☕ I want to say a huge thank you to those who support my free videos here: buymeacoffee.com/michael.inthemix 📱 All my links: linktr.ee/inthemixlinks 0:00 - What is this all about? 0:58 - How to mix clashing tracks 2:10 - Phase can ruin a mix 3:20 - The 5 Click Rule 4:33 - The Loudness War is Over 6:00 - Solo is ruining your mixes 6:50 - Gaslighting Nonsense 8:18 - More Nonsense 10:00 - Let me know what you think?
The louder IT hast to be played the better IS IT to See whats going on with Maximum loudness , but i have Instrumentals that IS simply chilling and relaxing , they Dont need Maximum loudness to Work , but If Theres anything wrong with IT still in the Mix you can hear the issues when ITS very loud and correct IT again But ITS Something you so at the end Im Not a Fan of very loud music But i can understand to mix IT loud in the end to know what happens Today i Had a very huge Bass IT Had a Bug Problem in the Mix Just by reducing the length of the notes , erasing notes IT got much better Then adjusted the Volume of the notes and now ITS Just the Last question for me how to Transform This Bass Into what i want to hear in the end I think when you start to realy listen and to notice that they Instruments are not free enough or they Dont buit a unit and Mix Into each Other Like colour you will find Out what you want The information AS Said Here is Options you have to try or you See someone using a Tool or Gear to getvthe result you also need There is fundamental way to get from start to Finish But thats Just a step by step Thing in the whole context These steps will Not BE in the Same row everytime because everything depends in the Sound in the Moment he will meet all Other Sounds you use So Sometimes you EQ straight away because ITS destroying everything already there Other Times you correct IT Later to Bring Out the Things you want to hear better or in a certain way Language and speech depends on the Ego or Illusion of the Person itself So they will Tell you Something because they are living in their small bubble And some people See music AS war With some ITs Intension to Show authority with some IS their experiences with many Bad people to Project themselves and with some ITs Just that they follow Something beeing good people Just repeating the words because they Trust the wrong people Not all people IS making music because they Love IT And even those WHO Dont realy Love IT can make great music , because they know how to simply come Up with Something I was a Lot of deceivers Loosing even Respect These ones learned music because their parents Had a Lot of Money and then they started realising they can manipulate Others because they get fascinated But This IS Just an example Theres a Lot of good people Out there too
I struggle with being able to build momentum, because I’m unable to work consistently, so when I am able to work I try to cram and that makes it hard to want to keep going sometimes
The lack of a loudness war is one of the many things that made transition into working in game audio so incredibly rewarding. We have actual delivery standards to adhere by and dynamic range is still something that’s appreciated! (Except on mobile lol)
The amount of snake oil online really is insane and I completely agree with that point. I've been helping some newish mixers and mastering engineers learn the craft and the amount of terrible advice, limitations, and thought processes I have to basically tear out of their brains are insane. I know now everyone has access to teachers or industry professionals who can cut through the noise, but my advice to any new mixing or mastering engineer is to take everything you hear online with a huge grain of salt. Consider advice, advice, not a rule set and you'll do just fine.
The best way to navigate this is to learn the technical details of how your plugins are actually working, and what they’re doing under the hood. Dan worrall has some fantastic videos on both his channel and the fab filter channel.
Very true, i realised this after taking a music production course, speaking to mixers in the business. Basically came down to a shit ton of misinformation.
@@inthemix Maybe in a future video you could elaborate on the top (and most pernicious/frustrating) bits of poor advice, and what you should think about instead for each?
The best producer on YT by far. No nonsense. No stupid music in the background. No idiotic video edits for those with a short attentions span. Well spoken and educated human being. Purely professional presentation and advice. Liked, subbed and recommended to others.
I love how when you start out there's a freedom in not knowing anything. And when I started to learn more about production I felt more and more limited because there were so many bullshit rules I felt I had to follow. But Im just started to realize that your track sounds as good as it sounds and it's really quite simple.
Yes absolutely! It's felt like a phase when the information you have at your disposal increases rapidly but the overall quality doesn't. Then you realise you can shed a load of that information and retain core knowledge which is enough for just about anything you will do with sound engineering. It feels great to be on the right side of it and this channel is wonderful by the way!
this is pretty much any hobby. start knowing nothing. learn a bunch of rules. then finally understand that those rules don't matter and all that matters is results
Yeah man learning about mixing and the more technical side of music production has really hurt my motivation and actual song writing... I spend too much time worrying about if things are "right" and thinking about how to mix it i can't even finish a damn song. its so stupid. I think about all the other stuff i need to do and its just overwhelming ffs FINISH THE SONG AND THEN MIX
I’m a professional mixing engineer and tutor, and I’ve taught hundreds of students so far. You my friend are one of the few on RUclips that’s no-nonsense (I’ve started my channel on RUclips myself and I want to be a part of this “10%”) and I’m really glad the numbers on your channel reflect a great deal of success that you deserve. I’ll keep pointing students towards your channel!
@@gershommaes902 just my 2 cents but here are a couple of giveaways for shite channels for tutorials: - Selling courses online or their own plugins that obscure the actual treatment and are sold like one-size-fits-all solution with a flashy GUI. - Not explaining the reasoning behind advices. While sometime it may be for the sake of not overcomplicating, when someone digs really deep at least you can judge by youself rather than being forced to take an advice for an unquestionnable truth. - Being cartesian with their advices - there's rarely only "one right way". - On the other hand, sometimes a poor advice is an advice still. I learned the "Low cut at 35Hz plus side low cut at 250Hz" and worked off that. It is a poor advice but it helped me through years before I was able to hear the differences myself and to pinpoint the right amount of cut I need.
I've been self-producing music & audio for my videos since ~2017. I've taken in so much nonsensical advice that nearly hindered me from doing any of it, and I ultimately came to the conclusion that what I've been doing was not only perfectly fine, but was perhaps best for my given genre or video I'm working on. This video was honestly REALLY informative, and helped a lot to destigmatize any choices made with mixing or equipment.
I've always admired your advice, videos and the way you encourage your viewers to think and learn for themselves. I've been watching your videos for maybe 4-5 years now, leaving comments on my main account (I just realised I'm not subscribed on this one!) and I very much appreciate your transparency and the effort you put into your craft. It does not go unseen. I've been making music for 11 years, improving my mixing and music quality over time, and while I have infinitely more progress to make, I'm now working on my first video game soundtrack! Thank you for what you do for your community, your art and yourself; without creators like you I most certainly would have put this hobby down years ago.
