What is your top tip for cleaning up muddy mixes? Thanks everyone for being such an amazing part of our community! I feel so blessed to be a part of it! Please all be well, look after yourselves and thank you all so much for everything that you do! I am so grateful for you ALL!
"Thanks everyone for being such an amazing part of our community! I feel so blessed to be a part of it! Please all be well, look after yourselves and thank you all so much for everything that you do! I am so grateful for you ALL!" Right back at ya Warren and Team ;0)
My top tip would be to give the most space to the most important element - usually the vocal(s). If the vocal is fighting with something else for space (distorted powerchord guitars are a prime offender), the vocal should usually "win" and the other part should yield space to it. It doesn't have to be all the time - sometimes automating an EQ band down when the vocal is singing, and back up when it isn't, is the right thing.
This video looks much like the ones 2 or 3 years ago, in the sense that you look younger. Health wise you did something good. Keep it going. 2 months ago or so , you looked so tired in a video. Can t help to say it, i m a nutritionist and longevity buff :) Always nice to learn from you. I m also year 1 Sound Engineer in Manchester England (spirit studios). Thanks for everything. Our teachers know your channel & Dave Pensado channel. Btw Dave said he installed a basketball space outside the studio and he would go every 2 hours or so to move those muscles to stay healthy. Did you hear of this trick ? I think is very needed for mixing engineers/ producers. We sit too much.
People, we need to start seriously filtering who we listen to when trying to learn something properly. On YT there are too many 'knowitall' beginners who pretend to know what they're doing. This channel for example for me is a true and reliable reference.
This channel also grew on me. I watched a lot of other channels. I am mostly a visual artist and a musician, making my own video game music for my small games and therefore I'm always looking for mixing and mastering tutorials. The same thing you describe can also be applied to the visual arts side of things on YT learning material. One can sense when you have found a source that suddenly feels honest and reliable. It's a feeling of someone having lots of knowlede and thought put into their craft and spent a lot of time with it, as well as how he presents this knowledge. Suddenly you feel trust and feel comfi to learn from him/her. These sources are not easy to find. I am so glad I now realized this channel is one of those sources.
I agree! Learned a lot of new tips and tricks from here and I love that it’s not ”HERE’S HOW YOU DO IT” but instead ”here is one way to do it, here is another”.
Im in sound engineering school/ university and i still learn more from this channel and interviews with mixing engineers. School will not make you good, believe me. Mix a lot.
I love the way you demonstrated this on a massively saturated mix with huge guitars and bass. So often people do tutorials on fairly thin clean mixes where it's difficult to hear the changes they make. Also like the fact that you aren't afraid to get aggressive with an EQ. So many people only ever advocate tiny tiny tweaks all the time. Keep up the great work! 👍
PEOPLE! Do you want better mixes? The easiest way to do this....listen to this man. His advice will get you there. Even with my very basic recording setup, Warren has taught me so much. His methods are airtight and he knows his stuff. He's never lead me anywhere but down the road of better mixes. Warren is the real deal.
Its about knowing what you have on those 5 or 73 tracks and using the right tools to put them in their place in the mix. Youre in the right place though because Warren is better than most of my teachers I had in engineering school. He's had hits (I have trouble taking advice from people who havent proven they can make better records than me. Theres no issue here, a #1 hit with The Fray will suffice) and unlike a lot of people he clearly doesnt feel threatened by sharing his "secrets"...
It used to be the same for me. I can recommend establishing really good and - even more importantly - consistent shemes for coloring and grouping your tracks. I used to think coloring was more a fun thing for aesthetic reasons, but I was wrong. it honestly helps me so much now. I'm getting to a point where I halfway "hear colors" in my mixes. Meaning there's certain groups of instruments (the mid-rangy chord stuff for example) that's light green. Leads are dark green. Both are in the green instruments group (and bus). Obviously it doesn't matter which colors you choose personally. But when I notice a problem, I also have a feeling for which color of tracks I'm gonna look at to fix it. Which immediately narrows it down to usually a hand full at most.
Related to that: Invest the time to create a template. This makes it easier to stay consistent with track orders and colors (and associated mixing choices, obviously). For example my INST bus already high passed at 200Hz because I just know I will do something like that anyway. The time invested in a good template is returned *so* quickly.
Point 1 is soooo important. This „fix it in the mix“ approach is annoying sometimes, it’s almost a religious belief in the power of plugins nowadays. How do they say? - Record as if there were no mixing and mix as if there were no mastering.
The only thing I fix in the mix is my timing which can be... terrible at times, so elastic audio helps! And just clip gaining. Fixing the actual sonic of my instrument just doesn't work!
Yes, I always learned (and still say), "garbage in, garbage out." I also love UBK's info on this topic - "the mix doesn't start after the recording is complete. It begins with the writing, pre-production and playing." Or, something like that haha Great vid, thanks!
I just found your channel while listening to RUclips at work and I seriously can't believe it because it feels like a hidden treasure I can't wait to get home today
Warren my mixed used to suck... now they just kind of suck.. but I’m learning so much from you I’m hoping in years to come I’ll listen back and be happy. All thanks to you. Legend.
I wish I had your videos as a guide back when I began making music. I always knew I have composing skills but lacked when it came to mixing and mastering. After watching tons of your videos I've jumped more steps forward in mixing than during the last 10 years. Many thanks, you are a great teacher and you seem very nice person. I promise to tell everyone to subscribe your channel if I ever get my foot in the music business.
I must say this: you are a true master. Everything you teach here is pure gold, because you give practical examples, not just theory. Keep up your great work, Warren!
I do love hearing all the bottom end having its own space, what you did with high pass and a bump is what gives the kick its thump, guitars thickness, vocals low mid. Low mids are a tricky one as not all monitors have good forward low mids, or lacking low lows, so its common to hear error in those areas pushing more bass to hear the bottom which ends up being BOOMY! in the car speakers, or the low mids on an acoustic overpowers the car speakers but sounded ok on the monitors. Also room phase in the seating position, wherever that is on the EQ will end up being added, where it builds up being cut. I know I mixed to the room, every time I moved studio changed rooms my previous mixes sounded completely different. Thanks for the tutorial Warren!
