5​ ​Things​ ​You​ ​Should​ ​Never​ ​Do​ ​While​ ​Mixing

1.​ ​Try​ ​To​ ​Fix​ ​Problems​ ​On​ ​The​ ​Mix​ ​Bus

Many​ ​problems​ ​within​ ​a​ ​mix​ ​are​ ​caused​ ​by​ ​only​ ​one​ ​track.

For​ ​example—if​ ​your​ ​mix​ ​sounds​ ​muddy,​ ​there​ ​might​ ​be​ ​too​ ​much​ ​low​ ​end​ ​on​ ​a​ ​synth.
Or​ ​maybe​ ​the​ ​lower​ ​midrange​ ​on​ ​a​ ​guitar​ ​is​ ​too​ ​thick.

Either​ ​way,​ ​when​ ​you​ ​make​ ​a​ ​move​ ​on​ ​your​ ​mix​ ​bus,​ ​you​ ​affect​ ​every​ ​track​ ​in​ ​your
session.

Cut​ ​the​ ​low​ ​end​ ​there,​ ​and​ ​you​ ​cut​ ​it​ ​from​ ​every​ ​track​ ​in​ ​your​ ​mix.

Why​ ​do​ ​this​ ​if​ ​only​ ​one​ ​track​ ​is​ ​causing​ ​the​ ​problem?

This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​surefire​ ​path​ ​to​ ​a​ ​thin,​ ​wimpy​ ​mix.

Instead,​ ​find​ ​the​ ​source​ ​of​ ​the​ ​problem​ ​and​ ​fix​ ​it​ ​there.

The​ ​mix​ ​bus​ ​should​ ​be​ ​your​ ​last​ ​resort.

2.​ ​Overuse​ ​The​ ​Solo​ ​Button

Mixing​ ​is​ ​all​ ​about​ ​context.​ ​You’re​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​group​ ​of​ ​sounds​ ​blend​ ​together​ ​as​ ​a
cohesive​ ​unit.

It’s​ ​impossible​ ​to​ ​do​ ​this​ ​when​ ​you​ ​overuse​ ​the​ ​solo​ ​button.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​because​ ​the​ ​solo
button​ ​removes​ ​the​ ​context​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​understand​ ​how​ ​tracks​ ​contribute​ ​to​ ​the​ ​mix​ ​as
a​ ​whole​.

You’ll​ ​get​ ​much​ ​better​ ​results​ ​if​ ​you​ ​make​ ​the​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​your​ ​decisions​ ​with​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of
the​ ​tracks​ ​playing.​ ​Remember​ ​–​ ​it​ ​doesn’t​ ​matter​ ​how​ ​each​ ​track​ ​sounds​ ​in​ ​solo.​ ​The
end​ ​listener​ ​is​ ​only​ ​going​ ​to​ ​hear​ ​the​ ​full​ ​mix.
When​ ​you’re​ ​mixing​ ​a​ ​track​ ​that’s​ ​part​ ​of​ ​a​ ​multi-miked​ ​group​ ​(like​ ​a​ ​kick​ ​drum​ ​track
that’s​ ​part​ ​of​ ​a​ ​full​ ​drum​ ​kit),​ ​this​ ​becomes​ ​even​ ​more​ ​important.​ ​Mixing​ ​a​ ​track​ ​like​ ​this
in​ ​solo​ ​can​ ​create​ ​unexpected​ ​results​ ​when​ ​it’s​ ​played​ ​back​ ​with​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​group.

3.​ ​Avoid​ ​A/B’ing

Mixing​ ​isn’t​ ​just​ ​about​ ​making​ ​the​ ​right​ ​decisions.​ ​It’s​ ​also​ ​about​ ​avoiding​ ​the​ ​wrong
ones.

