10 Mixing Tips No Producer Should Ignore
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
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MY GEAR:
DAW (Music making software): Logic Pro and Ableton Live
Studio monitors (speakers): Yamaha HS8's
Headphones: Audeze LCD X (open back)
Camera: Canon 80d
Computer: Mac Studio with M2 Ultra chip and 2 TB hardrive
Midi controller (keyboard): Komplete Kontrol 61
Interface: Scarlett Clarett 2 pre
Desk: a cheap one from ikea
Chair: also a cheap one from ikea
My favorite plugins that I use the most:
XFER Serum
Sylenth 1
Nexus 3
Kontakt
RC 20
Valhalla Shimmer
Valhalla Vintage Verb
Shaperbox 3
XFER OTT
Fab Filter Saturn 2
Fab Filter Pro C 2
Arturia Pigments
Baby Audio Comeback Kid
Output Thermal and Portal
LABS Soft Piano
Hardware that I use behind the scenes but not in videos:
Elektron Octatrack (my fav)
Elektron Digitakt
Korg Minilogue XD
I love how Alex always swaps between different DAWs, it makes the videos accessible for everyone.
Nice observation!
No Cubase, but hey, i'm not complaining.
Big producers work with different types of Daws.. switching from Daw to Daw sparks creativity
You can also create depth with eq. Boost around 900 or 3500hz to make sound closer and cut these and the highs to push sound back in the mix. Also you can create depth using compressor. Slow attack brings sound on front and fast attack pushes sound back.
Wait. Its the other way around, right? Slow attack makes a sound less harsh and therfore more in the back, while fast attacks sound way harder and in the front.
A lot of people struggle with tonal balance (myself included), but one of the ways I combat this is by starting off by mixing the lows and then working my way up to the highs (while taking breaks). I've found that this leads to a better tonal balance overall in my workflow, but using a reference track could also easily be as effective because you're directly referencing the loudness of similar instruments in the context of a whole mix, plus you can visually analyse the tonal balance of your reference with an eq or spectrum analyzer and try to make them match.
Very nice, I’m a busy mom just fitting this in where I can and it’s slow going so these quick videos are helpful!
That advice on how to become a mixer is actually the most honest and valuable advice I've heard so far
Platinum Tips...Clear, concise and logical. Thanks a million for that.
You're a legend, love your passion, thanks for the content!
I'm from Brazil and I'm saving up to do your mentoring. I've been following your advices, Now I'm working part-time so I have more time to practice. I have no words to express my gratitude, cheers!
Yeah I’m thinking that he should mentor me too. So smart!!
bro thats good stuff :)
This is the only channel on RUclips that wait for videos every week . Thanks Alex
My name is GG WIFI. i am a recording artist, Producer , coder/a.g.i developer , and Pro level mixing and mastering engineer . these are not really tips these are actually the rules of engagement... i do all of these things and it wasnt until i mastered all of these techniques that i became pro level. Mixing in mono is so important i dont even listen stereo until after i bounce out the mix most times . Now I personally mix in headphones i believe its the best way because it represents a closer form of what the end user will be hearing. when the mix is done i listen on studio monitors to touch up anything that i might have missed because headphones simply cant process the entire range of the audio spectrum like monitors can . But when i mix in headphones i do usually get to a mix that is most translatable on all audio sources . But this is the thing... you have to work to this point. You literally have to know what sound sounds like before you can mix entirely on headphones, and monitors are the best way to learn . It really does take YEARS of training to understand what things should sound like on different mediums. But once you do understand i believe headphones are the best way to go because your mixes will translate better on the first go round while using your studio monitors to clean up after the heavy lifting has been done. Now as far as headphones go. NO BLUETOOTH HEAD PHONES. they in no way shape or form reperesent the true signal of your mix because they literally cant... make sure they have a pretty flat response. Its okay if they sweeten up the lows and highs a little bit. You just have to know what that sounds like so you can mix accordingly. But headphones like Beats by dre . Are a Noooooo goooooo. Especially if you are just starting. Luxury Headphones like that are lying at every point in the spectrum . My go to mixing heqdphones are a 25$ pair of jvc's a cushion eared model. They are amazing they definitely sweeten up the high and low end a tad.... but they don't lie if your bass is out of control they will tell you... the other great thing Is the volume levels you get a solid powerful tone. But they don't pump to the high heavens so you can literally mix for HOURSSSS. without feeling any fatigue . Which monitors in my case at least always seem to do. It will show in your work immensely. Long mixing sessions where your judgements sounds just as good on the 6th song of the day jus as they did on the first... sometimes even better
The advice about start mixing for free for experience is spot on. Too many amateurs don’t realise the competition, they aren’t the only one wants to mix and they get too impatient and greedy for money when the client can easily go to someone else
Very nice video - so many vids out there that give very precise yet useless information. The key is practice and you’ve said that here whilst giving some very useful tips on how to execute ideas that will help. Great!!
