Don't use the SSL Console as an excuse for not being able to mix 48 channels of analog. Even affordable analog consoles (e.g. Soundcraft Ghost) together with certain DAW plugins can achieve the same result nowadays. There are examples from Michael Wagener and Greg Wurth. I have also made this experience.
I used to mix until I liked what I heard and then turn all the lights off, completely to that almost pitch black room and listen to the mix again. Always….ALWAYS… I’d discovered something new and interesting of my mix to polish or admire. It works when you limite your senses.
maybe when you would get up to turn off the lights you were giving some rest time to your ears. thats why you would catch different sounds after sitting down again and turning the mix back on. idk.
@@AudezeHQ it still seems like a major conflict of interest from the words coming out of his mouth as you see him sitting at a console with a computer monitor right between the playback monitors. Maybe could’ve picked a different studio? Or just temporarily moved the monitor for the shot. Just some thoughts.
Haha. This whole video is a contradiction. Funny. Personally, I like having it in front of me because of neck strain (I don't like looking left or right when I'm working). When I mix... I can close my eyes anyway... And the monitor (and everything else) disappears. But this guy has much more experience than I do, that's for sure.
If I had a nice big analogue console and analogue outboard gear, I’d shove the monitor somewhere else too, but then my wallet gave me a reality check. Haha. But closing eyes is good advice.
Except the screen flicker rate still messes with your eyes and the blue light from the screen makes your eyes tired. That's what bugs me about using the screen too much, i prefer not having to use it when it's not necessary. For me, i think it puts me in a different mind state and helps me focus more on the audio. Maybe it's just nostalgia but in the old days i used to wish i had everything on a computer screen i could control midi with, now i miss just using instruments and analog faders.
I agree with what Michael is saying. When you have your DAW open in front of you there is some portion of your brain that will inevitably be distracted with the visual components of your DAW. I find that when I need to do critical listening if I just minimize my DAW to where I'm only looking at a blank desktop my focus is shifted entirely to what I'm listening to.
The daw mixing makes any method of recording sound digital af anyways and as an outboard guy, I don’t like that. I love that thick analogy sound. Now making tracks with daws gives a a digital sound, but not mixing it leaves it wit somewhat of an analog sound as well so I like that.
Absolutely agree with this. It’s why I absolutely love when I can do all analog sessions. Which is how I do 90% of my own records. Of course, digital is a necessary component of all contracted sessions.
This is so true, some times I see myself turning off my monitor screen and listening to the mix with my ears for a moment. This makes me feel like I'm inside the mix
I am writing this comment bcz I see a lot of commenters speak wrong about Michael. Please note Michael is one among the really good Mix Engineers and often does NOT handle his Pro tools sessions himself. Even 2 years back his working principle was to just hear the audio with minimal looking at the monitor and direct his Pro Tools operators to move things around. I understand the studio this is filmed in directly contradicts his point, but hey, this isn't his regular studio. This must be some other place. This comment of mine is probably gonna go unnoticed or may attract hates mostly, but being in the music profession myself I felt I should point out when a thing's being taken wrongly. Michael is an absolute gentleman and does really understand the frequencies. Search him on RUclips and you'd discover profound knowledge :)
Naah. I just don't think the idea that Micheal is expressing was presented very well. Most of us are mixer/editors so we need the monitor situated ergonomically to prevent neck strain while working. Constantly looking at a monitor to the left or right during editing can cause injury over time. Anyways, respect to Michael. But some backstory or some clarification would have been good.
Each to their own! I come from the adage that tools change ! Some for the good some not so! Working out your own format and making things sound the way that you want is your call and your call alone! Ears are very very unique per person! Even in this digital age I still mix down onto 1/2 inch as well as other formats!
thank you...I rollerskate for a living and pasttime,and long ago,I found a teacher who changed my whole perspective.One of the things he did was teach me something and then he would have me skate with my eye closed. Not around the rink,to do that movement,eyes closed. At first I thought he had lost his mind or was trying to make me injure myself,yet when I tried it,it was wonderful and so free.After that,I would DJ and turn the lights off,play the piano blind,and I found I connected. People have told me since then,when I was spinning vinyl, my mind left the room,like I was in a trance,and when skating I would not pay attention to anyone.So yes, when i am busy enjoying life,trying to express,trying to enjoy,trying to love,it's time to focus...
I learned to mix on a small analogue board, live, and always did micro-increments as the artists performed (and still do whenever I'm on FOH duty!). Transitioning to DAW mixing was 1000x easier after that. I now mix a whole show fore streaming within 2 days and the client's mind is blown at how fast I am. I only use Logic Pro native plug-ins and stay in the console view the vast majority of the time.