As someone who started producing 4 Years ago with the help of one of your videos I can say: I always felt like you were one of the only YT-Producers that didnt try to sell me complete bullshit advice. Thank you for that :)
YAAAAS! i owned FL for years but never truly dug deep until covid, and basically this channel helped me go so much further SO much faster. I am beyond grateful!
1:07 One thing you can do to carve space with drums vs everything else is by re-tuning drums up or down a little so their main frequency doesn't fall in the same frequencies of the song key/scale (bass notes). Find a space (the notes) that are out of the song key/scale to place your kick, toms and snare fundamentals. This is one of the only "post" fixes you can easily do!
Changing the pitch of a sample isn’t exactly what we would traditionally call “post”. But I would say a snare, in particular, should be tweaked in pitch to find where it sits best. Also don’t overlook drum envelopes! You can easily overcome clicky drums by adding a bit of attack time (in the millisecond realm), and with a bit more elbow grease you can increase the overall body of a drum with envelopes or hard compression, and also truncate the sample start or end as necessary. For busy electronic grooves this stuff is essential.
This is actually how a lot of producers in the industry like to do their mixes due to speaker limitations, especially in untreated rooms/environments. When playing your music loud, speaker cones take more time to actually pump out the correct amplitude of certain frequencies. That alone isn't really a problem when your song isn't big on orchestration/instrumentation. The problem comes when you start to layer a bunch of different sounds. Your speakers cones (i.e. monitors, headphones, etc) wont be able to keep up with the amount of signal that comes through with a whole bunch of varied amplitudes. Great observation!
'Stop listening in ideal environments' I hate the idea of listening on as many headphones/speakers as possible, but the biggest realisation I had with a mix (using a professional) came when I was listening in low end earbuds on a busy road with cars, i.e. how a lot of people are gonna hear it. So yeah - don't listen to it exclusively just as you like it - the best headphones, or only listening loud.
Fully agreed! Also, a controversial thing I do to evaluate my mix, is to listen on the shittiest speakers possible, such as my computer's, or even a phone. That way, the hierarchies and dynamics are really obvious, and easier to identify what to tweak.
I learned FL Studio from your vids a couple years ago. This year, one of my songs were featured on a Spotify playlist for the first time. I feel kinda proud lol. Thank you, man. Learning production would've been a lot harder without your tutorials. Great advice as always.
I just wanted to say that I really appreciate your honesty and humility and you’re openness to share mistakes you’ve made and still make. It’s wonderful to learn from people that is willing to be down to earth.
michael, it's been five years since i've discovered this channel and let me tell you that you've completely changed my life and my approach to making & producing music
OMG THANK YOU. I love that you spoke about the fact that most stuff you find online is nonsense. I've really been getting sick of it and I think you are the first person I've seen who actually talked about it. If there is one thing to take away from this video, it's that skill comes from years of experience, not from internet tutorials and especially not from people who try to sell you mixer presets.
Let you know what kind of stuff I like to see? This is the kind of stuff I like to see. It's genuine, feels human (because you too started as a beginner someday), you don't pretend that you know it all, but you are aware of your lessons learned. Well done, and thank you :] Biggest lesson for me thus far? Don't overvalue feedback. Feedback is good, when it shows you issues in your mix you were unaware of, but as soon as the feedback leeches your motivation to create, it's time to stop listening and to make the music you feel like [in mixing regards as well]. It felt rude to me initially to "step over" opinions that were offered to me, but learning to trust your my own integrity as an artist has been a vital step for me to remain motivated.
You really nailed it with that last sentence about trusting /aligning with your integrity as an artist. Technical feedback can be awesome but they don’t always know what you want or why you create music. Thanks for the kind words!
@@inthemix Thank you rather! I've been with your channel since it was in the 5 digit subs. I don't know much yet, but the bit I know, I mostly owe to this channel of yours (and a truck load of curiosity). The least I can do is to leave a kind word every now and then :] I remember inquiring you about sytrus and budget synth options ... good times. I'm impressed that you're maintenancing your community even at this size today still. Good stuff! 'nodds approvingly'
You my man. Have littrally solved my main problem with this one sentence , make sure they are not canceling each other out. It is so obvious but I kept missing it. Thank you soo much.
I have found that generally, if something gets posted on the internet, it tends to get copied around an incredible amount without ever being checked. One example is many different tab websites having the same incorrect guitar tabs, or arbitrary EQ cuts being recommended as a way to achieve a particular sound. As far as mixing, I have found the only thing that really helps one become a better mixer is to mix more music. You could try recreating a song as accurately as possible as well, not only all the instruments/parts but also in terms of the mix and master.
thanks for always being a great help and inspiration. you've always been very clear and thorough on explanations. I rewatch a ton and send anyone to your videos for help on FL studio. Thank you again and great advice in this video!
Granted I have wild mood swings on occasion, but this was possible the best 10 minutes of music production advice I've ever heard. It all resonated like the earth with the sun. Clear, concise, absolutely genuine and honest. And, let's face it, when it comes to simply being a pleasure to the senses, this guy could rival the young Mister Rogers.
Great advice, you have sure helped me a lot over the years. Really love the 5-click rule you shared. I might get laughed but I started mixing with pinknoise on every track I make as of a year now after I watched one of your older videos. I'm not popular and don't get listened to much, but compared to any of my releases prior to 2023, things sound much better. Keep up the great work bro. Respect.
Most people wouldnt even be able to tell difference between different compressors or eqs yet they purchase them for hundreds of dollars😂 reality is that its more important what you do with an eq or comp than which exact plugin you use
@@roy-yal EQs are inherently the same thing. Compressors however aren't. Most of all compressors have widely different characteristics and behavior. Sure, there are clones too. But it's true, huge amount of even the more professional engineers do not mix with their ears.
Your first tip is one that I've just learnt recently after about 4 years. I was struggling so much to get a piano to stand out in a chorus when other instruments came in and no amount of EQ or compression seemend to fix it. I ended up changing the part to be an octave higher and it made such a differnece and also suited the song more as well. 😊
i don’t have much to say but i’m comforted that i feel similarly about a lot of the breakthroughs/ thoughts you’ve listed. i really appreciate how community oriented you are, too
Thanks Will. Without a community I’m just speaking into the void! Sometimes these mistakes do seem silly or a bit obvious but I appreciate your kindness!