Can’t front. Good information. There’s a lot of cookie cutter advice floating around RUclips but this is some solid advice. Especially the mono mixing… I would suggest listening to your favorite music in mono on one monitor dead center pointed at your face. You can get a much clearer picture of the structure of a song and mix
the advice in the end about starting a mixing service is inVALUABLE, thank you for the tip -- amongst them all. Deep love, as im growing into all this.
thank you so much Alex, you really make me better by just giving your valuable tips, thank you so much
Always managing yo pick up new info from you! And Ive been doing this for a long time. Youre the most direct and competent mix/music content creator I know. Thanks you!
I really really like your stuff! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and helping us out here to become better producers and mixers 👌😊🤩
Love the mix business plug thing mid vid 👌
I also use a two sets of headphones and a small monitor lol great idea
I found this so incredibly useful and learned multiple things, but there was one thing I can’t really agree on. Some reverbs give tings like a reese bass a ton of body in the 150-450 hz range. That is by no means exact, but try it out sometime, I used to always cut at about 450 hz, but now it’s much more situational. Sometimes I even boost the reverb at around 500hz and cut at 200 hz so the fundamental sub as a well as another bass harmonic or two isn’t reverberated. Then that adds so much width and presence without the reverb stealing space in higher harmonics.
Thanks for the Tips Alex. Great Tips IMO too.
You really are the GOAT RUclips producer. Dropping this concise knowledge for free.
Excellent tips! I’d advise to be careful not to overdo the high pass EQ trick. It can suck the life from any melodic elements. ❤
Awesome video my dude, helped me clean my mix up A LOT! Thank you!
the conflicting information around high passing everything over 100hz except kick and bass is becoming the new blue or yellow dress.
personally, i think its genre specific. ill mostly hi cut, but if the low end of the chords is making the track fuller for example, id rather notch accordingly.
Great tips! I especially like the one on mixing by instrument categories. Thank you!
My review for this video and what i learned from this -
You really explained that mixing in mono tip (unlike others) and gave me an idea to gain stage my tracks inorder to have the best possible dynamics
Secondly, that mix by instrument was super useful. I used mix by sections but now with new POV I'll do better i hope
Thanks alex for this amazing video....we want more tips from you in future❤
Alex since day 1 you have been the same guy . I appreciate you for that more than anything thank you!
Might be one of the best videos on the entire web.
Amigo, this was the best information & delivery I've encountered in a years long search for the questions I've been wrestling w in all of my tunes. For real - a break through moment for me. Thank you! ..................... Even tho Im a little mad now as I realize there's a hundred old songs I NOW HAVE TO REVISIT. AGAIN....... to feel that sense of FINISHED I still haven't had. :)
Really great explained 🎉🎉
Honestly this dude is my new go to for production tips. Great videos
I always make sure to miss words of wisdom from one of the greatest and most ancient music gurus on RUclips.
also glad to know i do most things on this video properly with eq n stuff, im a super ammature but i do take this stuff seriously
An excellent overview of the mixing process!
