the 10 essential mixing mindsets · pdf file · 2014-12-07“i turn the good...

Summary . Checklist

The 10 Essential Mixing

Mindsets

T H E U L T I M A T E M I X I N G F O R M U L A - S U M M A R Y C H E C K L I S T

T H E U L T I M A T E M I X I N G F O R M U L A © 2 0 1 4 P R O S O U N D F O R M U L A . C O M

The Core Principles, Mindsets, & Beliefs that lead to GREAT Mixes

http://ProSoundFormula.com


The 10 Essential Mixing MindsetsThe top mix engineers are not only DOING something different, but THINKING differently. Most people just want to learn the quick ‘tricks and techniques’, yet it’s our MINDSET that guides our approach and drives EVERY SINGLE mixing decision we make – so getting this right is essential.

You’re about to learn what I consider to be the 10 most important mixing mindsets. These have only come as the result of MANY years of practice, and DECADES of acquired wisdom, and I’m passing them on to you now so that you can make rapid progress toward making your mixes sound GREAT.

1. Start with the end in mind

2. It’s ALL relative

3. Get perspective

4. Feature what works

5. Get creative

6. Progress not perfection

7. Keep moving

8. Zoom in, zoom out

9. Create synergy

10. Serve the song

Overview





SummaryMixing Mindset #1

“Start with the end in mind”

• EVERY action stems from your vision

• The clearer your outcome is the more likely you are to achieve it

• Mixing is about creating ALIGNMENT

• Message > Style > Sound – Must all match up and sound congruent

• Choose 2 or 3 reference tracks to ‘model’ (keep in mind they’ve been mastered!)

“Start with the end in mind” – Stephen R. Covey –

(Seven Habits of Highly Effective People)

Mixing Mindset #2

“It’s all relative”

• Our ears of VERY adaptable – sound is RELATIVE

• Loud or soft ; Big or small ; Bright or dull ; Wet or dry ; etc. – If you want one, you must have the other

• For example: If everything is loud, nothing is loud

• Great mixes have contrast

“When there is no quiet, there can be no loud” – Matt Mayfield –





Mixing Mindset #3

“Get perspective”

• Getting multiple perspectives is KEY to a great mix (ESPECIALLY when starting out)

• The fastest way to tell whether your mix is working or not is to change your perspective

• Three ways to get a fresh perspective:

1. Reference

2. Feedback

3. Take breaks

1. Reference

• Every system and set of speakers reveals something about your mix

• Use other systems as a GUIDE only – Make final decisions & adjustments on your MONITORS

• LEARN YOUR MONITORS – The better you know them, the easier mixing will become

• Listen at different levels

• Fletcher Munson Equal Loudness Contours – What this means in a nutshell: Our ears hear less bass and treble at low volume levels, and more at higher levels, so we must listen at different levels to get an accurate representation of the sound

2. Feedback

• Feedback from others instantly gives you a COMPLETELY new perspective

• The challenge: ALL feedback is biased and subjective

• Take into account: The way you ask, the system they’re using, their style preferences, etc.

• Find people who are BETTER than you, preferably mixing engineers – and TRY what they suggest





3. Take breaks

• Taking a break is the best way to refocus your mind on the big picture

• Mixing without taking breaks is COUNTER PRODUCTIVE

• The louder you listen, the quicker ear fatigue sets in

• When you start to feel like you’re ‘going around in circles’, it’s time to take a break

• Take a short break at least every 2 hours

“Obviously, the idea is to make it work on all systems. You listen on the big speakers, the NS10’s, out in the car, plus your own speakers, then you go home and listen again. This is a lot of work but it’s the

only way to go”

– Andy Johns –

(Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Van Halen)





Mixing Mindset #4

“Feature what works”

• …And get RID of what doesn’t!

• The rule of focus: 1, 2, 3, TOO MANY – We can only listen to about three main things at a time, so we need to feature the most important elements in a song.

• Find the focal point of the song and build the mix around that

• We also need to get rid of, or at least hide, the parts that don’t work

• GIGO – Garbage in, Garbage out

• Realize that you are limited by the quality of the source material – Don’t be too hard on yourself!

“I turn the good parts up and the bad parts down” – Jim Dickinson –

Mixing Mindset #5

“Get creative”

• Without creativity music becomes generic and boring

• Creativity is simply using your imagination

• Don’t try to be too ‘safe’

• Try NEW things – EVERYTHING’S A TEST

• Don’t get so caught up in all the technical stuff that you lose sight of the MUSIC

“My philosophy is to make records that have a unique sound” – Jack Joseph Puig –

(Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas, John Mayer)





Mixing Mindset #6

“Progress not perfection”

• There’s no such thing as ‘the perfect mix’

• There are MANY great mixes and MANY paths to get there

• Kaizen – Focus on continuous improvement

• Focus on many small incremental improvements

• This not only applies to every mix, but also your progress in mixing music

“The pursuit of perfection often impedes improvement” – George Will –

Mixing Mindset #7

“Keep moving”

• Taking too long can actually be counter productive

• Keep moving forward to stay in the ‘vibe’ of the song

• Don’t get caught up on any specific instrument or setting

• 80 / 20 Rule ; 80% of the mix takes 20% of the time, the final 20% takes 80% of the time – Do the “easy 80%” first

• Get a sound in the ballpark and then MOVE ON

• How long should a mix take? – The BEST mix engineers in the world take anywhere from about half a day to two days to mix a song, so we should aim for this… but realize that they do this EVERY SINGLE DAY, so it’s obviously going to take longer when you’re starting out – and that’s OK :)

“Time is your enemy in mixing. The longer it takes, the worse it gets” – Chris Lord-Alge –

(Green Day, Bon Jovi, U2)





Mixing Mindset #8

“Zoom in, zoom out”

• Mixing is about focusing on both the fine details AND the big picture

• Cocktail Party Effect – What we focus on gets LOUDER – Just keep this in mind when you’re soloing instruments and then listening to the whole mix

• To zoom IN: Break it down – Solo instruments to hear the fine details

• To zoom OUT: Change perspective – Focus on the mix as a WHOLE

“All you need is ears” – Sir George Martin –

(The Beatles, Celine Dion, Cheap Trick)

Mixing Mindset #9

“Create synergy”

• Mixing is all about creating synergy

• It doesn’t matter how great something sounds in isolation, it must WORK TOGETHER

• Shape instruments to fit together

• Spread sounds over the entire frequency spectrum

• Limit the arrangement to only the parts that work well together – If the arrangement doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter what you do to the sound!

“It doesn’t matter what it sounds like in solo to me. It can sound like the weirdest thing on earth; as long as it fits and complements the track and what’s going on around it, it’s there to stay”

– Toby Wright –

(3 Doors Down, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne)





Mixing Mindset #10

“Serve the song”

• At the end of the day, it’s not about the mix, it’s ALL about making the SONG the BEST it can be

• Questions to ask:

• How can we sonically enhance the song’s message?

• What will give the song the most IMPACT?

• Match the SOUND to the STYLE and MESSAGE of the song

“The most important thing about recording, no matter where you are, is that music comes first. Everything else is secondary”

– Patrick Leonard –

(Madonna, Elton John, Jeff Beck)





the 10 essential mixing mindsets · pdf file · 2014-12-07“i turn the good...

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