Do you have a song nomination you want to hear in our upcoming mix breakdown series? ►Mixing Breakthroughs: mixingbreakthroughs.com ►EQ Breakthroughs: EQBreakthroughs.com ►Compression Breakthroughs: compressionbreakthroughs.com ►Mastering Demystified: MasteringDemystified.com Also: Here are time stamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:51 Is there a solid rhythmic hook? 4:39 Learn to love THIS. 7:19 Shout out! 10:46 Mixing Tiers and Focal Points 14:20 Identify and exploit the hooks 18:50 Case study: "Happy" 23:22 Emotional hooks and Textural Hooks 26:55 Recap until now 27:42 Common examples 28:40 Competing low end 30:00 Case study: "Air" 32:00 Percussion dominance 35:29 Watch your effects! 37:26 Announcement!
Thank you for another wonderful episode... please do the series where you review songs....am curious about how u would categories the importance of elements in an Afrobeat or dancehall song
@@SonicScoop Thank you in advance for your review Here are a few popular Afrobeat songs I would love to hear you review and point out what the main driving elements are and what categories they fall into On the more Pop side of Afrobeat 1. Love Nwantiti by Ckay 2. Essence by Wizkid ft Tems 3. Calm down by Rema ft selena Gomez 4. Woman by Dojo Cat From a Subgenre or Closely related genre called Amapiano 1. Sungba by asake ft burna boy 2. Yaba buluku by DJ Tarico ft burna boy and some other artists 3. Water by Tyla 4. Unavailable by Davido Thank you
This is great Justin! This is what music is about. Thanks! But I don ’t agree on Happy. Don’t think the hi-hat is more pronounced than the snare. And the backbeat gets even more appearanced when the claps enter. Great song
Man, super interesting stuff Justin. As Always. The commercial mix critique idea is also something I'd really want to see in the future. Just as good as the mix critiques for channel members only this time, we get to hear why things sound good instead how they could sound better. Thanks for the insight.
Awesome video as usual! Got my vote for going deep into some great songs that would be really nice! Keep up the good work Justin your channel is gold 👍
Man preach it brother. What I have learned but I'm still very novice... But I learned that you should mix with a low volume for the most part. Keep everything in the pocket for the most part. I can feel when it hit just right but I think I should tighten up my compression because I'm losing some harmony in movement. Like a wash sometimes. But I'm getting it. It takes a time to come from blank to a finished product. Anywho. Thank you sir. Very wise advice.
after the last mix critique, i feel like this whole video was you talking to me directly 😂 this was great thank you. Potential Members Question here: If you are producing a project for a band, but not explicitly writing or performing the parts, how can you help the band to enhance their hooks/performance or get them thinking about the various types of hooks? Should they just do their thing and not think about these things? How can you nudge the band in these directions without making them overthink? Curious to hear your thoughts on guiding a band without getting in the way of their creativity.
Observe, my friend, a glorious orchestra working with his orchestra. Say, Yevgeny Mravinsky. In order for the orchestra to play as a _unity,_ the conductor must have _command_ of each and every player. Thus, it requires a great unifier, one who exhibits true understanding. Remember, they _want_ to play supremely. Also, if you want them to hear you, speak to them in their own language. Hope that helps.
GREAT question. Maybe you can put this into the next members Q&A thread when it comes? I look there and search "member question" as well, but as this was "members question" is didn't show up :-/ Sorry!
I wouldn't say that the mix stage of "Happy" is where those decisions happened, when you mix a song produced by a big name like Pharrell, you wanna stick to the rough mix and follow the producers vision. If you're working with an average client, it's unlikely they will appreciate your view of what is important unles you are a big name mixer.
I think a good mix breakdown could be “American Gigolo” by Weezer. The album “Maladroit” is generally slept on imo. On this song the drums are MASSIVE in the intro but recede into the background for the rest of the song. I think it’s a great example of that tier system. When the drums need to be A tier, they are. But for the majority of the song its the guitar and the vocals, and you can clearly hear the balance shift throughout if you pay attention. These drums also open up the song with an immediate and strong rhythmic hook. As a kid however, I didn’t notice. I was just captivated and enthralled.
well that brings up another issue then, is it professionally okay to change things in the arrangement or production to make it 'feel ' better? because a great mix wont fix off timing production or arrangement. Some will probably say as long as you have the artist/band's okay to do so, but i do also see professionals changing drums for their own drums that 'feel better' at their own discretion .
If you are the producer, it’s potentially part of your job to recommend such things! If you are the mixer… not usually. Ask yourself: which role are you being hired to do? And what is your relationship like with the people hiring you? Could or should your role change? But yes, producing is more powerful than mixing. -Justin
Do you have a song nomination you want to hear in our upcoming mix breakdown series?
►Mixing Breakthroughs: mixingbreakthroughs.com
►EQ Breakthroughs: EQBreakthroughs.com
►Compression Breakthroughs: compressionbreakthroughs.com
►Mastering Demystified: MasteringDemystified.com
Also: Here are time stamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:51 Is there a solid rhythmic hook?
4:39 Learn to love THIS.
7:19 Shout out!
10:46 Mixing Tiers and Focal Points
14:20 Identify and exploit the hooks
18:50 Case study: "Happy"
23:22 Emotional hooks and Textural Hooks
26:55 Recap until now
27:42 Common examples
28:40 Competing low end
30:00 Case study: "Air"
32:00 Percussion dominance
35:29 Watch your effects!
37:26 Announcement!
"Black and White Town" by Doves. Absolutely incredible mix/song.
Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden. I’ve always wanted to know how everything fits perfect
Lol that kick drum of God reference is really true! 😂, 17:08
Yooooo, swinging by to catch up on the earlier half I missed on the day
Thanks for popping in Benj!
-Justin
Thank you for another wonderful episode... please do the series where you review songs....am curious about how u would categories the importance of elements in an Afrobeat or dancehall song
Would love to! Name some iconically well mixed or popular songs in the style you'd like to hear this approach on.
-Justin
@@SonicScoop Thank you in advance for your review
Here are a few popular Afrobeat songs I would love to hear you review and point out what the main driving elements are and what categories they fall into
On the more Pop side of Afrobeat
1. Love Nwantiti by Ckay
2. Essence by Wizkid ft Tems
3. Calm down by Rema ft selena Gomez
4. Woman by Dojo Cat
From a Subgenre or Closely related genre called Amapiano
1. Sungba by asake ft burna boy
2. Yaba buluku by DJ Tarico ft burna boy and some other artists
3. Water by Tyla
4. Unavailable by Davido
Thank you
Outcast's "Hey Yah" methinks would be an interesting case study
This is great Justin! This is what music is about. Thanks! But I don ’t agree on Happy. Don’t think the hi-hat is more pronounced than the snare. And the backbeat gets even more appearanced when the claps enter. Great song
Man, super interesting stuff Justin. As Always. The commercial mix critique idea is also something I'd really want to see in the future. Just as good as the mix critiques for channel members only this time, we get to hear why things sound good instead how they could sound better. Thanks for the insight.
Awesome to hear! Yes, looking forward to doing the first of those this week!
-Justin
Awesome video as usual! Got my vote for going deep into some great songs that would be really nice! Keep up the good work Justin your channel is gold 👍
Will look forward to doing that! Thanks for the kind words.
-Justin
Man preach it brother. What I have learned but I'm still very novice... But I learned that you should mix with a low volume for the most part. Keep everything in the pocket for the most part. I can feel when it hit just right but I think I should tighten up my compression because I'm losing some harmony in movement. Like a wash sometimes. But I'm getting it. It takes a time to come from blank to a finished product. Anywho. Thank you sir. Very wise advice.
after the last mix critique, i feel like this whole video was you talking to me directly 😂 this was great thank you. Potential Members Question here: If you are producing a project for a band, but not explicitly writing or performing the parts, how can you help the band to enhance their hooks/performance or get them thinking about the various types of hooks? Should they just do their thing and not think about these things? How can you nudge the band in these directions without making them overthink? Curious to hear your thoughts on guiding a band without getting in the way of their creativity.
Observe, my friend, a glorious orchestra working with his orchestra. Say, Yevgeny Mravinsky.
In order for the orchestra to play as a _unity,_ the conductor must have _command_ of each and every player.
Thus, it requires a great unifier, one who exhibits true understanding. Remember, they _want_ to play supremely.
Also, if you want them to hear you, speak to them in their own language.
Hope that helps.
GREAT question. Maybe you can put this into the next members Q&A thread when it comes? I look there and search "member question" as well, but as this was "members question" is didn't show up :-/ Sorry!
@@SonicScoop haha, that's hilarious. I definitely will, thanks for the tip
Thank you.
Great session, nicely done. Thanks
Mix recommendation :
Headphones - Banx & Ranx & Rêve (super tricky)
Popstar - Drake (super simple)
Thanks for the nominations!
Justin ! When do you organize a mixing contest ? Sponsors will love it and us too and it cost almost nothing !
Would love to do that some day!
I wouldn't say that the mix stage of "Happy" is where those decisions happened, when you mix a song produced by a big name like Pharrell, you wanna stick to the rough mix and follow the producers vision.
If you're working with an average client, it's unlikely they will appreciate your view of what is important unles you are a big name mixer.
Why This Mix Sounds Great ----> "Black and White Town" by Doves. 🤤
I think a good mix breakdown could be “American Gigolo” by Weezer. The album “Maladroit” is generally slept on imo. On this song the drums are MASSIVE in the intro but recede into the background for the rest of the song. I think it’s a great example of that tier system. When the drums need to be A tier, they are. But for the majority of the song its the guitar and the vocals, and you can clearly hear the balance shift throughout if you pay attention. These drums also open up the song with an immediate and strong rhythmic hook. As a kid however, I didn’t notice. I was just captivated and enthralled.
Thanks for the recommendation, I'll have a closer listen!
-Justin
Wicked vid
Hi Justin, love those panels on the back wall. What are those?
You can turn on video subtitles?, I don't speak English, thanks Justin
well that brings up another issue then, is it professionally okay to change things in the arrangement or production to make it 'feel ' better? because a great mix wont fix off timing production or arrangement. Some will probably say as long as you have the artist/band's okay to do so, but i do also see professionals changing drums for their own drums that 'feel better' at their own discretion .
If you are the producer, it’s potentially part of your job to recommend such things!
If you are the mixer… not usually.
Ask yourself: which role are you being hired to do? And what is your relationship like with the people hiring you? Could or should your role change?
But yes, producing is more powerful than mixing.
-Justin
What if my band is a lead singer, a lead guitar player, a lead bassist and a lead drummer ;)
😆
Then you would probably give each member their moments to shine, just not all at the same time.
8:13 : This look so huge it seems scripted haha
All ad libbed, all the time! :-)
-Justin
This was extremely helpful omg.
So glad to hear! Thanks for tuning in. Hope to see more of you around.
-Justin