Completely agree. Mix a song, play it in the car or at others places,on a stereo and your studio. Write down what needs to be fixed on all different reference points, and average them out.
..Alex you are amazing, the best simple tutorials so anyone can understand..RESPECT!!!!
MY FAVOURITE GUY!!!!
This is probably the best "tips" video i have seen. Great stuff man. Really really useful advice and great explanations
Especially tip 9. It makes so much sense, but never thought of that
😮I don't know how to mix at all but this video make me feel like i can.
Really love your videos Alex! Great teachings as always!
That was excellent Alex. Great range of suggestions totally not expecting.
Hiya Alex, to go along with tip.7 I have experienced that some of the readings shown at the lower end of many spectrum-analyser plugins can be either true-transient information (from the transients of higher elements) or complete "ghost bumps" caused by the analyser algorithm itself. So when you particularly mentioned that you may not even be able to hear the low end in tip.7, It reminded me that I have been told to concentrate with my ears & judge audiably, rather than purely visually - in these 'vague' cases. I guess, the advice was to 'not do things automatically, by rule' but rather, do so when the problem comes up.
💯. A great example of this is putting a pure sine wave through a spectrum analyzer. It will show all sorts of harmonics that don't exist because by definition a pure sine wave has no harmonics! This might even tempt someone to low pass the sine wave if they're trying to get a "pure" Sub signal, which will only introduce more phase distortion
@@_CRiT_hits_Weird I've never had that happen to me in logic pro before. If it's just a sine it's pure on the spectrum analyzer.
Thanks a lot💙💙
Also when it comes to how deep something sounds, volume can have a huge play in this too. Louder parts sound closer while quiter parts sound farther away.
thanks man it's really helping me
As a professional metal mixer, Alex you are the truth my man
Mental ques are what you want to trigger. Distance can be determined by many things, the main two things are it's frequency presence and its delay. If it's far away there's gonna be less high end in the sound, probably less low end depending on if it's miles away or not. To tell which side of your body its on or brains check which ear got the signal first, that tells us which direction something came from. So you'd just delay either the left or the right side. I would throw an eq on the side you delay and band pass the sound for a more realistic sound. Movie sound designers use these techniques all the time. Over ear headphones and speaker systems are good listening conditions to experience these effects
always enjoy your content from the UK
9:30 dude ive been using it forever, but youre the first one ive ever heard to also use the magic high piss filter. It saves so much time when you dont have to stop mixing just to go to the bathroom
Since I have started learning to mix and master. These videos are the sauce! I will do all the tips. 🎉. Every word sinks in so we’ll when he explains why the mix becomes unreadable. Thanks my guy.
Thanks for tip 8 : I never thought about it, game changing for me
thank you, you're great!!
thank you bro it was so helpful
Great man... Helpful
Really good video. That reference plugin is dope af
your an absolute unit ALex
glad see u active ♥ and thx for the tips as always !
I love the last tip, one of the reasons I wanted to learn music production is because I've heard songs with such loud snares that it would hurt my ears... but friends would act like it was okay. I had to prove that a good crisp snare and a shitty snare are very different sounds
This is an excellent way of explaining these concepts imo. People should watch this video, then watch it again. And watch it again.
I think mixing environment is where a lot of people drop the ball. Boring, etc. Well, people, let me tell you, I went from a treated room to an untreated room with wood floors, cabinets, and it's awful by comparison lol. A in all octaves RESONATES, among other problems like echo/reverb, etc. You don't know what you don't know. DIY treatment is inexpensive and a lot of big box hardware stores will even cut the material for you.
Anyway, thanks for sharing!
Deaum!! Your music and producing theory is sooooo goood! 🔥🔥 So easy to understand
Compression also pushes things back in the mix volume is what controls depth. Reverb and delays are for space
Thank you so much sir
I'm a complete noob and have been practicing for about a year now. I think I've gotten better than how I ised to be but I learned a lot from you. I mix rock music that I played myself and try on different kinds of speakers. Toughest to break through for me so far was phone speakers
But no seriously, youre an amazing teacher. Ive learned so much from you already. Thanks so much👊👊
GREAT VIDEO VERY INFORMATIVE !