Exactly!!!! Same here. Lights off, eyes closed. It’s like you can see the soundscape when you close your eyes. It forces you to open your parts of the brain that are closed off when looking at the screen while mixing.
I get what he's saying, and he makes a very good point. You just can't take it too literally. Maybe he would agree that it's best to use all your senses, eyes and ears individually and together.
Figured this out early as well. I often turn off my computer monitor (which is between reference monitors) during the mix process to just listen. You'll be surprised what you hear when you're not looking. Great advice!
good idea! another one I wish to do more often is bounce out the mix. close the DAW and do a full listen. you can noodle around and visualy: turn off the sreen. experince the music, mix analysis or inspiration on what to do ? take notes. Or the classic: walk around the room, how amazing things pop up when you're "just linstening". cheers
Watching the moving tracks in my DAW (with all the contents in it, like notes, effect curves, waveforms, etc.) while playing the song makes me feel (when hearing it in the monitors over and over) different again. It is different every time I play it and nothing seems to be right. The eye catches different parts of the project, jumping from left to right, and up-n-down, and the ear concentrates on different parts of the song (and different details which should be visually attached to it) every time, so it sounds different every time I play it. And the things which sounded fine before now seem to be "not quite all right"; and then again ... after a couple of minutes it somehow starts feeling right again (after double checking it with eyes closed), etc. So, yes, that's right. You cannot mix the entire thing with your eyes on the screen. The eye and the ear will keep distracting one another.
Some ppl lack in broad understanding. Of course he is talking about HIS experience with his console but this could apply to anyone. Even though Ive always been in the box, I now tend to start a mix eyes closed. Then, when I need to make changes, I open my eyes to do the editing, then listen again with eyes closed. When you’re engineering a mix, your ears are the main focus. In today’s age, it’s super easy to be distracted by everything. Even if you don’t have a mixing console, you can still apply the same techniques. Slow down, close your eyes & let your ears visualize it before your eyes examine it.
This could be applicable to an old era engineer with high end analog gear. But even then I wonder how the massive console with its meters in front of you wasn't a distraction.
It easily could be. His opinion here is just bias. Every old school engineer has been complaining about needing to use computers and Pro Tools since that became the recording medium. Tape machines had all their own problems, mixing desks have their own problems. You just work with the tools you need and learn the benefits and costs. Nobody needs to mix without a monitor in front of them, they need to learn to do good mixes no matter what is happening around them.
@@mcoz747 He's right. In 1992, when I was setting up Southern Sky Recording Studio in Fort Oglethorpe, GA, we had ProTools version 1.0. I placed the computer and (huge CRT) monitor to the right, and below the plane of the speakers and my ears. I didn't do it to avoid distraction, I did it to avoid the disruption of the stereo image created by the speakers. And as for "old school engineers," do you mean those guys whose tools and techniques were so good that new engineers keep buying plugins that try to emulate them?
A good option is to control the display brightness in the menu bar, turning it to zero when checking the mix. For some operating systems/screens this requires additional software.
@@a.t.hustle1583 Definitely, I adjust brightness to minimum frequently on phone - Should be implemented as an option for external monitors on desktops also.
So get really expensive outboard gear and mix analog with analog faders so you aren’t on a screen as often instead of itb which is much more feasible. Got it 👍🏼
Well, that’s what I did, but I bought most of the outboard and even my tape machines broken so it wasn’t that expensive, a modest console (Soundcraft 2400) and I DIY’ed the rest. No computer monitor in my studio.
I also thought the same :)) In fact I was thinking proposing all DAW makers to include a function that makes the monitor totally dark what you re-listen to a mix.
One could certainly put the monitor in a different location; and there are all kinds of different mounting brackets available, some that are even quite fancy, with boom arms that let you move the monitor out of the way with a light push, or that have ball joints that allow for a multitude of different viewing angles. They aren’t necessarily cheap, but they would work very well if you wanted to get rid of the monitor directly in front of you and between your speakers. Or (and I’m just throwing this possibility out there as another viable option), you could always just close your eyes while listening…
Hear hear! I've preached this for a decade - for composing. I think many get distracted from what their ears are telling them to change, even by a small screen on a synthesizer. You are supposed to turn away from the computer and turn to the instrument and focus on the instrument (or mixer, or looper, etc) and make the changes. It's much more fun and intimate to play the instrument rather than play some, look away, move the mouse, find the control, click and drag, yada yada, before you can play and adjust again just listening. Screens are a ball and chain on musical creativity...