Thanks, Warren. I thought to myself before watching this video, "I have learned more from Warren than from ANY other source." Your real-time hands-on walkthroughs followed by explanatory recap is very helpful. Your videos are a troubleshooting Godsend - logical, practical, and spot-on musical with a 'you can do it' theme throughout. It means a lot to me. The one takeaway from my audio engineering studies/personal experience is that the human hearing range is 20Hz to 20KHz, and the goal for every mix is to present a sonic equilibrium within which each frequency has equal-opportunity to be contextually heard, according to how we humans perceive frequency (Fletcher-Munson curve). That is what I consistently learn with each new video you provide. Thank you so much! I typically approach a mix by, first, applying static EQ to all tracks. Second, I apply dynamic EQ to address what static EQ cannot. Third, I apply sidechain dynamic EQ (if surgically necessary) to address what standalone dynamic EQ cannot. Then, and only then, I apply compression (where suited), followed by limiting. I repeat this process for each bussed effect (reverb, etc.).
PATIENCE is KING! I'm reminded of that every time I get excited to record and I completely pass all the fundamentals looking franticly for a big RED button to push. I've wasted so much time by just not taking the time to go step by step . Thanks man for these vids not only keeps users objective but as for me keeps me grounded and eyes on the best production and post production possible. which is the prize. Hope everyone finds this in the best of health and knowing that no virus of any kind imaginary or not can stop the love for creating. Music or the Spirit of is truly our Commander and chief our ears hands and etc... are just her aids. Again thanks
I've never commented on any of your videos before, because I'm mainly here to try to learn more about recording with a DAW. I'm from the dinosaur school of recording I guess, where we used tape, and mixing desks, outboard effects, and microphones, to capture the performance of a musician. From this video, I would kind of get the feeling that I really would prefer to have all the sounds come from organic instruments, and leave all the virtual instruments for the video games. Maybe that's why the music of the day seems to lack the soul of the music that used to be... no one has the patience to learn their instruments, and put in the sweat to make it happen. Warren, thank you for posting your videos. You reveal a lot about what to do, and what not to do when mixing recordings.
@@Producelikeapro Hello Warren, I am pleased to meet you also! I've been a subscriber for a couple of years because I find many of your videos very helpful, and some are very entertaining, ( Interviews with Jack Douglas, Aspen Pittman, Billy Sheehan, Tony franklin, and many others). I'm basically just a guitarist who loves to compose and play, but I'm also proficient in bass guitar and drums. I've been watching and listening to your videos to help me put together a home studio of my own with the goal of recording and producing my own music to the best of my ability. My biggest hurdles are in trying to make the transition from the analog recording world to the digital one. You offer a LOT of information in the digital recording age, and sometimes I find myself a little overwhelmed, but I don't give up. One day, I will have some recordings down to my satisfaction, and I credit your videos as a large part of the guidance I've followed to get there. Thank you!
Man I really love your videos! One feels you are not saving any knowledge or tricks for yourself, rather giving it all and actually wanting people to learn, not caring just about the number of views. A rare thing this days, keep it up please!!
This lesson is put together beautifully. Super production! I’ve been working in GarageBand without the ability to record live drums and bass. Consequently, all my drum and bass tracks have to be cut virtually. The frequency response of the virtual instruments by themselves is decent, but they tend to be weak in the mix. It’s tricky to beef them up without running into the muddiness problem. What I’ve been doing as a work-around is duplicating the tracks, then EQing each track in different ranges, similar to what you’re representing here in this video. For drums, I select a main or fundamental drum kit. After working out the lines, I choose a second kit with a different frequency character, then copy and paste the fundamental. I repeat this process a third time with a third kit. I shape the first kit with bright frequencies that give definition to each instrument in the kit. The second kit gets shaped with darker mids to pull out the toms and give the snare a good punch. I’ll even run this kit through an amp sim - the toms really sit nicely with a touch of gain or crunch. For the third kit, I work out low and high frequencies to pull out the kick and draw some additional cymbal definition. The result is astounding. The drums are right up front, clear, and punchy, similar to an acoustic kit. I take same approach for bass. Picked bass for the fundamental track that emphasizes middle and upper range, usually with a fair amount of crunchy gain through a guitar amp sim. Copy and paste to a fresh track, choosing a softer bass style. This track will pull out the lows and maybe some low mids. I’ll sit the second track a bit higher in the mix. Also, to create a little more width, I slightly offset this track so it’s behind (or later than) the fundamental. The result is a huge and present bass guitar that sits just perfectly with everything else. I’d love to hear any feedback. What do you think about this kind of approach? Thanks again for this great video! I picked up so many great insights.
I remember starting off and using a 16 track mini disc recorder which was "the thing" in that time and we'd have to bounce out drums, keys, guitars and bg vocals to stereo tracks in order to make all fit.. Fun stuff.. Wouldn't go back to that at all though.
I'm just on a binge session at work absorbing tips as a complete beginner to music production! Love the way you present information and the wide range of topics you cover!
This is a great video. I love the Brian Wilson example. Thanks to all of your videos you have shared on this subject, I am better at arranging low end instruments in my midi orchestration. I absolutely love all of your work from Produce Like a Pro training site. When Im not lazy (LOL), I actually do OK midi orchestra mixes thanks to you.
Your teaching method is very upfront. Especially for the beginner who has no clue what all the terms being thrown around are. Thanks for giving me more clairty in this area of my frustration! Subbed!
If you look out for Warrens early series of videos (I think they were called recording basics), you'll find it all "de-mystified", from ground zero / 101, you may already know quite a lot, but if there are any gaps, you'll find the piece of the puzzle in them ;0)
Pretty wild stuff. Whats amazing to me is the actual simplicity of the song itself. Pretty basic structure and , I must admit, I was a bit leary about the distorted bass at first, but you have the discipline to see the bigger picture. When you finally played all the tracks at once...outstanding. All the instruments doing small parts, yet combined it was epic without being busy.
