In the latest podcast I did with Graham, one of our 5 mixing “hacks” was to mix at lower volumes.
Lower volumes. What’s the fun in that?
I’ll be honest. I’m not great at doing this, but there are a lot of good reasons to mix at lower volumes. Here are a few:
Less ear fatigue – Mix for longer periods of time without wearing out your cute little ears
Forces you to listen more carefully – When the speakers are blaring, it can actually become more difficult to hear everything. Turning ‘em down makes you listen more carefully.
Makes your room less of an issue – Yes, you should acoustically treat your room, but mixing at lower volumes gives your room less of a chance to mess with the sound before it hits your ears. Blasting sound into your room will cause those room issues (and we all have them) to become more pronounced and exaggerated.
Nowhere to “hide” – Sometimes a mix sounds better simply when you play it louder. Forcing yourself to mix at lower volumes forces you to get a good-sounding mix BEFORE you crank the volume.
Flatter response – It’s a fact, louder music actually sounds more “hyped” to our ears. A loud mix seems to have more bass and more highs…even if that’s not really the case. A lower volume gives you a “flatter” response to work with…which is ideal.
“How loud should I mix?” you ask. Some folks like to get SPL meters and measure it out. I don’t. Graham made a great point in yesterday’s podcast. Mix at a level where you can still comfortable hold a conversation with someone next to you.
Hey, it’s worth a shot.
If you want to come behind-the-scenes into my studio and see how I like to mix and record, among tons of other things, you should become a VIP member. I’m adding more features that will blow you away. All for just $5/month.
I made a huge addition to my studio this weekend…a COUCH. I think it’s now officially a studio. I had to rearrange the entire room, move my desk to the other side, but it’s got such a cool vibe now. I’ll shoot a new studio tour video soon, I promise.
5 Mixing Hacks
Did you know I do a podcast with Graham Cochrane? Well, I do, and we’ve got a brand new episode, hot off the presses.
Graham and I talk about our five favorite mixing hacks, the things we do on EVERY mix that absolutely help us get better results.
If you’re not a VIP member yet, you should think about joining. I’m about to add some really cool new features, in addition to the private members forum and monthly live VIP sessions.
As you may know, I’m a humongous fan of Graham Cochrane and The Recording Revolution website. Graham and I have even teamed up for the Simply Recording Podcast (which you need to check out if you haven’t yet).
However, if there’s NOTHING else you read/watch for the month of January, you must check out Graham’s latest iteration of his wildly popular 5 Minutes to a Better Mix. For the entire month of January, Graham will be posting one video a day to help you get better mixes. Each of these videos will be no more than 5 minutes.
The idea is to give you a bunch of new ideas to try on your mixes. Mixing is all about trying things, experimenting, building up an arsenal of tools and tricks. But sometimes it’s hard to figure those things out by yourself, mixing like crazy in your studio.
Getting outside opinions and ideas can really jumpstart your growth as an engineer. Seeing how someone else approaches a similar task can open your eyes to all sorts of new creative options.
That’s why you’d be stupid not to subscribe to Graham’s site and soak up every one of these tips.
So, you’ve been sitting at home making tunes for a while, you think you’re pretty good at it and see no reason why you shouldn’t start charging other people for your work. After all, you can provide a service to people who can’t do it for themselves.
But how do you go about getting clients? There’s no fixed answer, but here are a few pointers.
As some of you know, for the last 6 months or so I’ve been playing with the Presonus StudioLive 16.0.2 mixer in my home studio. Being a long-time fan and user of Presonus gear, I was thrilled to get to put this thing through its paces.
I’ve done everything from recording a live concert, to mobile tracking sessions, to recording podcasts, videos, and live streaming video/audio online.
So yes…I’ve put it through its paces. I absolutely love this thing. Having a physical mixer with all the benefits of a firewire audio interface is the bomb.
Check out this quick video where I share with you three of my favorite things about the StudioLive, and why it’s a great option for us home studio folks.
It’s hard to believe we’re finishing up another year. 2011 is almost in the books. Crazy.
It’s also wild to think that HSC has been around since the Spring of 2009. Thanks YOU for being a reader, a watcher, a subscriber, a fan, a follower, and a customer. Without you, this site would be boooooooring.
Maybe you’ve been around HSC for a long time, perhaps even since the beginning. Or you might have just found the site a few days ago. Either way, I’m glad you’re here.
I’ve compiled a list of my favorite posts from 2011. Kick back, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy:
If you’re like me, your family hates shopping for you. You’re into all this weird music stuff, and they wouldn’t know where to begin. So your presents consist of envelopes with cash and gift certificates. Your grandmother apologizes for such an “impersonal” gift, but you love it. Now you can get exactly what you want.
Are you unsure what to get? The problem with Christmas cash is that it’s usually not enough to get a $2,000 preamp or guitar, but it’s still enough to get some REALLY handy items for your studio.
Here are some ideas to help you burn a whole in your pocket.
He’s a mix engineer here in Nashville, and he runs the fabulous website MixCoach.com. Kevin has graciously agreed to join me on the next VIP Session and talk mixing with me and the rest of the VIP members.
It’s next Tuesday afternoon (Dec 27) at 3pm Central.
This is a private interview, exclusive for my VIP members only. If you want to become a member and have access to this interview (yes, it will be recorded) AND all the previous VIP Sessions, along with access to the members-only forum, then sign up here:
I made a huge addition to my studio this weekend…a COUCH. I think it’s now officially a studio. I had to rearrange the entire room, move my desk to the other side, but it’s got such a cool vibe now. I’ll shoot a new studio tour video soon, I promise.
