do not get hit'' That is a powerful statement!

[@snowandcoal]

One trick is to leave plugins with graphic feedback on hold for awhile and learn to trust your ears.

[@TheGaryHughes]

Great video. We all need this sort of advice at times, haha

[@samxday]

Strong stuff 👍

[@geneticsmatter3834]

great points

[@svenskgolftelevision6506]

Great video

[@fountane]

A few weeks is insane for a random track. I did wait a long time once. Did like 10 versions of the same song over a few years. It was for my bands album and we were still writing while I was mixing one of the songs we finished earlier to see where I could get it. And I'm very glad we didn't release any of the versions of that song I did earlier. The last version was definitely the best version. I was doing NTM and practicing all the time and it paid off.

[@gabet3754]

This is gold

[@pawel9450]

Sooooooo damn right 🤩🤘 perfect example for talking to musicians too 🤣 thank you so much!

[@kylealigood1724]

Hi Jordan! Really enjoyed this video and as always, your channel is a fountain of excellent information. When you say that the industry standard is one mix per day, does that include editing and vocal tuning? Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to your response!

[@bobbyweezer]

Thanks mate

[@spencerb2631]

Hey Jordan I know the channel is Hardcore Music Studio but I’d love to see you tackle more genres. I’m not sure if you ever mix anything like singer songwriter or pop but I’m sure your insights would be appreciated as they always are!

[@robertjag167]

A grammy award winning producer once reviewed my track and liked it a lot. Where I was really insecure about the mix, he simply said "If this is how you want it to sound then it's good." Ofcourse it has to sound decent! Sometimes we just need feedback from people that are serious about this and not just family and friends.

[@pablom2274]

Also the problem is that you share your track and nobody cares about it, i've tried for many years to have feedback from people with no success.

[@robertjag167]

@@pablom2274 I feel you. The thing is that when you are the artist the music itself is just one out of several things you have to pay attention to. Promotion, your image, lifestyle.. they are all things to take into consideration!

[@robertjag167]

@@pablom2274 I feel you! What most people (including myself) don't take into consideration is that the music itself is like 20% of it all. Promoting, your image, lifestyle, dedication etc is all equally as important. This used to be easier.

[@mengeleto11]

For me the most important thing is a knowledge base. If you know how to do exactly and how to achieve you are goals and references, you will not have doubt and you will finish the mix.

[@YeahButStilll]

I feel attacked. Too close to home, Jordan.

[@Maedara]

this reminds me of one of my teachers saying part of the job as a producer is being a therapist and i get it now

[@Brutuscomedy]

great advice! I would mention reference tracks are huge. Also, we ought to admit gear matters. It's not everything but untreated rooms, cheap headphones, and the like make things far more challenging. Moreover I find digital limiters vary quite a lot in terms of quality and transparency. That goes for other plugins as well of course but it's the 2 bus where people can really wreck songs and even great mixes.

[@h.p.dominocus]

I finished my first new song in like 12 years and unfortunately Ive been struggling with finishing the mix. There's at least 20 different versions from the past month or so. Yesterday I decided to check out one of the first mixes I did and it sounded so much better!!! Every revision after that got more and more lifeless sounding to the point that the original intensity and emotion of the song has become totally lost. Good thing theres session backups.

[@akitadakid6326]

This is good life advice as well

[@jakerennie2793]

Hey any news on the 2nd part to the studio build?

[@easyrecordsestudio]

Another good thing about rendering sounds is that you have less latency and free your ram memory

[@simong8527]

Ok but for me it really does the difference. I just don’t hear certain things in the beginning and after few weeks, hours spent on that I sometimes wake up with ideas (good ideas) what’s wrong and how to improve it. I really need those months. Isolation plays a huge part for real. Recently I gave myself a deadline and it worked (I mix my own stuff)

[@twilightbiscuit]

8:53 collabs really did change my mixing. when you mix/work on your own you can fool yourself into thinking that stuff might be good but another pair of ears would tell you otherwise

[@josevega12093]

Know your frequencies by using the terms used by the pros like honk , boxy ,harsh , boomy etc and get that as your starting guide . Next visualize the mixing as creating the sounds to be as “3d” as possible to the ears . Now play back certain parts of the song on a loop and mix accordingly to the songs instruments . Some people say not to solo eq instruments but I like to clean up the sound and then I mix with all the instruments . Also increase the “loudness” to hear your details with the frequencies

[@psychedelicelvis-777]

I approach a "mix" the same way that I approach a painting, I apply the colours and textures until the painting tells me its finished. I don't decide that moment the painting/mix does and if its not working bin it and start again. 😊!!!

[@SecretMetalFromAbyss]

For me propably the worst thing has been that I've recorded some tracks and just waited the rest to be recorded somewhere else so I''ve just spent too much time goofing around with the tracks I have without the option to really finish the mix. Worst case was when I got decent drums from somewhere, recorded guitars, bass and some vocals in my studio, but mid the vocal sessions the singer left so all the tracks were just sitting on my computer waiting for the band to get a new singer. So there I was "mixing" the tracks that I had because I had nothing else to do so I totally went overboard tweeking all the things that I probably shouldn't at that point. :D Also I think my weakness is perfectionism so too much time doing something doesn't really help. :D

[@Laptops1781]

As a novice, I give myself 3-4 days to finish a mix. This is with work and family commitments.