Warren, Warren, Warren! Yet again you’re a cut above the rest! A huge thank you for posting amazing videos like this and all your work on RUclips and the academy! You have helped me no end! I don’t need to look elsewhere to help me improve my mixes and to stop my current job and do mixing as a real job! Now to get some clients to help achieve that! Wish you were still in England so I’d have the chance to meet you and pick your brains more! My eternal gratitude, Brad
Loving these videos! This is the best most logically explained info I have found. It's crazy how I've gone years w/o thinking of these totally logical things and then wondering why my mixes still sound crappy. LOL I seem to have found these videos at the perfect stage of my understanding for the material. Thanks and keep em coming :)
Thanks Warren! This was excellent information I can use. The extended discussion of how to separate instruments and frequencies with the demonstrations will go a long way to help me with my projects.
man you really hold nothing back, I literally haven't produced in 7 years and watching your videos you really give out the sauce. Learn something great from you every video. I know it's a long shot but could make a video of you mixing synthetic kicks and 808's together. It would probably get millions of views by the younger generation who produce hip hop because no one explains quite like you. If not no biggie keep up the great work.
I think that that sub synth should be set in monophonic, in that way when the notes change they don't clash together for a few seconds, like it happens here. Probably that would make the low end a bit cleaner. Idk correct if I'm wrong but coming from the synth world, this rings my bell.
i`ve been producing self-taught for a few years now and the eq before the reverb that this guy recommends on this video... is game changer for me. Thanks a lot.
I have personally found that as long as everything collapses to mono nicely and there is no frequency masking, that the less low mids I cut (especially on the mix buss) the better. It will sound a bit "muddy" but I prefer to tame it with a multi band compressor and it yields a much fuller and thicker sound imo. I use the compressor to sort of duck, or push down the excessive low mids without removing them from the frequency spectrum. Again, as long as there is no frequency masking down in mono I feel the thickness that this delivers is really awesome
Hi Odin, thanks ever so much for sharing your insights! I don't personally subscribe to solving the muddiness on the Mix bus, I like to find the fault inside of the mix itself. Many thanks Warren
Mixing in mono as the first phase and constantly referencing the mono mix is sooooo important. Best way to hear vocal levels and BGV stacks in relation to the lead vox too
Good solid techniques, that a lot of people(this guy) forget these fundamentals> Years ago a friend showed me that gtr eq technique, and somehow over the years I'd forgotten it. Thank you for the refresher! ;:-)
Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" used an electric and an upright bass a few bars overlapped to compliment each other. The 16 tracks are laid out amazingly (thanks RU for the donation) :)
Warren...I have really enjoyed your guidance in showing us youtubers "a path". Your tutorials are professional and easy to understand and your tricks of the trade are cool and inspiring. (I'm finally adding the Wah D-string bass in my electric guitars.) Bring it-sweet midrange! In addition, I am finally understanding the importance of instrument/frequency separation, panning, and adding width/depth in music. Side note; I have been playing guitar/bass with either a 4 or 8 track for decades and have been recording so blindly. Thank you sir and many good wishes!
I love your stuff! As a home DAW noodler, every video of yours is pure gold! I think ive learned everything i know so far from you and Recording Revolution. Thank you so much! Cheers from Sweden!
I'm just starting to get serious about producing and I am struggling with this issue. I found this video so helpful. I have it bookmarked and have watched it multiple times. Thank you.
I often wonder how much value there is in these posts, narration, vidmixing, and overall message ..(an awful lot I suspect) ... I have been mixing stuff from the way back days of a 2 track TRUVOX to Cubase 10.5 Pro and near enough everything in between, I truly think your work is priceless ... I don't leave comments as a rule but just wanna say ..thanks mate ... and look after yourself as well!
Thank you Warren, this was extremely helpful as I really thought there was no way to make sense of a session I'd done decades ago with a real band. All your points and observations were spot on...
I can't get enough from these amazing videos about solving muddyness in a mix and accomplishing a good sounding low end!! Love to hear your approach as always! Thank you!
@@Producelikeapro I've been using this advice in stitching together kids chorus videos for our church, just watching where the mud is, because it adds up with 8 or 10 cellphone videos. EQ like mad, differently on every kid. (also ReaFir to subtract out background noise in this case, which you would never do in real life).
hey ! most of the time the way you open topic is just a gold ! the back a days keeps so many answers to the things we break our heads today !! you re great!
Great examples as usual. I'd read about sticking a sub under a live bass to get a clean punch, but this is the first vid to really demonstrate how great it can sound. And in such a busy mix it really comes through nice and clean, but sounds 'real'. Thanks for the effort you put into stuff like this. For someone like me, where this (unfortunately) is not the day job, jems like this are awesome ;-)
Well Warren...I am always astonished and admired at how good always is your work! At 16:45...the magic happens and all sounds great. When a person knows so well how to do his job, I'm just observing and studying, hoping to get at least half of your results! Thanks for sharing, as usual :)
Haha Love me I'm Rich Bass , just finished the tutorial in the PLAP Academy - Wonderful pro content again, this is very helpful, Warren Rocks it again !
Hola. I die instantly if I hear any mix with the incredible duo Joey Kramer and Tom Hamilton. Please! jajaja Fantastic example and exposition about "Pet Sounds" and instrument recordings according to frequency range. Brian Wilson: A brilliant mind. By the way, much more clarity in our low-mids and low-end. Thanks for all your contribution Warren: You are the best. Saludos!
Thank you for this video. Such good information without a lot of extra technical stuff bogging it down. My mixes always get muddy as I layer in tracks. This is so helpful.