Exactly. We're all tempted to think with our eyes. Close your eyes and give them a rest, and your ears will guide you more correctly. We're already over-stimulated visually with screens and bad lighting :)
Say this to us who is creating EDM... 😄 Also when he said: "Monitor" i thought he was speaking of the studio loudspeaker behind him, as there were headphones layin' around as well. Would have made more sense. Im only mixing in phones: Sennheiser HD 660S. Removes most of the problems a "Monitor" can produce! 👍
yes the necessity of digital and recall for most of us working for hire means it's very hard to escape the screen, and let's be honest not many of us have the budget for a huge Avid controller to focus on instead! What I do fling the cursor into a corner that triggers the screensaver and that does the trick.
He must be talking about when you have a mixing table, which is good, but for us mixing out of the box, the monitors are the core of what we do. We enjoy the visualization of sound.
That's literally it, he said it!... Just close your eyes and the brain/sensors become alot more aware and super focused!... No need to move anything just close your eyes😉
That’s his preference , personally I wouldn’t do this although I do have a few systems in my studio . I don’t have a massive console either mines 24channel . Because I mainly master these days I don’t need a console really buy it looks nice . Remembering when I worked on consoles and huge tape machines I am so grateful for the advances in daws and plugins , makes life easier . It’s your skillset that matters and experience working in other environments I was ex BBC so had a good grounding . If Michael likes to shut his eyes and listen thats cool personally I like to use all my senses in combination and sitting in front of my TWO monitors in my listening triangle is perfect for me . Peas and love people .
exactly and the problem is all I have is my monitor so I do close my eyes or walk to another spot in my room to review mixes, but I get his concept..if I get rid of my monitor I won't be able to work period.hah
For all of you who didn’t listen to the whole thing he says “it’s [the monitor] to my left or to my right.” Just like this video! This was a test of your attention span, people!
well I close my eyes when I'm reviewing my mix. I also have three visual monitors and I do not have a mixing console. Everything is in the box! This sounds good and he's a great mixer, but let's realize that most mixers are using plugins that you interact with and you use a mouse and controller. You have to see where you are clicking....
I know Brauer enough to say that for him mixing is not tweaking eqs (or putting plugins on every tracks, now that he's completely ITB) but it's the actual act of "mixing" sounds, mostly by moving faders. I watch him mixing live a few years ago at one of the MWTM seminars in Paris and the time he spent "sculpting" sounds was very little, compared to moving faders and doing automations (of volume, fxs, etc.). What I mean is that for him, mixing is about balancing and moving things, and he's stopping doing that only when something bothers him so much that he need to take care of it. The thing you would notice about Brauer is that even after 15/20 minutes he's mixing a song, there's already some music to listen to.
@@pocket1684 thats how it goes. Its better to have a good recording than to have to spend hours editing. The singer moves and the mic pics it up? Might as well record it again instead of having to rely on comping the vocals to take that out
Exactly.. Say this to us who is creating EDM... 😄 Also when he said: "Monitor" i thought he was speaking of the studio loudspeaker behind him, as there were headphones layin' around as well. Would have made more sense. Im only mixing in phones: Sennheiser HD 660S. Removes most of the problems a "Monitor" can produce! 👍
I actually like to turn away from my speakers when playing a mix back. Walk around the studio, lay on the floor. Sure the stereo image isn't "perfect", but it helps discover elements you didn't notice before. I agree you shouldn't stare at your monitor when playing tracks back, but it can be useful to watch a spectrum while playing back if there's something strange happening in the mix. Don't worry about where your monitor is, lol. Just learn to not be so easily distracted, and move around while auditioning a mix
Great suggestion, up to a point. If the video monitors are left or right, then you've some weird reflections on that side. How about if we just close our eyes when doing critical mixing. I spend a lot of time editing and setting up sessions/mixes and I want ergonomics!
This is why we still cut many tracks to 2" Studer and use our SSL consoles for EVERY mix, no exceptions (not giving a **** whether they've gone out of style or not).
things I’ve done instead: close your eyes, lower the laptop screen so you can’t see it, look at the floor or the wall, put headphones on and focus on an outboard unit, close all plugin windows while you’re not editing them, switch to a minimalist session view, don’t read the numbers on plugin settings while changing values, mix with 12db of headroom so you don’t have to stare at the meters
I agree. I'm more paranoid about my mixes now I have a monitor than I ever did pre DAW days. I worry too much about what i SHOULD be doing rather than just listening to the actual mix...
I'm gonna go further, shut the curtains cause whats happening outside your window might distract you, turn the lights off and mix in the dark! I am joking, but I might actually try it sometime!
I agree with this philosophy but I find it a problem is since I'm working on the computer so much I'm getting all this audio in one ear. It's fine if you've got a huge desk in front of you and your using the computer as a tape machine but if your on it for long periods of time it doesn't work for me that I'm getting all the audio in one ear. Any obvious solutions?
