Zoom Gear & Home Recording Forum

8 Indicators That Your Mix Is Finished:

One of the tougher things to decide when you're doing a project is deciding when the mix is finished. If you have a deadline, the decision is quickly made for you, but if you have a deep pocket budget or unlimited time, a mix can drag on forever.


So when is a mix considered finished? Here are some guidelines, courtesy of The Mixing Engineer's Handbook:


1) The groove of the song is solid. The groove usually comes from the rhythm section, but it might be from an element like a rhythm guitar (like on the Police’s Every Breath You Take) or just the bass by itself, like anything from the Detroit Motown that James Jamerson played on (Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin’ On or The Four Tops Reach Out, I’ll Be There and Bernadette for instance). Whatever element supplies the groove, it has to be emphasized so that the listener can feel it.


2) You can distinctly hear every instrument. Every instrument must have its own frequency range to be heard. Depending upon the arrangement, this is what usually takes the most time during mixing.


3) Every lyric, and every note of every line or solo can be heard. You don’t want a single note buried. It all has to be crystal clear. Use your automation. That’s what it was made for.


4) The mix has punch. The relationship between the bass and drums is in the right proportion and work together well to give the song a solid foundation.


5) The mix has a focal point. What’s the most important element of the song? Make sure it’s obvious to the listener.


6) The mix has contrast. If you have the same amount of the same effect on everything (a trait I hear from so many neophyte mixers), the mix will sound washed out. You have to have contrast between different elements, from dry to wet, to give the mix depth.


7) All noises and glitches are eliminated. This means any count-offs, singer’s breaths that seem out of place or predominate because of vocal compression, amp noise on guitar tracks before and after the guitar is playing, bad sounding edits, and anything else that might take the listener’s attention away from the track.


You can play your mix against songs that you love, and it holds up. Perhaps the ultimate test. If you can get your mix in the same ball park as many of your favorites (either things you’ve mixed or from other artists) after you’ve passed the previous seven items, then you’re probably home free.


In the end, it’s best to figure at least a full day per song regardless of whether you’re mixing in the box or on an analog console, although it’s still best to figure a day and a half per mix if you’re mixing in a studio with an analog-style console. Of course, if you’re mixing every session as you go along recording, then you might be finished before you know it as you just tweak your mix a little.



Read more: http://bobbyowsinski.blogspot.com/#ixzz1re6kllhN
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Very cool. Info I can learn from!

With my stuff, it's not so much 'radio ready' I'm shooting for, but rather good enough to pass around to guitarists & drummers when I'm ready to take it live. But I do want it to be as good as possible; learning is cool, and I may end up in a real studio one day.

The 2nd point is one that vexes me the most. I understand it, but it vexes me.

Ευχαριστώ, Helios!

I feel the same way. I think panning falls into this category as well!

“A work of art is never finished. It is merely abandoned.”
― E.M. Forster (after da Vinci)

1 Indicator That Your Mix Is Finished:

The pub is open.

But seriously Steve, this is a really good summary. In fact because I know this is true I have decided to go for much simpler acoustic tracks from now on (assuming I start to write and record again. Actually I've got the makings of guitar part coming along quite nicely but I'm at the stage where I need a lyrical idea to give it a direction), I don't have the time, patience or (crucially) the EAR to see it through.

I have a real problem with the 'frequency' stuff. What EQ software do you use? I got a hiss on my last tune and I can't eliminate it. I've reduced it, but it's still there. I think it's just not a good enough take. If I get ridof it the song loses it's hi end and lacks sharpness.

I usually just use the EQ in Samplitude...and usually only at track level.
Have you tried Sam? Manz put up a thread with a link for the free Soundcloud version. It wouldn't hurt to try one of your simple songs with Sam and see what you think, it's only limited in track count. Or try one of the other DAW trials in the sticky above. You may just find you like one of them better than Mixcraft.
I did.

Here's the link:

Free Samplitude Silver / Sound Cloud Edition

You must register to be able to continue to use it past 30 days.

We both use Line 6 gear, I've found it to be very quiet. Maybe solo each track until you find the culprit.

I'm wary of new software, its not my strong point. I'll have a look see. That's sensible advice on discovering which track is the naughty one. Unless I discover they've all got it.

Cheers

I agree on all except the last one:
In most cases it will make a recording sound static and have it lose it's spontaneity and liveliness.
A count-off, for example, can build up tension and a singer's breath can make him sound human.
It's all part of the performance and that's what you're capturing when recording.

Steve: You forgot #9: When Sungod tells you it's good enough......

Polly :I had the same problem with some acoustic tracks too John, no matter what I did, they would either have the hiss, or loose their clarity. The culprit was my condensor mic & interface combination. I had to crank the pre-amp up on the interface to get a hot enough signal, & it caused a lot of noise. Since I bought a new interface, it seems to have made the hiss less noticable......

That said, Steve's right about Samplitude, it's got some great stuff already in it, a low pass filter might take the hiss away, it'd be worth a shot. Samp's noise reduction/spectral cleaner thingie would work too, but I don't know if it's included in the Soundcloud version or not. If so, I'd go lightly with it, as it can change the tonal quality of your tracks too......

Good luck!!!!!

Henky: Absolutely correct, just depends on the song, material, etc. but, I usually edit my vocal tracks pretty closely, because nobody wants to hear me wheezing/gasping for air in between vocal lines....

Polly :I had the same problem with some acoustic tracks too John, no matter what I did, they would either have the hiss, or loose their clarity. The culprit was my condensor mic & interface combination. I had to crank the pre-amp up on the interface to get a hot enough signal, & it caused a lot of noise. [/quote]
Ah, my Line 6 interface was cranked up to the max. Mixcraft has a low pass thingy on it. I'll give it a try.

Well, I purposely didn't zombie him by saying "or try one of the other trials".
Pushing your pre and/or interface will raise the noise floor and is just plain kooky.


You're being too easy on henk, mm. I think he's taking this article waaaaaay too literally.

I'm a lip smacker myself...

I have an idea that noises & glitches are a part of my guitar playing style. Bass, I'm usually 'one-take Jake'; I don't worry on it. On vocals, I've yet to record trks worthy of messing with.

Basically, you should edit out all UNDESIRABLE glitches/noise, or tame them to a desirable level. Breathes are a good example because although sometimes they are desirable, often times compression makes them too loud relative to the singing.