Hi, What are your 3 top mixing struggles?

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imageofrage

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Hello, I am new here. I am just wondering the three top mixing struggles you are dealing with. I am new to the music production process and I am trying to figure this out because I am struggling with a lot of things.

I hope somebody could help me here.

Thanks!
 
Welcome to HR.

How about you tell us what you're struggling with, and maybe some of us can help you. :)
 
Top 3 in order of priority:

1) Low End
2) Low End
3) Low End

For home recording types like me, we usually utilize whatever space is available and it usually isn't conducive to good audio production. A lot of compromises have to be made and the biggest and most notable is taming the room's bass frequency response. Even with a lot of trapping in my tiny little office, I'm not really sure I'm hearing the bass and kick properly.

Comments on my mixes from other members are all over the map in regard to the low end, which tells me they don't have a good handle on their listening environment either. It's epidemic.
 
Im struggling with Reverbs and Delays. Sometimes it is too much on the mix...Or how to glue all things together
 
True story -- Speakers, Space, Ears. Get those in the bag and everything else is secondary.
 
Chili said:
Top 3 in order of priority:

1) Low End
2) Low End
3) Low End

For home recording types like me, we usually utilize whatever space is available and it usually isn't conducive to good audio production. A lot of compromises have to be made and the biggest and most notable is taming the room's bass frequency response. Even with a lot of trapping in my tiny little office, I'm not really sure I'm hearing the bass and kick properly.

Comments on my mixes from other members are all over the map in regard to the low end, which tells me they don't have a good handle on their listening environment either. It's epidemic.
Click to expand...

Exact same here! Low end, low end, low end. I've gotta get my space sorted out. Even with the absorption that I already have, it's hardly touching the low end.
 
Tadpui said:
Even with the absorption that I already have, it's hardly touching the low end.
Click to expand...

Just reach around a bit more... :D

I think it's maybe even more than just the LF issue by itself....which is certainly a major issue.

1. Mixing environment and monitoring system.
2. Mixing environment and monitoring system.
3. Mixing environment and monitoring system.

Oh...I see that Massive Mastering pretty much covered it. :)
 
imageofrage said:
Im struggling with Reverbs and Delays. Sometimes it is too much on the mix...Or how to glue all things together
Click to expand...

Delays and reverbs starting making much more sense to me in context once I discovered how to use auxiliary sends within the DAW. I used to place the effect directly on the track's FX chain. Once I understood what a "send" was and how to utilize it, I've never looked at 'verbs and delays the same. It allows you to have much more control over the amount used in the mix...plus it's easier on the PC because you can send several tracks to the same effect, rather than starting a new instance for each instrument.

Another reverb trick that has been a game changer for me is the "Abbey Road Trick"...It can only be effectively used if you are using a send (not directly applied to the track), but it's worth looking into.

BTW, what DAW are you using?
 
1) money
2) time
3) the kid
:D
Spend so much time working to make money that mixing occurs late nights when I'm burnt and tired. And no matter how late I get to sleep, the little one makes sure I'm up by 7am.

Not hardly musician hours .

:D
 
dudernut said:
Delays and reverbs starting making much more sense to me in context once I discovered how to use auxiliary sends within the DAW.
Click to expand...

That's where having learned on analog mixers helps. Most likely you only had the one reverb box so it was standard practice to use an effects send/return loop. To put a separate reverb on every channel of a 16 channel mix would require at least 8RU of hardware plus all the cabling. As it was we were broke and out of space from buying compressors and insert cables for all the inputs.
 
I've got my room sounding good, but I still have low end issues, low end is the biggest issue, I am building better bass traps soon.
 
#1 for me is track gremlins. You record the perfect track. It's immaculate, perfect, and completely awe inspiring. Then you come back to it the next day and the track gremlins have completely ruined your performance. Lots of flat and sharp notes, the dynamics are all wrong, etc. etc.
Seriously though: 1) Time, 2) Lack of practice, 3) Patience.
If I take the time to practice the stuff before I record the track, those pesky track gremlins aren't nearly so prevalent. Then I just have to have the patience to listen and mix, save and quit; repeat as necessary. My mixes always lack the sheen and shine that I'd like them to have when I'm done, but I just don't take the time. Maybe patience should be first on my list...
 
No struggles. My mixes have been turning out exactly as I want them to.
 
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