Bro, you gave me all the tools i needed to express my creativity. You are an amazing human being. Hopefully you know that! Cheers from the United States🇺🇲!
Love the point about ignoring what's posted online for the larger part... that's true for many things outside of our industry too. You notice a pattern amongst those with a tendency to trigger post their opinions for the sake of having something to say.
It is funny how it applies to almost every hobby and skill. Each time that I pass a few years of experience in a hobby I cringe at the advice I took on board in the early days!
wow a down to earth video, must be the first on YT . The wisdom we gather are always the mistakes we learned from , so go and make mistakes it will always make you smarter IF you learn from them
Thank you for this kind of content. I feel that mixing and producing is actually a combination of objectivity and subjectivity: Being objective in the fact that some frequencies are gonna clash, fight against or complement each other and such, while beings also subjective that we will do it based on how we listen to it. I know my music it's still far from sounding "pro" yet, however, I can tell that I can feel the difference in each of my mixes even from the last 14 songs I've recently made, after I started making music for the past 4 years already. And is thanks to the experience I have acquired from listening and reading different stuff from different people, and experimenting with everything.
@@inthemixInstead of that, what about a video showing the evolution of how you'd make a beat going from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd parts of your journey? I was gonna ask a question , but this would help myself and others in ways we wouldn't expect.
I just want to say that I love your channel so much, what has kept me learning from your channel for the past 4 years is your consistent honesty and simple communication Good job!!!
No matter how much I learn, this channel will always be a blessing to me. Thank you Michael for the wealth of knowledge you've provided myself and countless others over the years. Peace
you're the best dude, I can't believe I've gone so many years in FL without seeing your guides. you make the clearest, more informative guides out there 💪🏿 cheers and thank you!
This is super helpful. As someone who has been learning to produce/mix/master for over 10 years now. THIS VIDEO ALONE, confirms all the things I had an inkling about, but was too convinced by false "Master classes" and "forum threads" to know for sure. Thanks for the insight
The very first tip was big for me. Asked an online forum about side chain compression, and someone said that my arrangement was probably wrong. I was really mad for weeks, then realized they were right. Arrangements and/or automation is so much more helpful than trying to “mix” too many simultaneous elements together.
I have been watching you for years, just getting back into it now and nice to see you are still going - one of the best to explain concepts oof mixing when going into a more advanced level.
In regards to the point on making space in the mix, it took me a long time to appreciate how far the stereo field can help rather than the frequency spectrum. Panning, widening, L/R, mono/stereo, mid/side adjustments in the production stage can make a load of difference where i dont feel the need to be carving stuff out with eq in the mix.
This is the truth! The next point I was going to move onto before cutting the video was about using the space you have before dramatically mixing elements. It seems we are both on the same page!
9:10 oh my god the way you hit me in the 'old advice I got from a liquid dnb producer homie about never compressing more than 3db' with that. I needed to hear this it appears
Completely agree about not mixing in solo! Any instrument can sound great in isolation, but it's about how it fits in with the rest of the track. It's about balance 👍
Man, seeing you again is like reconnecting with an old friend after a long time =') I've been following you since I started using FL Studio. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge ♥
The loudness one is always so interesting. In school I got told that it was an absolute thing and that you NEEDED to stick to a specific lufs level. Even though i am still super green, I have already been realizing that not every song or genre i work on is going to be at exactly -14 lufs (like they always said to keep it at), but more so based on the genre and feel of the song.
LUFS are fucking stupid, according to LUFS the loudest sound possible is alternating -1s and 1s. Literally just a sine wave at the nyquist frequency (which is inaudible to a lot of people lmao)
Around 10:15 you say that you are trying to make content that you wish was available when you started out. I'd like to say, I've watched loads of videos as a new producer, just starting to get into FL Studio, and I am absolutely hooked on your videos and explanations. I can tell that you aren't trying to optimize videos or clickbait or anything to try to grab more views, and your content isn't structured in a way to get people to watch longer, but to actually explain things step-by-step and not leave anything out. It feels like your motivations are very genuine, and real. I think this somehow has looped around (horseshoe theory) and made you get a ton of views and have you be the number 1 source of information and help for hundreds of thousands to millions of people. You have done and are doing amazing work man, and I appreciate it.
Thank you so much! It is funny how it worked out. I never wanted to be a RUclips creator and I don’t even have personal social media accounts but I always create the videos I wanted to see and it seems to resonate with so many people. Thank you for your kindness!
Re: gaslighting nonsense, I think the "it's not about the gear, it's the ear" reaction is often well meaning. A lot of people (myself included) will waste tremendous amounts of money chasing the right tool to make their work sound better, and completely ignore skill development. I know a lot of folks in my field (sound design for video games) that go through a process of acquiring lots of tools when they're young, then getting more experienced and starting to let a lot of tools go, only keeping the ones that have really made a positive impact on their work. It's a very nuanced issue, and you touched on it at the end of the segment. Gear is not irrelevant, but it's also not a magic bullet. You've gotta have a baseline toolset that can be used to do work at a professional level. And honestly I feel it's more about listening environment (speakers, room) than about any specific plugins.
I started when I was about 12 with a Yamaha PSS140 and a C64 into a tape recorder. May you have this joy for the rest of your life. You never stop learning and discovering in this hobby or career.
love your contents bruh, your humbleness and perspective is helping so many people around the world developing their crafts (so they can inspire more and more people), i'm grateful
I've gotta say, in 9 years of being a sound engineer, this is the most useful RUclips video I've seen. When I started, there was jack shit online that was professionals actually giving solid advice. I wound up having to do a master's degree to get these tips. Also the compression "tip" is people trying to stop creative mixing. Crush busses are absolute S tier.
Thank you for being an actually real person. I do agree that people with a face and life give a certain amount of accountability, because some accounts where it’s an text to speech voice and “this is how you get a perfect mix every time” is just a trap for uneducated upcoming producers to fall into just for some views. Thank you for being real and giving us your perspective.
Here's to the next 10 years! I discovered your videos when getting into music production, and your tutorials are what convinced me to go for FL Studio. As I knew I'd likely find the answer to any of my questions in your videos. So thank you very much for the videos you've produced, and all the knowledge you've shared!