Thanks dude!!! Subbed/liked😎👍 This was exactly the info and presetation i needed. My project is bass band, lead bass, rythm bass, bass bass. Mud slingin party. I had to redo compose a lot of sections, from my original inspirations. Not full cords, move parts higher or lower. This will also help with a 1981 reel to reel recording first band, 2nd gig. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
@@Producelikeapro no, thank you man! . It's no BS stuff you're posting up and I've always had this muddy issue with my mixes and you've helped me no end. Really appreciate it. Would love you to hear my last few tracks since I've been checking out your videos. Very subtle changes but big differences.
Thank you so much Warren, these points are so useful and can't be overstated. Really helping my understanding of how to accomplish what I'm shooting for.
This probably screams "short attention span gen z", but my only struggle learning from this channel is the video length. It's definitely a personal experience thing, I just got used to more fast-paced tutorials. However, I love that while the video is longer than most I've watched, he doesn't waste any of that runtime and delves into great detail. I hope I can get used to the lengthier durations, other than that I love the channel
Thanks Warren. I learned a few really great tricks!! I'm so thankful for your content always. Stay well and again thank you. You provide a priceless service to our community.
Love your stuff. Been a practicing musician and hack "producer" my whole adult life, but between Studio One and your videos my recordings are finally starting to sound like the live performance, and like I hear in my head. Your style, presentation, and choice of materials are very much appreciated and on point. I also love the sign over your left shoulder in some of your vids. My girls got me the same one. :-) Rock on!
Great video, Warren as ever! I love to clean up low mids and leave them or boost them in my snare and snare reverb to fatten the snare sound of a thin recorded snare drum! Much LOVE
This one is probably the BEST sounding snare I've heard in a mix in quite a while! Beautiful. And I do mean "in the mix," not on its own. A snare can sound perfect on its own, but in the mix... Hat down to you, sir! :)
Interesting talking about oldies and their methods. It would be a cool video to see an analysis of some that worked well and some that didn't. Its amazing to see how much people could accomplish with limited options as far as technology goes. Now people post videos saying things like "limit the amount of plug ins you use on a track. Don't use more then seven!" HAHAHAHA! (not actually kidding)...also cool would be comparing the original monos to the later re-recordings in stereo for all those 70s oldies compiliations that I seem to get so many of when I was buying up record collections.
Thanks for this. I just watched another young man who is very famous on here for making ‘production’ videos. I’ve watched many times BUT never bothered to listen to his own music. I just did. Well, that was a shock! It’s all very clean but with everything sucked out. It had no emotion either. I was shocked 😮 Hope you are well!
Great video, can you one for the "harsh" frequencies too? It would be nice to hear the before and after with all plugins out (the ones used to clean up the muddy mix), and in.
What is your top tip for cleaning up muddy mixes? Thanks everyone for being such an amazing part of our community! I feel so blessed to be a part of it! Please all be well, look after yourselves and thank you all so much for everything that you do! I am so grateful for you ALL!
"Thanks everyone for being such an amazing part of our community! I feel so blessed to be a part of it! Please all be well, look after yourselves and thank you all so much for everything that you do! I am so grateful for you ALL!"
Right back at ya Warren and Team ;0)
My top tip would be to give the most space to the most important element - usually the vocal(s). If the vocal is fighting with something else for space (distorted powerchord guitars are a prime offender), the vocal should usually "win" and the other part should yield space to it.
It doesn't have to be all the time - sometimes automating an EQ band down when the vocal is singing, and back up when it isn't, is the right thing.
This video looks much like the ones 2 or 3 years ago, in the sense that you look younger. Health wise you did something good. Keep it going. 2 months ago or so , you looked so tired in a video. Can t help to say it, i m a nutritionist and longevity buff :) Always nice to learn from you. I m also year 1 Sound Engineer in Manchester England (spirit studios). Thanks for everything. Our teachers know your channel & Dave Pensado channel. Btw Dave said he installed a basketball space outside the studio and he would go every 2 hours or so to move those muscles to stay healthy. Did you hear of this trick ? I think is very needed for mixing engineers/ producers. We sit too much.
@@SirEggbertfartalot aw schucks thanks ever so much my friend! You Rock my friend!!
@@OrgChromer thanks ever so much for sharing your insight!!
People, we need to start seriously filtering who we listen to when trying to learn something properly. On YT there are too many 'knowitall' beginners who pretend to know what they're doing. This channel for example for me is a true and reliable reference.
Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate your kind words! I’m happy to be able to help
This channel also grew on me. I watched a lot of other channels. I am mostly a visual artist and a musician, making my own video game music for my small games and therefore I'm always looking for mixing and mastering tutorials. The same thing you describe can also be applied to the visual arts side of things on YT learning material. One can sense when you have found a source that suddenly feels honest and reliable. It's a feeling of someone having lots of knowlede and thought put into their craft and spent a lot of time with it, as well as how he presents this knowledge. Suddenly you feel trust and feel comfi to learn from him/her. These sources are not easy to find. I am so glad I now realized this channel is one of those sources.
warrren , mixbusTV, and Russian guy
I was saying this same thing just today
Agreed
Just want everyone to know this channel is awesome. I literally learned to mix from this guy in the last month or 2.
Wow!! Thanks ever so much my friend!!
I agree! Learned a lot of new tips and tricks from here and I love that it’s not ”HERE’S HOW YOU DO IT” but instead ”here is one way to do it, here is another”.
Im in sound engineering school/ university and i still learn more from this channel and interviews with mixing engineers. School will not make you good, believe me. Mix a lot.
Couldn't agree more!! Warren is a hero.
Warren, you're one of the few people on youtube that actually give proper advice on mixing using a variety of examples. Thanks a lot!
You’re very welcome!!
I love the way you demonstrated this on a massively saturated mix with huge guitars and bass. So often people do tutorials on fairly thin clean mixes where it's difficult to hear the changes they make. Also like the fact that you aren't afraid to get aggressive with an EQ. So many people only ever advocate tiny tiny tweaks all the time. Keep up the great work! 👍
PEOPLE! Do you want better mixes?
The easiest way to do this....listen to this man. His advice will get you there.
