IRON TIP - Mixing is EASY!

[Iron Keys]

Mixing is easy.

The only skill you need, is to be able to hear if something sounds good.

If you can do that, all you need to do is push faders and twists knobs until what you hear sounds good.

Faders, knobs, and sounding good.

If you listen to music and make music, you clearly have something in you that says you can hear something and know that it sounds good. Hence why you like / want to make it.

Something doesn't sound loud enough? Just turn it up.
Can't hear something clearly? Turn it up.
Something too harsh or prominent? Turn it down.
Something a bit dark? Just add some high EQ (or take away some low!)
Something a bit bright? Do the opposite of the above.

Just do that until it sounds good!

That's really all there is to it!

Now that you know that, you can go ahead and mix with confidence and ease!

No more dreading the mix phase, no more obsessing hours of YouTube tutorials, no more complex chains or specific moves 'because this YouTuber said I should', no more agonising your sidechain multiband compression settings;

Just push a few faders and twists a few knobs until it sounds good.

It's easy --- you've got this!

 

[E.D]

Mixing is easy.

The only skill you need, is to be able to hear if something sounds good.

If you can do that, all you need to do is push faders and twists knobs until what you hear sounds good.

Faders, knobs, and sounding good.

If you listen to music and make music, you clearly have something in you that says you can hear something and know that it sounds good. Hence why you like / want to make it.

Something doesn't sound loud enough? Just turn it up.
Can't hear something clearly? Turn it up.
Something too harsh or prominent? Turn it down.
Something a bit dark? Just add some high EQ (or take away some low!)
Something a bit bright? Do the opposite of the above.

Just do that until it sounds good!

That's really all there is to it!

Now that you know that, you can go ahead and mix with confidence and ease!

No more dreading the mix phase, no more obsessing hours of YouTube tutorials, no more complex chains or specific moves 'because this YouTuber said I should', no more agonising your sidechain multiband compression settings;

Just push a few faders and twists a few knobs until it sounds good.

It's easy --- you've got this!

That's just the beginning steps to start what about the rest?

 

[Iron Keys]

That's just the beginning steps to start what about the rest?

That's partly the point. Many aren't getting that right. And it's really that easy.

Even "the rest", it's as simple as turning knobs until things sound good.

People doing too much and not just listening.

 

[attila]

Now tell us about mastering, please

 

[Iron Keys]

Now tell us about mastering, please

Even more easy!

Mastering you're just dealing with a stereo wave, and If the mix is right, mastering is just saying "I don't need to do anything here."

Maybe it's just having to make it louder; so just sticking a clipper and a limiter - and pushing enough to where it still 'sounds good.'

 

[hosie]

Iron Keys be like

Monday:
Mixes beat on phone.

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:
Beat This voting day

 

[Iron Keys]

Iron Keys be like

Monday:
Mixes beat on phone.

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:
Beat This voting day

Love the Kermit gif,

Otherwise...

 

[hosie]

Love the Kermit gif,

Otherwise...

 

[Iron Keys]

 

[hosie]

The countless times I've made a beat and said "This beat sounds great as it is. Probably doesn't need much but I'll do a little mixing, add a little pzazz here and there"

* 4 hours, 10,000 miniscule knob twists and fader movements later a beat enters the 'Z:/drive/beats_to_finish' folder of death*

 

[Iron Keys]

The countless times I've made a beat and said "This beat sounds great as it is. Probably doesn't need much but I'll do a little mixing, add a little pzazz here and there"

* 4 hours, 10,000 miniscule knob twists and fader movements later a beat enters the 'Z:/drive/beats_to_finish' folder of death*

2 things...

1 - that comes with the overthinking of mixing, rather than just keeping it simple, or keeping some guiding principles.

2 - mixes (even if/when easy) can take quite a while.
i) whether that's because of the number of tracks
ii) or some of the admin within it --- some top top pros have assistants who do all the admin of labelling tracks, mixes, clipgaining, cleanup.

Mixing, even when doing it right, and efficiently, can be a long process. That's why it's important to be doing it right and not overthinking.

 

[attila]

2 things...

1 - that comes with the overthinking of mixing, rather than just keeping it simple, or keeping some guiding principles.

2 - mixes (even if/when easy) can take quite a while.
i) whether that's because of the number of tracks
ii) or some of the admin within it --- some top top pros have assistants who do all the admin of labelling tracks, mixes, clipgaining, cleanup.

Mixing, even when doing it right, and efficiently, can be a long process. That's why it's important to be doing it right and not overthinking.

And rest your ears of u can

 

[Iron Keys]

And rest your ears of u can

Also important, or moreso important is to 'refresh' your ears

What we mean by this is getting s change of perspective, for example listening to other records for a while or listening on a different set of speakers.

Especially good if you listen to some other record on a different set of speakers before listening to your mix on it. Really helps you regain a sense of perspective.