I've learned a lot over the 26 years I've been writing/composing as a self-taught musician but must say that your channel has provided me with some of the clearest and most helpful tips for recording and mixing. Congrats on your decade and keep up the great work! Your fellow musicians appreciate you.
The biggest portion of this that stuck with me is the equipment section. I've spent so much time trying to learn pairs of headphones for mixing (which is still a good habit to have), that i convinced myself that I never needed anything else. I recently broke a pair of headphones I loved and dropped the money on a pair of 600's, and taking that same idea that I had before and applying it with a reliable, well known and trusted set of headphones has absolutely changed the way I feel about mixing. I finally feel that I can trust myself with what I hear, and give my mixes and songs a style of my own. I absolutely loved this video and I'm not one to comment usually but thank you for the years of teaching and I'm happy to see that you get the success you deserve!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Many of us have had a similar struggle trying to make the wrong tool work for the task we faced. I remember the first time I put on a pair of DT 1990Pro after using ATH M20x headphones for many years and was absolutely blown away. Perhaps embarrassingly (but I'll share it here anyway, who cares!) I was brought to tears hearing music in such high definition and spatial clarity for the first time. I immediately knew that the cheaper AT headphones had held me back and were simply not the right tool for the job. The ATs are fine headphones, but were not right for mixing.
Tbh i always had a conspiracy theory that engineers out there give trash trips and to try and gatekeep the profession edit: My music: collapsing mind - Broda
There is no absolute truth to how to do it, thats why many audio engineers dont answer simple questions or dont answer in a simple matter. its a profession which relies extremely on experience. Because, at least in germany, you can officially learn to become an audio engineer, but what most people dont get is that you are not good just because of that. Your ears still need more training, so does your mindset for most people. Gatekeeping is a good thing here.
it's cause to have views you need to generate more and more content. there is no secrets, just practicing and getting good feedback and practicing again. like with anything. like playing piano is all written out there, doesn't mean you gonna play well by just reading all the books on "how to play piano".
Thanks for your advice, Michael. I recognize a lot, perhaps all the issues you mention. I really like your voice by the way. You don't ever say "erm"' or "uh". Very nice voice to listen to. Chapeau!
Dude, where have you been hiding! 5-Click rule & More nonsense sections (Masterful!) - You are part of a VERY short list of honest, humble, chilled and ACCURATE production tutors in the known universe. As a great man once said - I'll be back!
honestly I always hate watching mix tips or tutorials online because I feel like this stuff is always so subjective and what it takes to make something sound good is different for everyone. Kinda like a headfirst approach learn later type thing- but I feel as if this video genuinely hits so many great talking points. everything you said is so true in my personal opinion & its very reassuring to know that I've been on a good track on my own by making it to a lot of these conclusions. shoutout
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
☕ I want to say a huge thank you to those who support my free videos here:
buymeacoffee.com/michael.inthemix
📱 All my links: linktr.ee/inthemixlinks
0:00 - What is this all about?
0:58 - How to mix clashing tracks
2:10 - Phase can ruin a mix
3:20 - The 5 Click Rule
4:33 - The Loudness War is Over
6:00 - Solo is ruining your mixes
6:50 - Gaslighting Nonsense
8:18 - More Nonsense
10:00 - Let me know what you think?
GOAT is back !!!1
Hi, great info. i just started out, will be following you. love from the netherlands.
The louder IT hast to be played the better IS IT to See whats going on with Maximum loudness , but i have Instrumentals that IS simply chilling and relaxing , they Dont need Maximum loudness to Work , but If Theres anything wrong with IT still in the Mix you can hear the issues when ITS very loud and correct IT again
But ITS Something you so at the end
Im Not a Fan of very loud music
But i can understand to mix IT loud in the end to know what happens
Today i Had a very huge Bass
IT Had a Bug Problem in the Mix
Just by reducing the length of the notes , erasing notes IT got much better
Then adjusted the Volume of the notes and now ITS Just the Last question for me how to Transform This Bass Into what i want to hear in the end
I think when you start to realy listen and to notice that they Instruments are not free enough or they Dont buit a unit and Mix Into each Other Like colour you will find Out what you want
The information AS Said Here is Options you have to try or you See someone using a Tool or Gear to getvthe result you also need
There is fundamental way to get from start to Finish
But thats Just a step by step Thing in the whole context
These steps will Not BE in the Same row everytime because everything depends in the Sound in the Moment he will meet all Other Sounds you use
So Sometimes you EQ straight away because ITS destroying everything already there
Other Times you correct IT Later to Bring Out the Things you want to hear better or in a certain way
Language and speech depends on the Ego or Illusion of the Person itself
So they will Tell you Something because they are living in their small bubble
And some people See music AS war
With some ITs Intension to Show authority with some IS their experiences with many Bad people to Project themselves and with some ITs Just that they follow Something beeing good people Just repeating the words because they Trust the wrong people
Not all people IS making music because they Love IT
And even those WHO Dont realy Love IT can make great music , because they know how to simply come Up with Something
I was a Lot of deceivers
Loosing even Respect
These ones learned music because their parents Had a Lot of Money and then they started realising they can manipulate Others because they get fascinated
But This IS Just an example
Theres a Lot of good people Out there too
9:57 Spill the beans. What course was it?
I struggle with being able to build momentum, because I’m unable to work consistently, so when I am able to work I try to cram and that makes it hard to want to keep going sometimes
Here's to another ten years 🥂
Cheers 🍻
That beers icon looks like a girl twerking
@@inthemixOh god 😂
It never ends 😂
Make it 30. This man is a gem for the music community and nobody else has his good vibe.
The lack of a loudness war is one of the many things that made transition into working in game audio so incredibly rewarding. We have actual delivery standards to adhere by and dynamic range is still something that’s appreciated! (Except on mobile lol)
Hell yeah! What games have you worked on?
The amount of snake oil online really is insane and I completely agree with that point. I've been helping some newish mixers and mastering engineers learn the craft and the amount of terrible advice, limitations, and thought processes I have to basically tear out of their brains are insane. I know now everyone has access to teachers or industry professionals who can cut through the noise, but my advice to any new mixing or mastering engineer is to take everything you hear online with a huge grain of salt. Consider advice, advice, not a rule set and you'll do just fine.