I use the speaker switching on focusrite control to listen on monitors in my live room every so often while mixing. Gives me a chance to get up and stretch, grab a beer and hear it in another room away from my computer/monitor.
I've encountered dozens of producers and sound engineers of today who say things like ''let me see the mix'' rather than let me hear it or ''you just have to see what's going on'' rather than hear what's going on. I agree, a monitor can distract you, so sometimes for me, I'll just close my eyes if I'm tweaking a few things and see if I'm really hearing any changes, as opposed to it just being a placebo effect.
This is why I want to get a Faderport 16 channel mixer. Not completely the same as an analog mixer but at least I will have some tactile buttons/sliders to mess with rather than a mouse when mixing. I do miss having a physical mixer.
I just set my speakers up 90 degrees to the right of my computer desk. So listening becomes a separate act where I'm spinning my chair to my right. Allows flexibility in room setup.
Interesting 🤔 I am more of a visual engineer though 😃 My guess, it's because of a generational thing maybe... Yet, I am going to try it out for sure when I am mixing with a mixing desk in the future. I also come from a time where the transition was happening between analogue and digital. And I always thought: "this could be so much more efficient". Then it happened, digital daws etc. My dreams can true! 😃 But I am still able to mix analogue, yet I prefer to experience my materialized dream 🙃
@@Kevin_Carlson I record myself at home (use Reaper) and love Michael’s bus advice. Now I’ll double track guitar and bus the 4 tracks. Just doing that with no plugins sounds good to my ears.
As soon as I get a 48 channel SSL console, I’m so going to do this 😂🤣
Don’t forget the zip up cardigan and I’d bet money he’s wearing brown shoes.
@@jeanmicheljarret6097 I’ll take any 48 channel console. I’m not fussy.
Don't use the SSL Console as an excuse for not being able to mix 48 channels of analog. Even affordable analog consoles (e.g. Soundcraft Ghost) together with certain DAW plugins can achieve the same result nowadays. There are examples from Michael Wagener and Greg Wurth. I have also made this experience.
@@NikolausBrocke not sure i actually said that 🤣
I want one of these old mainframe computers. Which could fill a whole building. I am oldskool like that. Ok, back to my mono tape recorder.
I used to mix until I liked what I heard and then turn all the lights off, completely to that almost pitch black room and listen to the mix again. Always….ALWAYS… I’d discovered something new and interesting of my mix to polish or admire. It works when you limite your senses.
Can I add this to my recipe?
or say limit your distractions ?
The senses you don’t use potent the one you have handy
I was just thinking the same the other day, there’s this guy who’s blind who produces and he’s good. All ear.
maybe when you would get up to turn off the lights you were giving some rest time to your ears. thats why you would catch different sounds after sitting down again and turning the mix back on. idk.
I agree. Music without visual can make a difference. A dark room is important in my opinion
I guess that monitor in the video doesn’t count
This was not filmed in his studio, he was visiting NYC when we shot this interview.
Literally exactly what I was thinking.
@@AudezeHQ it still seems like a major conflict of interest from the words coming out of his mouth as you see him sitting at a console with a computer monitor right between the playback monitors. Maybe could’ve picked a different studio? Or just temporarily moved the monitor for the shot. Just some thoughts.
Haha. This whole video is a contradiction. Funny.
Personally, I like having it in front of me because of neck strain (I don't like looking left or right when I'm working). When I mix... I can close my eyes anyway... And the monitor (and everything else) disappears.
But this guy has much more experience than I do, that's for sure.
@@AudezeHQ yeah, I kept waiting for him to SHOW us the setup he uses. I guess we should close our eyes when we watch this vid, lol!
If I had a nice big analogue console and analogue outboard gear, I’d shove the monitor somewhere else too, but then my wallet gave me a reality check. Haha.
But closing eyes is good advice.
Facts, closing eyes is something I do sometimes already but I need monitor lmao
Cmd + =
Switch to mixer view and we are back to the old school Michael!
Except the screen flicker rate still messes with your eyes and the blue light from the screen makes your eyes tired. That's what bugs me about using the screen too much, i prefer not having to use it when it's not necessary. For me, i think it puts me in a different mind state and helps me focus more on the audio. Maybe it's just nostalgia but in the old days i used to wish i had everything on a computer screen i could control midi with, now i miss just using instruments and analog faders.
I agree with what Michael is saying. When you have your DAW open in front of you there is some portion of your brain that will inevitably be distracted with the visual components of your DAW. I find that when I need to do critical listening if I just minimize my DAW to where I'm only looking at a blank desktop my focus is shifted entirely to what I'm listening to.
+ one!
