Most important lesson about mixing?

[enroe]

Hi folks!

My Poll is directed at those who got experience in mixing in the last years. And my question is:

> What is your most important lesson you learnt during
the last years concerning your skills of mixing? What is
the most important point you learnt?

If none of the above suggestions fits to you, feel free to tell me
what you think is the most importart lesson for you?

[dark_virus]

Where's the fish?

[Fritze]

Most important to me about mixing is that I learned to some extent the importances of the parts that make the sum. Like...

Listen first
Use faders second
Listen third
Learn the rules
Break the rules
Make some rules

So mostly nothing spectacular but just the basic things that make it working.

Edit: I chose the knowledge of frequencies in the poll. Makes things easier for me.

[Tarekith]

1 - less is more. Biggest mistake I hear most beginning producers do is put way too many effects on the mix, or use too many sounds/tracks.

[enroe]

Most important to me about mixing is that I learned to some extent the importances of the parts that make the sum. Like...

Listen first
Use faders second
Listen third
...

Haa, this seems to be point 5: To know how to listen and notice a song.
Knowing the parts of a song + their functioning for the sum.

Edit: I chose the knowledge of frequencies in the poll. Makes things easier for me.

But is this your most important lesson - after many years of working on mixes?

[enroe]

Today, 18.02.2012, most votes go to point 8:

== To know how important patience and durability are ==

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My point here is:

In the early years - when you get in touch with music + gear, you
are really astonished and surprised about everything: The sound,
the knobs, the mixing-console and the DAW. It's a celestial kingdom
of gadgets, devices and vsts.

But then there comes the time when you first want to mix a song
severely. And you turn all the knobs and move the sliders - you use
all the effects and gadgets. But it still sounds poor.

You try and try - but still: It sounds poor. Poor compared to the
antetypes and guide-songs.

For me it took really really long time and efforts to move little steps
forward to a better mix-sound. And the decisive things were not the
gear - or all the expert-advices - or the knowledge about audio or daws.
The most important points were my ears and the effort to really
dive into sound and frequency and into hard work. So for me the most
important point is:

Patience and durability.

I envy those guys who have an easier and more comfortable way
in their "mixing-career".

Greetings, enroe.

[Xenobt]

I'd say the most important thing about mixing I've ever learned is to subtract eq rather than add it to change tone. If an instrument is tubby, don't reach for the treble, try a parametric eq, low shelf or hi pass filter to dig out the offending mud. THEN add a few db of highs if needed.

The easiest way to find the offending frequency is to put a parametric eq on an insert, and turn the gain control up 6db or so. Slowly sweep the frequency knob and when you hit the problem freq, you'll know!

Now reduce the gain into the negative territory to taste. and the track will get much more open and transparent. Just make sure you don't take the same freq out of too many tracks, or you'll end up with an eq "hole" in your mix!

Subtractive eq helps avoid having a single top or bottom end based on your eq plug-ins frequency curve, leaves more of your original signal chain intact, and you'll use less eq in general on your tracks.

KVR/eSoundz: Xenobt

[maleaco]

Definatly how to turn knobs....lmao

[sin night]

I'm far from being decent at mixing, but I think the most important thing is being able to listen because that will guide your decisions.

Other than listening skills (which is something I'm trying to improve every day), I think proper gain staging is the most important thing I learnt recentely: using devices (plugins, in my case) at the level they are designed to operate is the way to make them do their best.

[enroe]

Definatly how to turn knobs....lmao

Moving sliders isn't bad either ...

[SoundSonicTeam]

It's an obvious thing but it's all about using your ears! Don't up the compression ratio or boost the low end frequencies just because you think you should do! if it sounds right then it is right.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Diplomacy, Even more so when engineering.
Also how to be present but be also invisible.

[enroe]

...
Also how to be present but be also invisible.

Do you play "ghost in the studio"? What do you mean?

[trimph1]

Let the music speak for itself.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

...
Also how to be present but be also invisible.

Do you play "ghost in the studio"? What do you mean?

Oh, No Ghost. I mean exactly what i said nothing more and nothing less. Would 'transparent' make more sense than invisible to you? If so switch 'invisible' to 'transparent'. I can not so easily quantize what
I mean down into a post on a forum (or anywhere else for that matter!).

Dealing with alot of people with many different ideas, Alot of the times differing ideas coming from inside the same camp. Through only what I can
chalk up to experience is how I learned how to be and how not to be

Another thing also, If its not my baby then i do not get attached

Dean