The best way to navigate this is to learn the technical details of how your plugins are actually working, and what they’re doing under the hood. Dan worrall has some fantastic videos on both his channel and the fab filter channel.
It’s even worse when those who claim to point out or debunk snake oil are also spreading it.
Very true, i realised this after taking a music production course, speaking to mixers in the business. Basically came down to a shit ton of misinformation.
@@inthemix Maybe in a future video you could elaborate on the top (and most pernicious/frustrating) bits of poor advice, and what you should think about instead for each?
yeah and if u dont understand an advice, you might be better off just not following it
The best producer on YT by far. No nonsense. No stupid music in the background. No idiotic video edits for those with a short attentions span. Well spoken and educated human being.
Purely professional presentation and advice.
Liked, subbed and recommended to others.
one of the best. anima sounds and eclip is also amazing!
@@martinLagler-x6p Venus Theory is another good one.
I love how when you start out there's a freedom in not knowing anything. And when I started to learn more about production I felt more and more limited because there were so many bullshit rules I felt I had to follow. But Im just started to realize that your track sounds as good as it sounds and it's really quite simple.
Placing rules on creative pursuits and hobbies just doesn't feel right.
Yes! i'd say that even applies to music theory. It's not a set of rules, per se, but rather a framework for communicating musical ideas.
Yes absolutely! It's felt like a phase when the information you have at your disposal increases rapidly but the overall quality doesn't. Then you realise you can shed a load of that information and retain core knowledge which is enough for just about anything you will do with sound engineering. It feels great to be on the right side of it and this channel is wonderful by the way!
this is pretty much any hobby. start knowing nothing. learn a bunch of rules. then finally understand that those rules don't matter and all that matters is results
Yeah man learning about mixing and the more technical side of music production has really hurt my motivation and actual song writing... I spend too much time worrying about if things are "right" and thinking about how to mix it i can't even finish a damn song. its so stupid. I think about all the other stuff i need to do and its just overwhelming ffs FINISH THE SONG AND THEN MIX
Wouldn’t have come as far as I have without your unconditional help, thank you so much! Happy 10 years🍻
I’m a professional mixing engineer and tutor, and I’ve taught hundreds of students so far. You my friend are one of the few on RUclips that’s no-nonsense (I’ve started my channel on RUclips myself and I want to be a part of this “10%”) and I’m really glad the numbers on your channel reflect a great deal of success that you deserve. I’ll keep pointing students towards your channel!
Thank you. I wish you all the best of luck!
What are some nonsense mixing channels you've seen on youtube? Asking in hopes of avoiding them myself!
can i contact you on email?
@@gershommaes902 just my 2 cents but here are a couple of giveaways for shite channels for tutorials:
- Selling courses online or their own plugins that obscure the actual treatment and are sold like one-size-fits-all solution with a flashy GUI.
- Not explaining the reasoning behind advices. While sometime it may be for the sake of not overcomplicating, when someone digs really deep at least you can judge by youself rather than being forced to take an advice for an unquestionnable truth.
- Being cartesian with their advices - there's rarely only "one right way".
- On the other hand, sometimes a poor advice is an advice still. I learned the "Low cut at 35Hz plus side low cut at 250Hz" and worked off that. It is a poor advice but it helped me through years before I was able to hear the differences myself and to pinpoint the right amount of cut I need.
Man. Couldn't have said any of this better. Concise and ABSOLUTELY spot on.
I've been self-producing music & audio for my videos since ~2017. I've taken in so much nonsensical advice that nearly hindered me from doing any of it, and I ultimately came to the conclusion that what I've been doing was not only perfectly fine, but was perhaps best for my given genre or video I'm working on. This video was honestly REALLY informative, and helped a lot to destigmatize any choices made with mixing or equipment.
So many dos and don't just get in the way of what we are really trying to do. I always appreciate good advice though!
9:35 "hmmm I wonder what busy works beats is up to" as I thought sippin my tea
Between busy and in the mix I've been learning from these 2 for a while. They're both great teachers in this lane and I appreciate them both.
I needed this video soo bad...you deserve whatever comes your way man!!!! I'll forever be #inthemix
Thanks for your continued support!
@@inthemixThank You, for your continued valuable teachings 🫡🤘🏻
I've always admired your advice, videos and the way you encourage your viewers to think and learn for themselves. I've been watching your videos for maybe 4-5 years now, leaving comments on my main account (I just realised I'm not subscribed on this one!) and I very much appreciate your transparency and the effort you put into your craft. It does not go unseen. I've been making music for 11 years, improving my mixing and music quality over time, and while I have infinitely more progress to make, I'm now working on my first video game soundtrack! Thank you for what you do for your community, your art and yourself; without creators like you I most certainly would have put this hobby down years ago.
As someone who started producing 4 Years ago with the help of one of your videos I can say: I always felt like you were one of the only YT-Producers that didnt try to sell me complete bullshit advice. Thank you for that :)
I've only just found this channel but I trust a channel called Alex Rome too.
ruclips.net/video/xlAf88_zcNk/видео.htmlsi=r963Pp0iINUE4iJy
YAAAAS! i owned FL for years but never truly dug deep until covid, and basically this channel helped me go so much further SO much faster. I am beyond grateful!
I’ve been a lurker on your channel for awhile but I definitely love the way you share your knowledge and I appreciate you fam
Thank you for all of the help over the years 🤝
You are more than welcome!
1:07 One thing you can do to carve space with drums vs everything else is by re-tuning drums up or down a little so their main frequency doesn't fall in the same frequencies of the song key/scale (bass notes). Find a space (the notes) that are out of the song key/scale to place your kick, toms and snare fundamentals. This is one of the only "post" fixes you can easily do!
Just eq
Changing the pitch of a sample isn’t exactly what we would traditionally call “post”. But I would say a snare, in particular, should be tweaked in pitch to find where it sits best.
Also don’t overlook drum envelopes! You can easily overcome clicky drums by adding a bit of attack time (in the millisecond realm), and with a bit more elbow grease you can increase the overall body of a drum with envelopes or hard compression, and also truncate the sample start or end as necessary. For busy electronic grooves this stuff is essential.
@@infindebulaboth you and OP just dropped some really good advice, thanks so much for your input!!
one of the best teachers and people on youtube, period. we love you!
You are so kind!