Hate it when people say the mix doesn’t look right 😂😂😂
@@redtape2006 🤣🤣🤣 it's sounds great it just doesn't look right mmmkay
Usually, in the DAW i use at least, you have instrument or rack or mixer in front of you. So, no.
The daw mixing makes any method of recording sound digital af anyways and as an outboard guy, I don’t like that. I love that thick analogy sound. Now making tracks with daws gives a a digital sound, but not mixing it leaves it wit somewhat of an analog sound as well so I like that.
Absolutely agree with this.
It’s why I absolutely love when I can do all analog sessions. Which is how I do 90% of my own records. Of course, digital is a necessary component of all contracted sessions.
That’s why I mix blindfolded.
This is so true, some times I see myself turning off my monitor screen and listening to the mix with my ears for a moment. This makes me feel like I'm inside the mix
Loving this channel, found you from the Steven Wilson episodes! Going to come back for more of your videos now 👊
I am writing this comment bcz I see a lot of commenters speak wrong about Michael. Please note Michael is one among the really good Mix Engineers and often does NOT handle his Pro tools sessions himself. Even 2 years back his working principle was to just hear the audio with minimal looking at the monitor and direct his Pro Tools operators to move things around. I understand the studio this is filmed in directly contradicts his point, but hey, this isn't his regular studio. This must be some other place.
This comment of mine is probably gonna go unnoticed or may attract hates mostly, but being in the music profession myself I felt I should point out when a thing's being taken wrongly. Michael is an absolute gentleman and does really understand the frequencies. Search him on RUclips and you'd discover profound knowledge :)
Naah. I just don't think the idea that Micheal is expressing was presented very well. Most of us are mixer/editors so we need the monitor situated ergonomically to prevent neck strain while working. Constantly looking at a monitor to the left or right during editing can cause injury over time.
Anyways, respect to Michael. But some backstory or some clarification would have been good.
I didn’t take you wrong. Well put.
@@crooker2 100% .
Each to their own! I come from the adage that tools change ! Some for the good some not so! Working out your own format and making things sound the way that you want is your call and your call alone! Ears are very very unique per person! Even in this digital age I still mix down onto 1/2 inch as well as other formats!
thank you...I rollerskate for a living and pasttime,and long ago,I found a teacher who changed my whole perspective.One of the things he did was teach me something and then he would have me skate with my eye closed. Not around the rink,to do that movement,eyes closed. At first I thought he had lost his mind or was trying to make me injure myself,yet when I tried it,it was wonderful and so free.After that,I would DJ and turn the lights off,play the piano blind,and I found I connected. People have told me since then,when I was spinning vinyl, my mind left the room,like I was in a trance,and when skating I would not pay attention to anyone.So yes, when i am busy enjoying life,trying to express,trying to enjoy,trying to love,it's time to focus...
I learned to mix on a small analogue board, live, and always did micro-increments as the artists performed (and still do whenever I'm on FOH duty!).
Transitioning to DAW mixing was 1000x easier after that. I now mix a whole show fore streaming within 2 days and the client's mind is blown at how fast I am. I only use Logic Pro native plug-ins and stay in the console view the vast majority of the time.
Exactly!!!! Same here. Lights off, eyes closed. It’s like you can see the soundscape when you close your eyes. It forces you to open your parts of the brain that are closed off when looking at the screen while mixing.
One time, I closed my eyes and I could literally see the music as a 3D landscape flowing through me.
I get what he's saying, and he makes a very good point. You just can't take it too literally. Maybe he would agree that it's best to use all your senses, eyes and ears individually and together.
Figured this out early as well. I often turn off my computer monitor (which is between reference monitors) during the mix process to just listen. You'll be surprised what you hear when you're not looking. Great advice!
good idea! another one I wish to do more often is bounce out the mix. close the DAW and do a full listen. you can noodle around and visualy: turn off the sreen. experince the music, mix analysis or inspiration on what to do ? take notes. Or the classic: walk around the room, how amazing things pop up when you're "just linstening". cheers
Watching the moving tracks in my DAW (with all the contents in it, like notes, effect curves, waveforms, etc.) while playing the song makes me feel (when hearing it in the monitors over and over) different again. It is different every time I play it and nothing seems to be right. The eye catches different parts of the project, jumping from left to right, and up-n-down, and the ear concentrates on different parts of the song (and different details which should be visually attached to it) every time, so it sounds different every time I play it. And the things which sounded fine before now seem to be "not quite all right"; and then again ... after a couple of minutes it somehow starts feeling right again (after double checking it with eyes closed), etc. So, yes, that's right. You cannot mix the entire thing with your eyes on the screen. The eye and the ear will keep distracting one another.
yes. spot on. I just had a minor ephiphany reading through comments like this. Too many stimuli and too much psychology...you question every moment!