Take​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​that​ ​every​ ​move​ ​you​ ​make​ ​is​ ​actually​ ​making​ ​your​ ​mix​ ​sound
better.​ ​Get​ ​in​ ​the​ ​habit​ ​of​ ​A/B’ing​ ​everything​ ​with​ ​the​ ​original,​ ​unprocessed​ ​track.
Always​ ​level-match​ ​the​ ​before​ ​and​ ​after​ ​versions,​ ​so​ ​you​ ​can​ ​compare​ ​at​ ​a​ ​consistent
volume.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​apply​ ​a​ ​hefty​ ​boost​ ​to​ ​a​ ​track,​ ​this​ ​means​ ​that​ ​you’ll​ ​need​ ​to​ ​turn​ ​down
the​ ​output​ ​gain​ ​on​ ​your​ ​EQ​ ​to​ ​compensate.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​the​ ​only​ ​way​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​whether​ ​or
not​ ​a​ ​decision​ ​is​ ​actually​ ​making​ ​things​ ​better.

Every​ ​move​ ​you​ ​make​ ​should​ ​be​ ​a​ ​clear​ ​improvement.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​have​ ​any​ ​doubts,​ ​you’re
probably​ ​better​ ​off​ ​without​ ​it.

4.​ ​Mask​ ​Problems

Some​ ​mixers​ ​try​ ​to​ ​obscure​ ​out​ ​of​ ​tune​ ​vocals,​ ​subpar​ ​performances,​ ​or​ ​tracks​ ​that​ ​get
in​ ​the​ ​way.

While​ ​this​ ​can​ ​seem​ ​like​ ​a​ ​good​ ​idea,​ ​it​ ​often​ ​creates​ ​more​ ​problems​ ​than​ ​it​ ​solves.​ ​It
can​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​a​ ​muddy,​ ​murky​ ​soundstage​ ​that​ ​lacks​ ​clarity​ ​and​ ​depth.​ ​It​ ​can​ ​create
ambiguity—which​ ​will​ ​cause​ ​listeners​ ​to​ ​wonder​ ​if​ ​a​ ​decision​ ​was​ ​a​ ​mistake.

Don’t​ ​be​ ​wishy-washy​ ​about​ ​this​ ​stuff.​ ​Instead,​ ​approach​ ​problem​ ​tracks​ ​head-on.​ ​Ask
yourself—does​ ​this​ ​really​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​here?​ ​Can​ ​I​ ​re-record​ ​it?

The​ ​best​ ​solution​ ​may​ ​be​ ​the​ ​mute​ ​button.

5.​ ​Get​ ​Stuck​ ​In​ ​The​ ​Past

If​ ​I​ ​see​ ​another​ ​shootout​ ​comparing​ ​a​ ​dozen​ ​1176​ ​plugins,​ ​I​ ​might​ ​retire.

The​ ​1176​ ​was​ ​released​ ​50​ ​years​ ​ago.

Sure,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​great​ ​for​ ​its​ ​time.​ ​But​ ​are​ ​there​ ​no​ ​better​ ​tools​ ​available​ ​today?​ ​Has​ ​no​ ​one
improved​ ​upon​ ​this​ ​design​ ​over​ ​the​ ​last​ ​50​ ​years?

No​ ​other​ ​industry​ ​romanticizes​ ​the​ ​past​ ​to​ ​such​ ​a​ ​great​ ​degree.​ ​Publishers​ ​don’t​ ​do
shootouts​ ​to​ ​find​ ​the​ ​best​ ​version​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Gutenberg​ ​printing​ ​press.​ ​Sure,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​great​ ​for
its​ ​time.​ ​But​ ​today,​ ​we​ ​have​ ​the​ ​internet.

If​ ​you’re​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​find​ ​the​ ​best​ ​replica​ ​of​ ​an​ ​ancient​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​hardware,​ ​you’re​ ​barking​ ​up
the​ ​wrong​ ​tree.​ ​Many​ ​modern​ ​plugins​ ​blow​ ​the​ ​classics​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​water.​ ​They’re​ ​more
versatile​ ​and​ ​sound​ ​better.

Are​ ​you​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​them?

For​ ​more​ ​mixing​ ​tips,​ ​visit​ ​BehindTheSpeakers.com​.