Thanks Michael I appreciate this so much!
I think a good piece of advice is to listen at a low(ish) volume when mixing. It makes it so much easier to spot tracks which are too loud/quiet
This is actually how a lot of producers in the industry like to do their mixes due to speaker limitations, especially in untreated rooms/environments. When playing your music loud, speaker cones take more time to actually pump out the correct amplitude of certain frequencies. That alone isn't really a problem when your song isn't big on orchestration/instrumentation. The problem comes when you start to layer a bunch of different sounds. Your speakers cones (i.e. monitors, headphones, etc) wont be able to keep up with the amount of signal that comes through with a whole bunch of varied amplitudes. Great observation!
'Stop listening in ideal environments'
I hate the idea of listening on as many headphones/speakers as possible, but the biggest realisation I had with a mix (using a professional) came when I was listening in low end earbuds on a busy road with cars, i.e. how a lot of people are gonna hear it.
So yeah - don't listen to it exclusively just as you like it - the best headphones, or only listening loud.
@@NatHarwood Reminds me of Christopher Nolan's films.
Fully agreed! Also, a controversial thing I do to evaluate my mix, is to listen on the shittiest speakers possible, such as my computer's, or even a phone. That way, the hierarchies and dynamics are really obvious, and easier to identify what to tweak.
Also your hearing is more accurate at lower levels. Literally.
I learned FL Studio from your vids a couple years ago. This year, one of my songs were featured on a Spotify playlist for the first time. I feel kinda proud lol. Thank you, man. Learning production would've been a lot harder without your tutorials. Great advice as always.
I just wanted to say that I really appreciate your honesty and humility and you’re openness to share mistakes you’ve made and still make. It’s wonderful to learn from people that is willing to be down to earth.
You're so pleasent to hear dude
Smooth video
michael, it's been five years since i've discovered this channel and let me tell you that you've completely changed my life and my approach to making & producing music
OMG THANK YOU. I love that you spoke about the fact that most stuff you find online is nonsense.
I've really been getting sick of it and I think you are the first person I've seen who actually talked about it.
If there is one thing to take away from this video, it's that skill comes from years of experience, not from internet tutorials and especially not from people who try to sell you mixer presets.
THANK YOU BRO, LOVE THE VIDS
Double Yes for your first tip. I always preach SPACE. There must be space. The silence is where the music grows. Thanks.
thank you so much, as always
Let you know what kind of stuff I like to see? This is the kind of stuff I like to see. It's genuine, feels human (because you too started as a beginner someday), you don't pretend that you know it all, but you are aware of your lessons learned. Well done, and thank you :]
Biggest lesson for me thus far? Don't overvalue feedback. Feedback is good, when it shows you issues in your mix you were unaware of, but as soon as the feedback leeches your motivation to create, it's time to stop listening and to make the music you feel like [in mixing regards as well]. It felt rude to me initially to "step over" opinions that were offered to me, but learning to trust your my own integrity as an artist has been a vital step for me to remain motivated.
You really nailed it with that last sentence about trusting /aligning with your integrity as an artist. Technical feedback can be awesome but they don’t always know what you want or why you create music. Thanks for the kind words!
@@inthemix Thank you rather!
I've been with your channel since it was in the 5 digit subs. I don't know much yet, but the bit I know, I mostly owe to this channel of yours (and a truck load of curiosity). The least I can do is to leave a kind word every now and then :]
I remember inquiring you about sytrus and budget synth options ... good times. I'm impressed that you're maintenancing your community even at this size today still. Good stuff! 'nodds approvingly'
You my man. Have littrally solved my main problem with this one sentence , make sure they are not canceling each other out. It is so obvious but I kept missing it. Thank you soo much.
Great video! You are the best music production channel on YT. Anytime I want to know anythng I come here first.
I have found that generally, if something gets posted on the internet, it tends to get copied around an incredible amount without ever being checked. One example is many different tab websites having the same incorrect guitar tabs, or arbitrary EQ cuts being recommended as a way to achieve a particular sound.
As far as mixing, I have found the only thing that really helps one become a better mixer is to mix more music. You could try recreating a song as accurately as possible as well, not only all the instruments/parts but also in terms of the mix and master.
Great Advice Bro👏👏👏
that's was the first 10 minutes I've ever encountered of you and it was totally worth it. Thanks. Eps the bit about not soloing tracks too much
Thanks Keith!
Watched this guy since I started and he never misses man. Really knows his stuff every time...
Super important info!
Thank you!
thanks for always being a great help and inspiration. you've always been very clear and thorough on explanations. I rewatch a ton and send anyone to your videos for help on FL studio.
Thank you again and great advice in this video!
Granted I have wild mood swings on occasion, but this was possible the best 10 minutes of music production advice I've ever heard. It all resonated like the earth with the sun. Clear, concise, absolutely genuine and honest. And, let's face it, when it comes to simply being a pleasure to the senses, this guy could rival the young Mister Rogers.
Great advice, you have sure helped me a lot over the years. Really love the 5-click rule you shared. I might get laughed but I started mixing with pinknoise on every track I make as of a year now after I watched one of your older videos. I'm not popular and don't get listened to much, but compared to any of my releases prior to 2023, things sound much better. Keep up the great work bro. Respect.
First time watching a "in the mix" video... I really like this guy!!
Thank you for stopping by
I say 90% of advice online is pure marketing! 😂😂😂
Especially compression and eq topics! 😂😂😂
Lol
Most people wouldnt even be able to tell difference between different compressors or eqs yet they purchase them for hundreds of dollars😂 reality is that its more important what you do with an eq or comp than which exact plugin you use
Pro Q 3 Will solve that!
"Game changer tip!!!" and then when I see that they pull up an specific plugin, I close the video 😂😂
@@roy-yal EQs are inherently the same thing. Compressors however aren't. Most of all compressors have widely different characteristics and behavior. Sure, there are clones too. But it's true, huge amount of even the more professional engineers do not mix with their ears.
Your first tip is one that I've just learnt recently after about 4 years. I was struggling so much to get a piano to stand out in a chorus when other instruments came in and no amount of EQ or compression seemend to fix it. I ended up changing the part to be an octave higher and it made such a differnece and also suited the song more as well. 😊
i don’t have much to say but i’m comforted that i feel similarly about a lot of the breakthroughs/ thoughts you’ve listed. i really appreciate how community oriented you are, too
Thanks Will. Without a community I’m just speaking into the void!