Some ppl lack in broad understanding. Of course he is talking about HIS experience with his console but this could apply to anyone.
Even though Ive always been in the box, I now tend to start a mix eyes closed. Then, when I need to make changes, I open my eyes to do the editing, then listen again with eyes closed.
When you’re engineering a mix, your ears are the main focus. In today’s age, it’s super easy to be distracted by everything. Even if you don’t have a mixing console, you can still apply the same techniques. Slow down, close your eyes & let your ears visualize it before your eyes examine it.
Solid advice 👊
Cool. I dig the eyes closing thing. Makes your ears more sensitive. Thanks for posting this. You are a blessing
Love the advice, thank you
This could be applicable to an old era engineer with high end analog gear. But even then I wonder how the massive console with its meters in front of you wasn't a distraction.
He said he mixes with his eyes closed, he's probably got the muscle memory to find his way around
It easily could be. His opinion here is just bias. Every old school engineer has been complaining about needing to use computers and Pro Tools since that became the recording medium. Tape machines had all their own problems, mixing desks have their own problems. You just work with the tools you need and learn the benefits and costs. Nobody needs to mix without a monitor in front of them, they need to learn to do good mixes no matter what is happening around them.
The blue light from the monitor does have an effect on you that could increase destructions.
@@mcoz747 He's right. In 1992, when I was setting up Southern Sky Recording Studio in Fort Oglethorpe, GA, we had ProTools version 1.0. I placed the computer and (huge CRT) monitor to the right, and below the plane of the speakers and my ears. I didn't do it to avoid distraction, I did it to avoid the disruption of the stereo image created by the speakers. And as for "old school engineers," do you mean those guys whose tools and techniques were so good that new engineers keep buying plugins that try to emulate them?
@sports fan Seems about right.
Best video I have seen on audio until now. It teaches you everything you need to know.
Great Brauer. Real pro
A good option is to control the display brightness in the menu bar, turning it to zero when checking the mix. For some operating systems/screens this requires additional software.
No doubt. My eyes were super trashed out last night and that's sittin at 5%. With blue blockers on my face.
@@a.t.hustle1583 Definitely, I adjust brightness to minimum frequently on phone - Should be implemented as an option for external monitors on desktops also.
Truth. If I’m having trouble time aligning two parts I’ll close my eyes while listening. Helps a ton!
So get really expensive outboard gear and mix analog with analog faders so you aren’t on a screen as often instead of itb which is much more feasible. Got it 👍🏼
Well, that’s what I did, but I bought most of the outboard and even my tape machines broken so it wasn’t that expensive, a modest console (Soundcraft 2400) and I DIY’ed the rest. No computer monitor in my studio.
I also thought the same :)) In fact I was thinking proposing all DAW makers to include a function that makes the monitor totally dark what you re-listen to a mix.
That's a great looking monitor right there
I do this all the time…. I’m old…… started recording back in the days of analog tape before any computers were in the studio…..
One could certainly put the monitor in a different location; and there are all kinds of different mounting brackets available, some that are even quite fancy, with boom arms that let you move the monitor out of the way with a light push, or that have ball joints that allow for a multitude of different viewing angles.
They aren’t necessarily cheap, but they would work very well if you wanted to get rid of the monitor directly in front of you and between your speakers.
Or (and I’m just throwing this possibility out there as another viable option), you could always just close your eyes while listening…
Or y'know, just turn it off if people have zero ability to differentiate between stimuli.
CLOSE YOUR EYES. GREAT ADVICE. WILL DO. THANK YOU
I plucked my eyes out for the last mix I did. I will never mix again but boy was it worth it. :)
This is sooo true, esp looking at ParametricEQ or EQeight's frequencies instead of actually listening
Hear hear! I've preached this for a decade - for composing. I think many get distracted from what their ears are telling them to change, even by a small screen on a synthesizer. You are supposed to turn away from the computer and turn to the instrument and focus on the instrument (or mixer, or looper, etc) and make the changes. It's much more fun and intimate to play the instrument rather than play some, look away, move the mouse, find the control, click and drag, yada yada, before you can play and adjust again just listening. Screens are a ball and chain on musical creativity...
Noted….Makes sense when you consider the focus should be on the ears not eyes…one less distraction😁💯
Brilliant advice.
Interesting viewpoint. Makes a lot of sense.
Exactly. We're all tempted to think with our eyes. Close your eyes
and give them a rest, and your ears will guide you more correctly.