Even with my very basic recording setup, Warren has taught me so much.
His methods are airtight and he knows his stuff. He's never lead me anywhere but down the road of better mixes.
Warren is the real deal.
Warren: Handling 73 tracks like a pro.
Me: At the border of death trying to demistify the meaning of life juggling 5 tracks.
It's ok my friend! Sometimes 5 tracks with issues is much worse that 73 with little issues!
Its about knowing what you have on those 5 or 73 tracks and using the right tools to put them in their place in the mix. Youre in the right place though because Warren is better than most of my teachers I had in engineering school. He's had hits (I have trouble taking advice from people who havent proven they can make better records than me. Theres no issue here, a #1 hit with The Fray will suffice) and unlike a lot of people he clearly doesnt feel threatened by sharing his "secrets"...
It used to be the same for me. I can recommend establishing really good and - even more importantly - consistent shemes for coloring and grouping your tracks. I used to think coloring was more a fun thing for aesthetic reasons, but I was wrong. it honestly helps me so much now. I'm getting to a point where I halfway "hear colors" in my mixes. Meaning there's certain groups of instruments (the mid-rangy chord stuff for example) that's light green. Leads are dark green. Both are in the green instruments group (and bus). Obviously it doesn't matter which colors you choose personally. But when I notice a problem, I also have a feeling for which color of tracks I'm gonna look at to fix it. Which immediately narrows it down to usually a hand full at most.
Related to that: Invest the time to create a template. This makes it easier to stay consistent with track orders and colors (and associated mixing choices, obviously). For example my INST bus already high passed at 200Hz because I just know I will do something like that anyway. The time invested in a good template is returned *so* quickly.
Point 1 is soooo important. This „fix it in the mix“ approach is annoying sometimes, it’s almost a religious belief in the power of plugins nowadays. How do they say? - Record as if there were no mixing and mix as if there were no mastering.
Thanks ever so much Mike! Agreed 100%! Getting it right at source, making great choices is very important indeed!!
@Sunny Ah Day thanks ever so much!
The only thing I fix in the mix is my timing which can be... terrible at times, so elastic audio helps!
And just clip gaining.
Fixing the actual sonic of my instrument just doesn't work!
Yes, I always learned (and still say), "garbage in, garbage out." I also love UBK's info on this topic - "the mix doesn't start after the recording is complete. It begins with the writing, pre-production and playing." Or, something like that haha Great vid, thanks!
@@DancinShoesDJ Yep I'm with you on that, Garbage in = Garbage out, it's a simple concept, and I stick to it as well ;0)
I first thought the bass sounded too bright but then when I heard the mix altogether, was quite impressed with the result, for guitars too.
Thanks ever so much Heinrich!
A real pleasure watching a seasoned professional at work solving a mix puzzle.
I really enjoyed this lesson. My favorite part was boosting the fundamental and cutting with shelf near the same frequency.
I just found your channel while listening to RUclips at work and I seriously can't believe it because it feels like a hidden treasure I can't wait to get home today
Thanks ever so much! I’m so glad to be able to help! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren
@@Producelikeapro ♥️🎵
Warren my mixed used to suck... now they just kind of suck.. but I’m learning so much from you I’m hoping in years to come I’ll listen back and be happy. All thanks to you. Legend.
Thanks ever so much for sharing Scott!
Sometimes it got to get worse before it gets better :)
I wish I had your videos as a guide back when I began making music. I always knew I have composing skills but lacked when it came to mixing and mastering. After watching tons of your videos I've jumped more steps forward in mixing than during the last 10 years. Many thanks, you are a great teacher and you seem very nice person. I promise to tell everyone to subscribe your channel if I ever get my foot in the music business.
The Pet Sounds insight was so wonderful. I never knew about that, but it makes so much sense.
Hi Terry Miller you’re very welcome my friend!!
I must say this: you are a true master. Everything you teach here is pure gold, because you give practical examples, not just theory. Keep up your great work, Warren!
Wow! Thanks Marcelo! You are very welcome
This tutorial is a game changer, been struggling with a muddy mix and knew I had to address it, now I have new knowledge to get it sorted
Thank You! I taught audio at the college level for 25 years. Thank you for going deep into techniques-something you don't find enough of on the tube.
I do love hearing all the bottom end having its own space, what you did with high pass and a bump is what gives the kick its thump, guitars thickness, vocals low mid. Low mids are a tricky one as not all monitors have good forward low mids, or lacking low lows, so its common to hear error in those areas pushing more bass to hear the bottom which ends up being BOOMY! in the car speakers, or the low mids on an acoustic overpowers the car speakers but sounded ok on the monitors. Also room phase in the seating position, wherever that is on the EQ will end up being added, where it builds up being cut. I know I mixed to the room, every time I moved studio changed rooms my previous mixes sounded completely different. Thanks for the tutorial Warren!
Thanks ever so much for your insight! Agreed, rooms can be very misleading! A good pair of headphones can really help!
This is the most detailed explanation I've found about cleaning muddy mix. Thank you!
Thanks, Warren. I thought to myself before watching this video, "I have learned more from Warren than from ANY other source." Your real-time hands-on walkthroughs followed by explanatory recap is very helpful. Your videos are a troubleshooting Godsend - logical, practical, and spot-on musical with a 'you can do it' theme throughout. It means a lot to me.
The one takeaway from my audio engineering studies/personal experience is that the human hearing range is 20Hz to 20KHz, and the goal for every mix is to present a sonic equilibrium within which each frequency has equal-opportunity to be contextually heard, according to how we humans perceive frequency (Fletcher-Munson curve). That is what I consistently learn with each new video you provide. Thank you so much!
I typically approach a mix by, first, applying static EQ to all tracks. Second, I apply dynamic EQ to address what static EQ cannot. Third, I apply sidechain dynamic EQ (if surgically necessary) to address what standalone dynamic EQ cannot. Then, and only then, I apply compression (where suited), followed by limiting. I repeat this process for each bussed effect (reverb, etc.).