Sometimes these mistakes do seem silly or a bit obvious but I appreciate your kindness!
Bro, you gave me all the tools i needed to express my creativity. You are an amazing human being. Hopefully you know that! Cheers from the United States🇺🇲!
you seem like the most genuine person on the internet. keep it up bro!
producing for nearly 10 years now, this is a great video!
You’ve quickly become one of my favourite RUclipsr covering mix tips. Super approachable, helpful, great stuff!
This is uber helpful. Thank you for putting this together!
Love the point about ignoring what's posted online for the larger part... that's true for many things outside of our industry too. You notice a pattern amongst those with a tendency to trigger post their opinions for the sake of having something to say.
It is funny how it applies to almost every hobby and skill. Each time that I pass a few years of experience in a hobby I cringe at the advice I took on board in the early days!
You're the best, brother. Thanks for sharing your priceless experience ✌🙌
wow a down to earth video, must be the first on YT .
The wisdom we gather are always the mistakes we learned from ,
so go and make mistakes it will always make you smarter IF you learn from them
Thank you for this kind of content. I feel that mixing and producing is actually a combination of objectivity and subjectivity: Being objective in the fact that some frequencies are gonna clash, fight against or complement each other and such, while beings also subjective that we will do it based on how we listen to it.
I know my music it's still far from sounding "pro" yet, however, I can tell that I can feel the difference in each of my mixes even from the last 14 songs I've recently made, after I started making music for the past 4 years already. And is thanks to the experience I have acquired from listening and reading different stuff from different people, and experimenting with everything.
it would be really cool to see video about evolution of your music since you started :D
I will dig in the archive to see what I find. Unfortunately, I didn't save any of my earliest projects. I so badly wish that I had archived them!
@@inthemixInstead of that, what about a video showing the evolution of how you'd make a beat going from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd parts of your journey? I was gonna ask a question , but this would help myself and others in ways we wouldn't expect.
I just want to say that I love your channel so much, what has kept me learning from your channel for the past 4 years is your consistent honesty and simple communication Good job!!!
No matter how much I learn, this channel will always be a blessing to me. Thank you Michael for the wealth of knowledge you've provided myself and countless others over the years.
Peace
Been watching your videos since 5 years. Thank you for so much informations !!
you're the best dude, I can't believe I've gone so many years in FL without seeing your guides. you make the clearest, more informative guides out there 💪🏿 cheers and thank you!
Very informative as usual, thanks for your continuous contributions.
As someone who only just bought a midi keyboard a couple months back, that first and fifth tips are insanely valuable.
I wish you a much smoother and easier journey than I had!
so helpful and you can tell he's just a really patient, caring person. thanks for what you're doing man!
I would love to see you dive into each advice/topic for a longer video. Even if it's a 25-30 minute video, we will definitely enjoy learning from it.
Yes, me too. I'll watch the whole thing. Love Michael and #inthemix
Yes upload a longer video please.😊
em. stop. go figure somethings out for yourselves? or not. your life.
@@KOSMIKFEADRECORDS em. No.
@@XXROCKANDROLLPOWERXX lol fair enough. Just wait for the "20 years of producing" lesson. you will love it.
love your videos, thanks for making them ^^
@@lintexnational thank you for your support!
This is super helpful. As someone who has been learning to produce/mix/master for over 10 years now. THIS VIDEO ALONE, confirms all the things I had an inkling about, but was too convinced by false "Master classes" and "forum threads" to know for sure. Thanks for the insight
Thank you so much for sharing this 💜
The very first tip was big for me. Asked an online forum about side chain compression, and someone said that my arrangement was probably wrong. I was really mad for weeks, then realized they were right. Arrangements and/or automation is so much more helpful than trying to “mix” too many simultaneous elements together.
Thanks Daniel. I’ve been there too, so many times! It’s tough to go back and change things up when you thought it was perfect already.
I have been watching you for years, just getting back into it now and nice to see you are still going - one of the best to explain concepts oof mixing when going into a more advanced level.
In regards to the point on making space in the mix, it took me a long time to appreciate how far the stereo field can help rather than the frequency spectrum. Panning, widening, L/R, mono/stereo, mid/side adjustments in the production stage can make a load of difference where i dont feel the need to be carving stuff out with eq in the mix.
Great point
And ironically, it all still help with mono compatibility as well...
This is the truth! The next point I was going to move onto before cutting the video was about using the space you have before dramatically mixing elements. It seems we are both on the same page!
Your clarity and to the point advise is so refreshing; I have learnt lots on your channel here, a big thank you
So happy that you decided to adress this crap. Loving these types of videos from you :)
9:10 oh my god the way you hit me in the 'old advice I got from a liquid dnb producer homie about never compressing more than 3db' with that. I needed to hear this it appears
8:40 single biggest thing that held me back. Pitching tracks in progress to discussion forums felt like tail-chasing
Loved the video. Please more of this!
Completely agree about not mixing in solo! Any instrument can sound great in isolation, but it's about how it fits in with the rest of the track. It's about balance 👍
Man, seeing you again is like reconnecting with an old friend after a long time =') I've been following you since I started using FL Studio. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge ♥
The loudness one is always so interesting. In school I got told that it was an absolute thing and that you NEEDED to stick to a specific lufs level. Even though i am still super green, I have already been realizing that not every song or genre i work on is going to be at exactly -14 lufs (like they always said to keep it at), but more so based on the genre and feel of the song.
LUFS are fucking stupid, according to LUFS the loudest sound possible is alternating -1s and 1s. Literally just a sine wave at the nyquist frequency (which is inaudible to a lot of people lmao)
Don't go to music school
@@encryptedmaze totally agree. I’ve been breaking the habit for myself and just let the song tell me where it needs to be
I just make sure the loudest part doesn't go over -5lufs and call it a day
@@theperiidot 🫷😭🫸
thank you thank you thank you just recently learned how much I've been gaslighted too w so many things.
Around 10:15 you say that you are trying to make content that you wish was available when you started out. I'd like to say, I've watched loads of videos as a new producer, just starting to get into FL Studio, and I am absolutely hooked on your videos and explanations. I can tell that you aren't trying to optimize videos or clickbait or anything to try to grab more views, and your content isn't structured in a way to get people to watch longer, but to actually explain things step-by-step and not leave anything out. It feels like your motivations are very genuine, and real. I think this somehow has looped around (horseshoe theory) and made you get a ton of views and have you be the number 1 source of information and help for hundreds of thousands to millions of people. You have done and are doing amazing work man, and I appreciate it.