We're already over-stimulated visually with screens and bad lighting :)
Say this to us who is creating EDM... 😄 Also when he said: "Monitor" i thought he was speaking of the studio loudspeaker behind him, as there were headphones layin' around as well. Would have made more sense. Im only mixing in phones: Sennheiser HD 660S. Removes most of the problems a "Monitor" can produce! 👍
You should be mixing using EarPods or a crappy cellphone speaker since that’s likely how your audience will be hearing your stuff.
I mix with earbuds and then switch to speakers 🔊 to hear the difference
This was exactly what i was thinking today and yes somebody had said it in a video.🔥
Wow this is so helpful Sir
thank u lots
yes the necessity of digital and recall for most of us working for hire means it's very hard to escape the screen, and let's be honest not many of us have the budget for a huge Avid controller to focus on instead! What I do fling the cursor into a corner that triggers the screensaver and that does the trick.
Great advice. Trust your senses
He must be talking about when you have a mixing table, which is good, but for us mixing out of the box, the monitors are the core of what we do. We enjoy the visualization of sound.
Good advice, that's why pros have support.
Because one size always fits all, 100% of the time. There is definitely a 100% best way to make music in all cases for all applications.
That's literally it, he said it!... Just close your eyes and the brain/sensors become alot more aware and super focused!... No need to move anything just close your eyes😉
That’s his preference , personally I wouldn’t do this although I do have a few systems in my studio . I don’t have a massive console either mines 24channel . Because I mainly master these days I don’t need a console really buy it looks nice . Remembering when I worked on consoles and huge tape machines I am so grateful for the advances in daws and plugins , makes life easier . It’s your skillset that matters and experience working in other environments I was ex BBC so had a good grounding . If Michael likes to shut his eyes and listen thats cool personally I like to use all my senses in combination and sitting in front of my TWO monitors in my listening triangle is perfect for me . Peas and love people .
He's correct about it mostly because when you bounce your mix to aiff or mp3 you listen much diferently
Eyelids, man. Best invention ever.
Funny. Saying all of this with a monitor right in front of him. Am I missing something? LOL
My thoughts exactly. hahaha
A prop for the video, but he's not mixing, he's doing an interview you dork.
exactly and the problem is all I have is my monitor so I do close my eyes or walk to another spot in my room to review mixes, but I get his concept..if I get rid of my monitor I won't be able to work period.hah
I didn't hear what he said. Was looking at the monitor...
For all of you who didn’t listen to the whole thing he says “it’s [the monitor] to my left or to my right.” Just like this video! This was a test of your attention span, people!
well I close my eyes when I'm reviewing my mix. I also have three visual monitors and I do not have a mixing console. Everything is in the box! This sounds good and he's a great mixer, but let's realize that most mixers are using plugins that you interact with and you use a mouse and controller. You have to see where you are clicking....
I know Brauer enough to say that for him mixing is not tweaking eqs (or putting plugins on every tracks, now that he's completely ITB) but it's the actual act of "mixing" sounds, mostly by moving faders. I watch him mixing live a few years ago at one of the MWTM seminars in Paris and the time he spent "sculpting" sounds was very little, compared to moving faders and doing automations (of volume, fxs, etc.). What I mean is that for him, mixing is about balancing and moving things, and he's stopping doing that only when something bothers him so much that he need to take care of it. The thing you would notice about Brauer is that even after 15/20 minutes he's mixing a song, there's already some music to listen to.
@@pocket1684 thats how it goes. Its better to have a good recording than to have to spend hours editing. The singer moves and the mic pics it up? Might as well record it again instead of having to rely on comping the vocals to take that out
Exactly.. Say this to us who is creating EDM... 😄 Also when he said: "Monitor" i thought he was speaking of the studio loudspeaker behind him, as there were headphones layin' around as well. Would have made more sense. Im only mixing in phones: Sennheiser HD 660S. Removes most of the problems a "Monitor" can produce! 👍
Very interesting !!
I actually like to turn away from my speakers when playing a mix back. Walk around the studio, lay on the floor. Sure the stereo image isn't "perfect", but it helps discover elements you didn't notice before. I agree you shouldn't stare at your monitor when playing tracks back, but it can be useful to watch a spectrum while playing back if there's something strange happening in the mix. Don't worry about where your monitor is, lol. Just learn to not be so easily distracted, and move around while auditioning a mix
Real interesting location for this interview
Totally agree with you Michael
Great suggestion, up to a point. If the video monitors are left or right, then you've some weird reflections on that side. How about if we just close our eyes when doing critical mixing. I spend a lot of time editing and setting up sessions/mixes and I want ergonomics!