[@pablom2274]

A huge problem for my has been my computer power, I have upgraded to newer I5 many times since i started to mix around 6 years ago, and everytime I reach the roof, i just make around 10% of room in terms of cpu usage, just wasted money. But I think we are reaching times where actual DAWs are enough for mixing and plugins aren't using more cpu so a good i9 should last forever.

[@ProSocialEntertainment]

I see perfectionism as another word for stuck.

[@iengineer_247]

That's a issue I have with clients. I did a beautiful live recording in someone's back yard and they scrapped it. Sometimes people fight with so much of others input they lose sight of their stuff. Me as a Engineer find it interesting as of lately mix the stuff for the clients in chill mode. They will see the project as finished. You on the other hand as the Engineer have to give yourself a break not to be overthinking that you didn't do a good job. I find it better giving the mixes for my ear sake a break and it seem like the mix feel and sound better let's say about a week or so later!!!

[@alex-esc]

Adams ❤

[@AlfaSamdong]

new adam speaker?

[@theaudiorampage]

I noticed that too! Ha

[@Venemoth666]

Yup

[@craighughes-shug6694]

Have you any experience in more British sounding rock, indie rock or 90s style Brit pop, thats the music i produce and I’m interested in your program

[@Benjamin-om3ih]

The thing that rings out in my head is "what if I'm actually just a terrible engineer and committing to a mix and releasing it is just releasing trash"

[@theriffdjenerator2213]

Mixing I have no problems with it committing to tracking vocals

[@rockboy360]

I have a pretty clear vision of what I want but sometimes the tracks are so far away from it. In my particular case it's a mix between shitty source material that needs a lot of editing where re-recording is not an option (at least not a cheap one) and my horrible case of diagnosed ADD which leads to horrible procrastination and distractions. I love mixing but I feel horribly unmotivated when working with subpar recordings .You have to do a lot of forensic work when dealing with crappy local bands. I find myself mixing a whooole lot faster with professional sessions that are perfectly recorded and edited before they reach me. I can totally mix a great song in a day, even less. It's the turd polishing that kills me.

[@theAshesofDecember1]

100% guilty No, it’s less likely to occur while mixing for others so much as my own personal songs that I find myself rewriting or determining I could most likely have a better performance somewhere

[@Reakerboy]

Hopefully I can finish that mix I started in 2021 now...

[@cgsmithinnola]

I'd love to have a mentor. I go through the rollercoaster of "I suck" and "This is awesome!"... it's exhausting. I need a mentor

[@disengagetattoos5074]

Time to mix! 📵

[@HRTDEMON666]

I’m just here cause I watched all the other vids 😂😂

[@teardownthesun]

New monitor review? 🤔

[@niamhoconnor8986]

I couldn't even finish this video 😶‍🌫

[@DrBrunoDzogovic]

I heard someone referred about this syndrome to as "fuckarounditis"

[@stevedoesnt]

Shit. I’ve sent hundreds and hundreds of tracks to mastering over a period of 15 years, and I’m still scared of sending stuff to mastering.

[@kaislivesoundchannel4706]

I can do a song in a day, but I can‘t get over the habbit of letting it sit overnight and have a fresh listen the next morning. I would never mix a song and send it off the same day.

[@heymarcello4827]

Same but I think its more about the 8 hours than really doing it in one day. Maybe 4 hours on two days is better

[@dshredmusic]

But don't you get better results out of working on the mix for 1 hour a day across 7 days instead of one 7 hour sitting where your hearing will get tired?

[@icyspecter]

said 1 mix per day! no less, or bad

[@matthewtunnicliffe201]

I'm so guilty of this.

[@hauntedhotdog]

Done is better than perfect. There are so many reasons why fixating on mixes for long periods of time is a bad idea. One of the biggest that doesn't seem to get talked about a lot is skill plateau. If you've been working on a mix for two weeks, what are the odds that you are going to find and fix something that you couldn't last week? You are at the edge of your abilities, and at best could make some slight, minute, incredibly incremental progress. The problem is, you've probably spent all that time burying everything in twenty plugins and fatiguing your ears with the same material... and I'm willing to bet all you've done is make it sound weird. We've all been there. I'm of the firm belief that nothing you can currently accomplish mixing-wise cannot be done in a day or two.

[@madlopherliy]

First comment 🤣🫂🎧

[@sbrave]

and hopefully you don't have the band members in the room with you, lol

[@stevedoesnt]

Oh man. Band members don’t take you and your craft seriously until they see everyone else takes you seriously. Ask me how I know.

[@sbrave]

​@@stevedoesnt Yup, now, when I do mixes for a band, I tell them only one member is allowed, and it's not the drummer who still needs the kick drum a "c h louder"

[@ryza4rox4]

Balls to the wall send the mix out and move on.

[@AEMachinas]

if you’re not having fun nor inspired, step away, do something else. Music should be as easy as plucking and apple from a tree.

[@akira20ish]

Use presets lol

[@skirmantasstankevicius458]

Fill knowledge gaps and don't watch those videos, but instead pay for lessons that are... mainly, videos that you can learn from on remote. So yeah :D Quite a contradiction, don't watch fully professional tutorials freely on KZbin, instead pay for access videos that cover same things on different platforms. Nah, I am good. I learn a lot from Produce Like a Pro. Many great videos out there on KZbin. For free. So take a note guys and save your money.