I was really struggling with heavily distorted guitars until I saw this video...thanks for all the great tips!
PATIENCE is KING!
I'm reminded of that every time I get excited to record and I completely pass all the fundamentals looking franticly for a big RED button to push. I've wasted so much time by just not taking the time to go step by step . Thanks man for these vids not only keeps users objective but as for me keeps me grounded and eyes on the best production and post production possible. which is the prize. Hope everyone finds this in the best of health and knowing that no virus of any kind imaginary or not can stop the love for creating. Music or the Spirit of is truly our Commander and chief our ears hands and etc... are just her aids. Again thanks
Genius! I love how you're making room for the things you WANT to hear in certain frequencies by reducing it in things you DON'T want there.
I've never commented on any of your videos before, because I'm mainly here to try to learn more about recording with a DAW. I'm from the dinosaur school of recording I guess, where we used tape, and mixing desks, outboard effects, and microphones, to capture the performance of a musician. From this video, I would kind of get the feeling that I really would prefer to have all the sounds come from organic instruments, and leave all the virtual instruments for the video games.
Maybe that's why the music of the day seems to lack the soul of the music that used to be... no one has the patience to learn their instruments, and put in the sweat to make it happen.
Warren, thank you for posting your videos. You reveal a lot about what to do, and what not to do when mixing recordings.
Hi Harley, pleased to meet you! Thanks ever sp much for commenting, sharing your experiences and your kind words!
@@Producelikeapro Hello Warren, I am pleased to meet you also!
I've been a subscriber for a couple of years because I find many of your videos very helpful, and some are very entertaining, ( Interviews with Jack Douglas, Aspen Pittman, Billy Sheehan, Tony franklin, and many others).
I'm basically just a guitarist who loves to compose and play, but I'm also proficient in bass guitar and drums. I've been watching and listening to your videos to help me put together a home studio of my own with the goal of recording and producing my own music to the best of my ability. My biggest hurdles are in trying to make the transition from the analog recording world to the digital one.
You offer a LOT of information in the digital recording age, and sometimes I find myself a little overwhelmed, but I don't give up. One day, I will have some recordings down to my satisfaction, and I credit your videos as a large part of the guidance I've followed to get there.
Thank you!
Man I really love your videos! One feels you are not saving any knowledge or tricks for yourself, rather giving it all and actually wanting people to learn, not caring just about the number of views. A rare thing this days, keep it up please!!
No one is perfect! What a really important video whenever something just doesn't go your way when recording or mixing a track, and enhancing it!
Haha indeed! No one, well there's a few 'experts' out there! Haha Thanks ever so much for your support!
@@Producelikeapro Ahh that is true! You are very welcome!
@@RC32Smiths01 stay healthy and happy my friend!!
@@Producelikeapro Likewise to you man!
This lesson is put together beautifully. Super production! I’ve been working in GarageBand without the ability to record live drums and bass. Consequently, all my drum and bass tracks have to be cut virtually. The frequency response of the virtual instruments by themselves is decent, but they tend to be weak in the mix. It’s tricky to beef them up without running into the muddiness problem. What I’ve been doing as a work-around is duplicating the tracks, then EQing each track in different ranges, similar to what you’re representing here in this video.
For drums, I select a main or fundamental drum kit. After working out the lines, I choose a second kit with a different frequency character, then copy and paste the fundamental. I repeat this process a third time with a third kit. I shape the first kit with bright frequencies that give definition to each instrument in the kit. The second kit gets shaped with darker mids to pull out the toms and give the snare a good punch. I’ll even run this kit through an amp sim - the toms really sit nicely with a touch of gain or crunch. For the third kit, I work out low and high frequencies to pull out the kick and draw some additional cymbal definition. The result is astounding. The drums are right up front, clear, and punchy, similar to an acoustic kit.
I take same approach for bass. Picked bass for the fundamental track that emphasizes middle and upper range, usually with a fair amount of crunchy gain through a guitar amp sim. Copy and paste to a fresh track, choosing a softer bass style. This track will pull out the lows and maybe some low mids. I’ll sit the second track a bit higher in the mix. Also, to create a little more width, I slightly offset this track so it’s behind (or later than) the fundamental. The result is a huge and present bass guitar that sits just perfectly with everything else.
I’d love to hear any feedback. What do you think about this kind of approach?
Thanks again for this great video! I picked up so many great insights.
Thanks ever so much for your wonderful comment and sharing your insight! Great ideas! Thanks
I remember starting off and using a 16 track mini disc recorder which was "the thing" in that time and we'd have to bounce out drums, keys, guitars and bg vocals to stereo tracks in order to make all fit.. Fun stuff.. Wouldn't go back to that at all though.
Haha I hear you loud and clear!! Thanks ever so much
Produce Like A Pro Thanks to you for your great content.. Always!
I'm just on a binge session at work absorbing tips as a complete beginner to music production! Love the way you present information and the wide range of topics you cover!
Wow! Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate it
This is a great video. I love the Brian Wilson example. Thanks to all of your videos you have shared on this subject, I am better at arranging low end instruments in my midi orchestration. I absolutely love all of your work from Produce Like a Pro training site. When Im not lazy (LOL), I actually do OK midi orchestra mixes thanks to you.
Thanks ever so much Thomas! I really appreciate your kind words! I'm glad to be able to help!
Your teaching method is very upfront. Especially for the beginner who has no clue what all the terms being thrown around are. Thanks for giving me more clairty in this area of my frustration! Subbed!
If you look out for Warrens early series of videos (I think they were called recording basics), you'll find it all "de-mystified", from ground zero / 101, you may already know quite a lot, but if there are any gaps, you'll find the piece of the puzzle in them ;0)
I really appreciate the visuals and detailed step by step explanation rather than just theory. Thanks for generously sharing your knowledge!
Thanks ever so much Anna!
@@Producelikeapro yes, I started watching your channel yesterday. The information is amazing!