This is why we still cut many tracks to 2" Studer and use our SSL consoles for EVERY mix, no exceptions (not giving a **** whether they've gone out of style or not).
things I’ve done instead: close your eyes, lower the laptop screen so you can’t see it, look at the floor or the wall, put headphones on and focus on an outboard unit, close all plugin windows while you’re not editing them, switch to a minimalist session view, don’t read the numbers on plugin settings while changing values, mix with 12db of headroom so you don’t have to stare at the meters
I agree. I'm more paranoid about my mixes now I have a monitor than I ever did pre DAW days. I worry too much about what i SHOULD be doing rather than just listening to the actual mix...
I'm gonna go further, shut the curtains cause whats happening outside your window might distract you, turn the lights off and mix in the dark! I am joking, but I might actually try it sometime!
Great advice, if you want to keep production in the 80's.
No monitors for me,and dark shades with low light.Gotta have my ears on 100% focus.This guy is absolutely correct.🤖📡
Exactly the reason I’m obsessed with finding the perfect crane laptop stand as opposed to a stationary one
Makes a lot of sense. It’s all done for the ears anyway so put 100% into using the ears with no distractions.
It so funny, he tells you to get rid of your monitor while being right in front of his monitor. LOL
that was exactly what I was thinking about when I first watched the video lol
I agree with this philosophy but I find it a problem is since I'm working on the computer so much I'm getting all this audio in one ear. It's fine if you've got a huge desk in front of you and your using the computer as a tape machine but if your on it for long periods of time it doesn't work for me that I'm getting all the audio in one ear. Any obvious solutions?
There’s always a compromise. Monitor on your side will reflect sound waves screwing the stereo image…
I use the speaker switching on focusrite control to listen on monitors in my live room every so often while mixing. Gives me a chance to get up and stretch, grab a beer and hear it in another room away from my computer/monitor.
Love his mixing on Dream Theater’s ‘The Score” live album. ❤
True I just close my eyes for that effect
For everyone who can’t afford a ssl, buy a monitor with a power button and toggle it while mixing. Problem solved.
I've encountered dozens of producers and sound engineers of today who say things like ''let me see the mix'' rather than let me hear it or ''you just have to see what's going on'' rather than hear what's going on. I agree, a monitor can distract you, so sometimes for me, I'll just close my eyes if I'm tweaking a few things and see if I'm really hearing any changes, as opposed to it just being a placebo effect.
Thank you
This is why film mixers and music mixers are from different planets. For film mixers, the screen in the center IS the focus.
It’s a great point. Clear the periphery - or just turn the monitor off temporarily
This is why I want to get a Faderport 16 channel mixer. Not completely the same as an analog mixer but at least I will have some tactile buttons/sliders to mess with rather than a mouse when mixing. I do miss having a physical mixer.
Closing your eyes when mixing 👌
i can feel that because when i off my screen it just feels way better and i dont get lost on some colours or anything .
I find this to help as well. Can even just use one monitor at times to get a good mono mix. One fat monitor with lots of frequency response.
I agree. Computers are on one side of my office. Speakers plus mixer right behind me so "I can look at the sound through the speakers... "
I just set my speakers up 90 degrees to the right of my computer desk. So listening becomes a separate act where I'm spinning my chair to my right. Allows flexibility in room setup.
Our boy trippin
?
To everyone who may read this I hope y'all make it let's keep grinding 🙏🏽
If you’re a producer/arranger it’s a different story. I can’t edit with my ears alone.
Clicked accidentally but this is solid advice. Thanks :)
El gran Michael Brauer.
I have noticed this when doing my soundgym exercises. I knew i wasn't crazy lol
Interesting 🤔
I am more of a visual engineer though 😃
My guess, it's because of a generational thing maybe...
Yet, I am going to try it out for sure when I am mixing with a mixing desk in the future.
I also come from a time where the transition was happening between analogue and digital. And I always thought: "this could be so much more efficient". Then it happened, digital daws etc. My dreams can true! 😃 But I am still able to mix analogue, yet I prefer to experience my materialized dream 🙃
Great advice. A constant visual feedback from spectrum analyzers and level meters will create bad habits.
I always turn off my monitor and all lights and remain in darkness when I'm mixing. That changes everything to me
Put a painting between the 2 speakers. A huge one. Oil painting. 🖼️👨🏾🎨
I did what you said and now my neck is killing me! :)
Saying that while in front of a monitor. Humm. What I say, "be unique and love what you do".
Just wondering…what is that monitor doing in the center? Just wondering 💭
Oh, man! I just bought a new lava lamp 🤣
Kidding... Nice video. I need to test this out!
Love the monitor in front of Michael the entire time.
Technically, it was to his right the whole time.😊
@@Kevin_Carlson I record myself at home (use Reaper) and love Michael’s bus advice. Now I’ll double track guitar and bus the 4 tracks. Just doing that with no plugins sounds good to my ears.