Thank you so much! It is funny how it worked out. I never wanted to be a RUclips creator and I don’t even have personal social media accounts but I always create the videos I wanted to see and it seems to resonate with so many people. Thank you for your kindness!
Been so cool to see you grow as a channel and engineer, while never changing who you are. Would love to cross paths someday, you are the man!
Re: gaslighting nonsense, I think the "it's not about the gear, it's the ear" reaction is often well meaning. A lot of people (myself included) will waste tremendous amounts of money chasing the right tool to make their work sound better, and completely ignore skill development. I know a lot of folks in my field (sound design for video games) that go through a process of acquiring lots of tools when they're young, then getting more experienced and starting to let a lot of tools go, only keeping the ones that have really made a positive impact on their work.
It's a very nuanced issue, and you touched on it at the end of the segment. Gear is not irrelevant, but it's also not a magic bullet. You've gotta have a baseline toolset that can be used to do work at a professional level. And honestly I feel it's more about listening environment (speakers, room) than about any specific plugins.
Honestly... Where was you 10 years ago..
So nice to hear, refreshing. Keep up the great work :)
I started when I was about 12 with a Yamaha PSS140 and a C64 into a tape recorder. May you have this joy for the rest of your life. You never stop learning and discovering in this hobby or career.
love your contents bruh, your humbleness and perspective is helping so many people around the world developing their crafts (so they can inspire more and more people), i'm grateful
I've gotta say, in 9 years of being a sound engineer, this is the most useful RUclips video I've seen. When I started, there was jack shit online that was professionals actually giving solid advice. I wound up having to do a master's degree to get these tips.
Also the compression "tip" is people trying to stop creative mixing. Crush busses are absolute S tier.
What do you mean by Crush Buss? Bus stuff out and compress the shit out of them?
@@Fordddyyy Yeah, it's compressing by like 60db when the RMS is is -12dB, as a parallel track.
Thank you for being an actually real person. I do agree that people with a face and life give a certain amount of accountability, because some accounts where it’s an text to speech voice and “this is how you get a perfect mix every time” is just a trap for uneducated upcoming producers to fall into just for some views. Thank you for being real and giving us your perspective.
I'm an absolute beginner, your videos have helped me alot, appreciate the amazing knowledge that you possess and help others! thank you legend 🔥
This guy is a smart cookie... loving the honesty and no bs way of teaching us all. Thank you!!!!!!!
Here's to the next 10 years!
I discovered your videos when getting into music production, and your tutorials are what convinced me to go for FL Studio. As I knew I'd likely find the answer to any of my questions in your videos.
So thank you very much for the videos you've produced, and all the knowledge you've shared!
You are more than welcome, here's to another ten years!
Gotta say, I love the journey you've been on with this. This honesty is initially why I subscribed to you way back when.
so refreshing to hear this, especially the first point
That last advice is so true. "Don't compress more than x dbs" is probably the most harmful tip I tried to follow in the beginning 😂
you’ve always been the real deal ⭐️
I've learned a lot over the 26 years I've been writing/composing as a self-taught musician but must say that your channel has provided me with some of the clearest and most helpful tips for recording and mixing. Congrats on your decade and keep up the great work! Your fellow musicians appreciate you.
The biggest portion of this that stuck with me is the equipment section. I've spent so much time trying to learn pairs of headphones for mixing (which is still a good habit to have), that i convinced myself that I never needed anything else. I recently broke a pair of headphones I loved and dropped the money on a pair of 600's, and taking that same idea that I had before and applying it with a reliable, well known and trusted set of headphones has absolutely changed the way I feel about mixing. I finally feel that I can trust myself with what I hear, and give my mixes and songs a style of my own. I absolutely loved this video and I'm not one to comment usually but thank you for the years of teaching and I'm happy to see that you get the success you deserve!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Many of us have had a similar struggle trying to make the wrong tool work for the task we faced. I remember the first time I put on a pair of DT 1990Pro after using ATH M20x headphones for many years and was absolutely blown away. Perhaps embarrassingly (but I'll share it here anyway, who cares!) I was brought to tears hearing music in such high definition and spatial clarity for the first time. I immediately knew that the cheaper AT headphones had held me back and were simply not the right tool for the job. The ATs are fine headphones, but were not right for mixing.
You give genuine advice. Been following you for years and glad I did. Cheers!!🎉
Tbh i always had a conspiracy theory that engineers out there give trash trips and to try and gatekeep the profession
edit: My music: collapsing mind - Broda
That's why some engineers would just say over and over again, just use your ears.
many mix engineers absolutely do!
There is no absolute truth to how to do it, thats why many audio engineers dont answer simple questions or dont answer in a simple matter. its a profession which relies extremely on experience. Because, at least in germany, you can officially learn to become an audio engineer, but what most people dont get is that you are not good just because of that. Your ears still need more training, so does your mindset for most people. Gatekeeping is a good thing here.
it's cause to have views you need to generate more and more content. there is no secrets, just practicing and getting good feedback and practicing again. like with anything. like playing piano is all written out there, doesn't mean you gonna play well by just reading all the books on "how to play piano".
It really happened bro,
Thanks for your advice, Michael. I recognize a lot, perhaps all the issues you mention. I really like your voice by the way. You don't ever say "erm"' or "uh". Very nice voice to listen to. Chapeau!
Dude, where have you been hiding! 5-Click rule & More nonsense sections (Masterful!) - You are part of a VERY short list of honest, humble, chilled and ACCURATE production tutors in the known universe. As a great man once said - I'll be back!
incredibly clean, straight forward and informative content mate your smashing it keep doing what you do
honestly I always hate watching mix tips or tutorials online because I feel like this stuff is always so subjective and what it takes to make something sound good is different for everyone. Kinda like a headfirst approach learn later type thing- but I feel as if this video genuinely hits so many great talking points. everything you said is so true in my personal opinion & its very reassuring to know that I've been on a good track on my own by making it to a lot of these conclusions. shoutout
I've used plenty of guides from you over the years always awesome help thanks
You’re welcome!