Pretty wild stuff. Whats amazing to me is the actual simplicity of the song itself. Pretty basic structure and , I must admit, I was a bit leary about the distorted bass at first, but you have the discipline to see the bigger picture. When you finally played all the tracks at once...outstanding. All the instruments doing small parts, yet combined it was epic without being busy.
Warren, Warren, Warren! Yet again you’re a cut above the rest! A huge thank you for posting amazing videos like this and all your work on RUclips and the academy! You have helped me no end! I don’t need to look elsewhere to help me improve my mixes and to stop my current job and do mixing as a real job! Now to get some clients to help achieve that! Wish you were still in England so I’d have the chance to meet you and pick your brains more! My eternal gratitude, Brad
I got all mixed up switching from analogue to digital... it's taken me years just to get to this point. Thanks for all your help!
Another great tutorial. Having the full range of sound without clutter and “mud” is so important to the quality of the mix
Warren is an International treasure and must be protected at all costs.
Thanks ever so much! You are very kind
Loving these videos! This is the best most logically explained info I have found. It's crazy how I've gone years w/o thinking of these totally logical things and then wondering why my mixes still sound crappy. LOL
I seem to have found these videos at the perfect stage of my understanding for the material.
Thanks and keep em coming :)
Wow! Thanks ever so much! I really appreciate your kind words
Thanks Warren! This was excellent information I can use. The extended discussion of how to separate instruments and frequencies with the demonstrations will go a long way to help me with my projects.
man you really hold nothing back, I literally haven't produced in 7 years and watching your videos you really give out the sauce. Learn something great from you every video. I know it's a long shot but could make a video of you mixing synthetic kicks and 808's together. It would probably get millions of views by the younger generation who produce hip hop because no one explains quite like you. If not no biggie keep up the great work.
I think that that sub synth should be set in monophonic, in that way when the notes change they don't clash together for a few seconds, like it happens here. Probably that would make the low end a bit cleaner. Idk correct if I'm wrong but coming from the synth world, this rings my bell.
i`ve been producing self-taught for a few years now and the eq before the reverb that this guy recommends on this video... is game changer for me. Thanks a lot.
Thanks ever so much
I have personally found that as long as everything collapses to mono nicely and there is no frequency masking, that the less low mids I cut (especially on the mix buss) the better. It will sound a bit "muddy" but I prefer to tame it with a multi band compressor and it yields a much fuller and thicker sound imo. I use the compressor to sort of duck, or push down the excessive low mids without removing them from the frequency spectrum. Again, as long as there is no frequency masking down in mono I feel the thickness that this delivers is really awesome
Hi Odin, thanks ever so much for sharing your insights! I don't personally subscribe to solving the muddiness on the Mix bus, I like to find the fault inside of the mix itself. Many thanks Warren
Mixing in mono as the first phase and constantly referencing the mono mix is sooooo important. Best way to hear vocal levels and BGV stacks in relation to the lead vox too
Good solid techniques, that a lot of people(this guy) forget these fundamentals>
Years ago a friend showed me that gtr eq technique, and somehow over the years I'd forgotten it. Thank you for the refresher! ;:-)
I'm a firm believer it starts with your song/composition- like what you say, great production will give you a good mix from the outset.
Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" used an electric and an upright bass a few bars overlapped to compliment each other. The 16 tracks are laid out amazingly (thanks RU for the donation) :)
Warren...I have really enjoyed your guidance in showing us youtubers "a path". Your tutorials are professional and easy to understand and your tricks of the trade are cool and inspiring. (I'm finally adding the Wah D-string bass in my electric guitars.) Bring it-sweet midrange! In addition, I am finally understanding the importance of instrument/frequency separation, panning, and adding width/depth in music. Side note; I have been playing guitar/bass with either a 4 or 8 track for decades and have been recording so blindly. Thank you sir and many good wishes!
I love your stuff! As a home DAW noodler, every video of yours is pure gold! I think ive learned everything i know so far from you and Recording Revolution. Thank you so much!
Cheers from Sweden!
I'm just starting to get serious about producing and I am struggling with this issue. I found this video so helpful. I have it bookmarked and have watched it multiple times. Thank you.
I often wonder how much value there is in these posts, narration, vidmixing, and overall message ..(an awful lot I suspect) ... I have been mixing stuff from the way back days of a 2 track TRUVOX to Cubase 10.5 Pro and near enough everything in between, I truly think your work is priceless ... I don't leave comments as a rule but just wanna say ..thanks mate ... and look after yourself as well!
Thank you Warren, this was extremely helpful as I really thought there was no way to make sense of a session I'd done decades ago with a real band. All your points and observations were spot on...
I can't get enough from these amazing videos about solving muddyness in a mix and accomplishing a good sounding low end!! Love to hear your approach as always! Thank you!
Love that 1998 frequency analyzer.
Goes to show that you don’t need the latest plugins to make a great sound.
I wish my teachers in school were this cool.
Thanks ever so much
Knowledge passion, enthusiasm and experience right there! Exceptional combination! We are lucky to have you Warren! Thank you!
Brilliant! And here I was feeling a failure as I thought I had to do everything only by ear.
Thanks ever so much Dan!! You are never a failure my friend!!
@@Producelikeapro I've been using this advice in stitching together kids chorus videos for our church, just watching where the mud is, because it adds up with 8 or 10 cellphone videos. EQ like mad, differently on every kid. (also ReaFir to subtract out background noise in this case, which you would never do in real life).
Thank you Warren Huart for continuing to help artists. You are an inspiration.
I'm working on this problem in my mix right now. Very timely and informative video, thanks!
Just found you, so a ‘first timer’. Subscribed right after you mentioned The Beach Boys. “This guy understands.”
The part on low mids was very helpful. Thanks Warren!
You're very welcome my friend!
Amazing! The end result sounded massive. So much going on there, but all so clear. ❤️
Thanks for going into detail on this. I think a lot of us home studio production folks struggle with the low end more than anything else. I know I do.
