its intimidating and frustrating

[freeme1212]

so i am trying to work on making music. i just don't know how long its going to take for me to make it good enough to put it on a CD and show to my friends and possibly get known around my city.
i been trying for months to rap to instrumentals on sonar but it sounds like im sitting on top of the beat. not in it or with it. i know some mixing techniques and i am downloading this plug in called melodyne i am so excited and i got the tutorial vid.
i am just really intimidated on the whole mixing part because i know if you cant mix. then your going to have a really hard time getting people to want to listen to your songs.
so i took the time to do some research and ordered this book online called:Mixing Audio: Concepts, Practices and Tools (Paperback) by roey izhaki. hope fully it helps and its easy to learn i dont know really much about anything yet. how long did it take you guys before you became pretty good at mixing and recording your self or others?
sonar is pretty difficult

 

[RAMI]

how long did it take you guys before you became pretty good at mixing and recording your self or others?

Get back to me in 20 years. It's an on-going process and I can't even stand listening to something I did a few months ago...but that's not a bad thing because I hope that means I'm always improving. Like most things in life, you start out hoping it's going to be easy. After a while, you realize that the more you learn, the less you know.

hope fully it helps and its easy to learn

It will help, but it won't make anything easy. Like I said, it takes years to realize how much you don't know.

 

[themaddog]

Just keep sticking with it.

Personally, I don't like mixing on a computer. I started out working on a computer, and could never really figure out what I was supposed to be doing. I'm not suggesting you go out and spend thousands on a console, but I've just never been able to work all of the "virtual" knobs to get a satisfactory sound.

Now that I've spent a few years working with real controls, I feel like I could probably go back and work "in the box" again when it comes to mixing, because I'll understand the theory behind what changes I'm making to the mix.

Just keep sticking with it.

As for your friends, if you like the way it sounds, then maybe they will, too.

-MD

 

[Supercreep]

Listen to lots of music, and try to figure out what works for you musically and what doesn't.

Once you have an opinion about what you like and what you don't like, it's easier to make mixing decisions based on it.

 

[grimtraveller]

I don't regard myself as a good mixer, and I'm certainly not a natural. Nothing came easy to me in this game. But I enjoy it, it's a great hobby and outlet. And the learning curve is unavoidable, but worth it in the end. As the guys have said, just stick with it, be prepared to learn and to go to bed at night on the verge of howling at the sun, the moon, the sky and the coastline because a mix that you've spent ages on hasn't turned out as you want........but when it eventually does, you'll make the Cheshire cat envious with the grin you put out. Practice, develop your ears if it doesn't come naturally to you, develop them even if it does, progress in your craft. Above all, as Super said, know what you like and think about what sounds good to you.
Given the choice between doing this and cavorting with young maidens of ill repute and serious abandon, I'd take...........

 

[fivestarpacheco]

Thanks I enjoy reading these it makes me feel not so doubthful
Anymore people.?

 

[kcearl]

Thanks I enjoy reading these it makes me feel not so doubthful
Anymore people.?

melodyne is more a pitch correction tool...if you are rapping in tune it wont really improve your mixes


i did my first mix in Sept 09 and it was a shambles....other than panning and volume i got just about everything wrong but each mix since then hs gotten better and better...no good per se...but better

the initial learning curve, if you read and learn, can be quick and rewarding...its the step from a decent mix to a great mix that will be the most difficult

anyway this is how i went about it


first volume

place the drums at around -14db in the mix

bring the bass in to fit with the drums

bring the vocals in the sit with the main beat of the track

then slowly add the others


now envisage a 3d semi circle in front of you

keep the kick, snare, bass and vocals in the middle using EQ to give them different frequencies so they are not stuck on top of each other (remember cutting a frequency is as powerful as giving a frequency gain)

now use panning, EQ, reverb/delay to give everything else a space in that 3d semi circle...you can be very deliberate with this...the point at first is to learn how to give everything its own space..the rest will come with trained ears and experience


drop me a pm with an email and ill give you a frequency chart showing muddiness and presence areas for the basic instruments and vocals


most importantly enjoy the fact you're making music

 

[dastrick]

Post samples over at the mp3 clinic. There are some VERY knowledgable and helpful guys & gals over there that will help you out.



And as far as "when did I get good at mixing"? lol...never. I suck at it, but it sure is fun. But like the others have said...I progressively get better. Not quite as fast as I would like to, but that's my fault. I don't spend enough time practicing at it.


Don't get discouraged. It takes time. Read, research, ask questions, read some more, practice...you'll get it.