Thanks! 🙏🙏
This info changed my life as well. Thank you Alex.
One thing i always do in fl is turn the standard fruity limiter off. Leave 3-5db of room in my mix so in the end of the song i have more room for certain sounds I want to stand be louder or exaggerated. I think one of the biggest mistake new people make is make everything to loud.
thanks for the useful info
Tip 5- Another thing to consider with mixing on headphones is that they're not true stereo. For example, when mixing on monitors, you hear the left channel with both your left and right ears (and vice versa), but with headphones you hear the channels separately in each ear.
bro wtf 2 days ago :0 gunna binge ur videos when I need breaks and can youtube, im struggling finding a good fx and ordering things, i can write harmonies and leads and drum midis n stuff and mix slightly but ordering and prioritisinf my chains has been a struggle, so i hope i can learn about fx chain priorities through your channel
Right now, I think mixing in Mono is probably the tip I hadn't thought to try before. I do EQ out the bass from nearly everything, and I often disable the reverb in instrument plugins for a different one, either in a group or a return track. I also have multiple speakers for mixing - as well as the monitors, I have a good home stereo across the room I can turn on, two different sets of headphones, and a small Bluetooth speaker paired to the PC. This latter one has sometimes shown me some big mixing errors!
Wow. Probably the tips i needed to hear. Thanks.
So educational, thanks for sharing!
Great video. Many presets have reverbs added. I strip all these to avoid a mess
Great video Alex, some really great points, and really well explained. Keep up the great work. 👍
So what actually changed your life?
others: my love, kids, etc
alex : these 10 mixing tips to make better songs
Excellent video with some very useful and definitely helpful tips👍
Thanks dude. This is everything I needed to hear. Such good info
Great video. Lots of nice well explained tips
The besttt
If you’re using a higher quality IR based reverb, you’ll get better/more realistic results only sending the desired frequencies to that verb (preferably on its own bus). If you start EQ’ing IR reverbs to death, they’ll sound sterile and you risk phase/aliasing issues. Cheers!
Dip your drum bus EQ at 100Hz-ish and roll off the really highs to make it instantly lo-fi-er. I don't know why but I like how it sounds.
This helped a lot, thank you
Gems 💚‼️
This video is incredibly helpful 👍🔥🔥
Fantastic video as always. What are those headphones you're using now?
Great
The "mix for free" tip is alright, but there is more that comes to it.
I studied sound engineering and now do mixing and mastering professionally and I earned quite something already, but I still sometimes do offer mixing for free if I like the song. The thing is that suprisingly many people dont want to send their songs, even if its going to end up sounding amazing. They are either satisfied with their mix, lazy or are uncomfortable sending their tracks to a stranger (maybe because FREE feels too "unofficial" and not legit for them)
Since I am already here, free mix anyone? (up to 20 stems)
Also reverb artifacts below 500hz are very useful in certain situations.
Can you make a video on how to create effecs presets for melody instruments?
great stuff bro thank you!
Gotta disagree about the "Magic High Pass". It's an ok general trick...but...two things. Specifically, male vocals often get a really nice "presence" around 80-100hz. More than that, going as hog-wild as 120-140hz on all your non-bass channels can end up with a thin mix. I agree, high pass a lot of stuff, but I honestly wouldn't set it as high as your recommendation.
I've never taken so many screenshots from a video! #thxabunch
Dude. Sikkk vid.
I am new to this channel(and it is my first time subscribing a music related channel).My question is,can anyone make a beat like this without having any deep knowledge in real music instruments?
Yes. It just takes practice like anything else. Download a music making software and start making music every day.
Do more Bro
Nice!!! Great tips!
This is awesome.. Thank you ❤
hel help helpfull!!!