I find myself re-visiting this video every month.. Amazing. Thanks Warren.
Thanks ever so much
I really enjoyed this video. Muddy vocals are my achilles.
hey ! most of the time the way you open topic is just a gold ! the back a days keeps so many answers to the things we break our heads today !! you re great!
Great examples as usual. I'd read about sticking a sub under a live bass to get a clean punch, but this is the first vid to really demonstrate how great it can sound. And in such a busy mix it really comes through nice and clean, but sounds 'real'. Thanks for the effort you put into stuff like this. For someone like me, where this (unfortunately) is not the day job, jems like this are awesome ;-)
Thanks ever so much my friend! I am very happy to be able to help in any way I can!!
Well Warren...I am always astonished and admired at how good always is your work! At 16:45...the magic happens and all sounds great. When a person knows so well how to do his job, I'm just observing and studying, hoping to get at least half of your results! Thanks for sharing, as usual :)
Haha Love me I'm Rich Bass , just finished the tutorial in the PLAP Academy - Wonderful pro content again, this is very helpful, Warren Rocks it again !
Hola. I die instantly if I hear any mix with the incredible duo Joey Kramer and Tom Hamilton. Please! jajaja Fantastic example and exposition about "Pet Sounds" and instrument recordings according to frequency range. Brian Wilson: A brilliant mind. By the way, much more clarity in our low-mids and low-end. Thanks for all your contribution Warren: You are the best. Saludos!
Warren! U do these things for free, its really amazing. Contents are better than most of the University's lessons. Thank you a lot!
Aw shucks! I’m very happy to help!
Thank you for this video. Such good information without a lot of extra technical stuff bogging it down. My mixes always get muddy as I layer in tracks. This is so helpful.
You’re a genius at explaining things properly. Thank you for your hard work.
Wow!! Thanks ever so much
The low end sounded so perfect. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks dude!!! Subbed/liked😎👍
This was exactly the info and presetation i needed.
My project is bass band, lead bass, rythm bass, bass bass. Mud slingin party.
I had to redo compose a lot of sections, from my original inspirations. Not full cords, move parts higher or lower.
This will also help with a 1981 reel to reel recording first band, 2nd gig.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Incredible tutorial!! Also helps on the production/composing end when choosing which instruments are gonna work well together.
Wow! Thanks ever so much!
@@Producelikeapro no, thank you man! . It's no BS stuff you're posting up and I've always had this muddy issue with my mixes and you've helped me no end. Really appreciate it. Would love you to hear my last few tracks since I've been checking out your videos. Very subtle changes but big differences.
Thank you so much Warren, these points are so useful and can't be overstated. Really helping my understanding of how to accomplish what I'm shooting for.
Wow the Brian Wilson frequency technique has just opened my eyes (ears) !!
This probably screams "short attention span gen z", but my only struggle learning from this channel is the video length. It's definitely a personal experience thing, I just got used to more fast-paced tutorials. However, I love that while the video is longer than most I've watched, he doesn't waste any of that runtime and delves into great detail. I hope I can get used to the lengthier durations, other than that I love the channel
Thanks Warren. I learned a few really great tricks!! I'm so thankful for your content always. Stay well and again thank you. You provide a priceless service to our community.
Nice video Warren! I was afraid to use much RBass because of creating that muddiness, but now I know how to do it properly. Thanks!!
Love your stuff. Been a practicing musician and hack "producer" my whole adult life, but between Studio One and your videos my recordings are finally starting to sound like the live performance, and like I hear in my head. Your style, presentation, and choice of materials are very much appreciated and on point. I also love the sign over your left shoulder in some of your vids. My girls got me the same one. :-) Rock on!
I am sorry but I was distracted by the luxurious head of hair. Magnificent!
Great video, Warren as ever! I love to clean up low mids and leave them or boost them in my snare and snare reverb to fatten the snare sound of a thin recorded snare drum! Much LOVE
Lots of clarity in this explanation - thanks, and stay safe - avoid Corona, unless it comes in a bottle.
Thank you so much for sharing! That was probably the most useful beginner video I have seen so far!
Point one is perfectly put!
Thanks ever so much Tim!!
This one is probably the BEST sounding snare I've heard in a mix in quite a while! Beautiful. And I do mean "in the mix," not on its own. A snare can sound perfect on its own, but in the mix... Hat down to you, sir! :)
Interesting talking about oldies and their methods. It would be a cool video to see an analysis of some that worked well and some that didn't. Its amazing to see how much people could accomplish with limited options as far as technology goes. Now people post videos saying things like "limit the amount of plug ins you use on a track. Don't use more then seven!" HAHAHAHA! (not actually kidding)...also cool would be comparing the original monos to the later re-recordings in stereo for all those 70s oldies compiliations that I seem to get so many of when I was buying up record collections.
Thanks for this. I just watched another young man who is very famous on here
for making ‘production’ videos. I’ve watched many times BUT never bothered
to listen to his own music. I just did. Well, that was a shock! It’s all very clean
but with everything sucked out. It had no emotion either.
I was shocked 😮 Hope you are well!
Warrens videos are pure perfect teaching of how to get great sounding mixes!
Thanks Warren!
HAHA that whistle at 10:00 was perfect to cut the silence with. It was a marvelously great whistle!
Great course. One comment: more AB comparisons along the way and the final outcome vs the pre-mix would really make much difference.
So obvious but so easy to forget everytime you mix. Great show!
This guy is a mixing legend
Good episode buddy...stay safe with what we’re currently going through!
Thanks ever so much Chuck!
Just getting into DAW and recording at home..love these videos. This one is particularly useful
Very honest, practical, and useful info on this video. Thank you. It'll be great to do one just like it but using analog plugins. Cheers!
OMG that was not a muddy mix but a busy mix! Fantastic invaluable and superuseful information as usual! THANKS A LOT
Great video, can you one for the "harsh" frequencies too? It would be nice to hear the before and after with all plugins out (the ones used to clean up the muddy mix), and in.