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Post by svart on Feb 18, 2021 20:38:29 GMT -6
And I can't believe how bad it sounds to my ears now.
Lolwut
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Post by nick8801 on Feb 18, 2021 20:56:07 GMT -6
What changed? Or did you just get that much better??
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Post by svart on Feb 18, 2021 21:04:49 GMT -6
What changed? Or did you just get that much better?? Well I haven't done much mixing the last couple months, so I'm not sure I'm any better! I did change my desk out, but I think it's maybe a case of ears and tastes changing more than anything. In lieu of doing any recording and mixing for others I've been watching a lot of videos and trying stuff on my own music ideas. I dunno, I'm just shocked at how something I thought was pretty good a couple months ago sounds so bad now. |
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Post by tkaitkai on Feb 18, 2021 21:11:53 GMT -6
I've kind of had a similar experience lately. I've been digging up mixes from 9+ years ago, which I thought sounded absolutely horrendous at the time. I had no idea what I was doing as an engineer and I was extremely dissatisfied with my recordings. On one song in particular, I used an MXL V67 for vocals, and I remember thinking it sounded like unlistenable, nasal, honky garbage.
Listening back now, I'm kind of in disbelief. Pretty much everything I did back then sounds shockingly decent. Not amazing or anything, but nowhere near as bad as I originally thought.
I think there's often a period right after finishing a mix where we tend to be the hardest on ourselves. All of the details are still fresh in your memory, but the job is done and you can't go back and change anything. It's probably not as bad as you think.
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Post by svart on Feb 18, 2021 21:44:01 GMT -6
I've kind of had a similar experience lately. I've been digging up mixes from 9+ years ago, which I thought sounded absolutely horrendous at the time. I had no idea what I was doing as an engineer and I was extremely dissatisfied with my recordings. On one song in particular, I used an MXL V67 for vocals, and I remember thinking it sounded like unlistenable, nasal, honky garbage. Listening back now, I'm kind of in disbelief. Pretty much everything I did back then sounds shockingly decent. Not amazing or anything, but nowhere near as bad as I originally thought. I think there's often a period right after finishing a mix where we tend to be the hardest on ourselves. All of the details are still fresh in your memory, but the job is done and you can't go back and change anything. It's probably not as bad as you think. There's mixes I did when I first started in the mid 90s that I think were way better than they had any right to be. I made a huge step backwards for years trying to chase tones and get too cute with the "I'm going to be the one to make cheap ass gear sound like pro gear" and I spun my wheels for forever and lost my ear for mixing for the longest time.. |
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Post by kcatthedog on Feb 19, 2021 3:25:07 GMT -6
I wouldn’t beat yourself up: just listens and think what you would do differently and why?
We are definitely organic creatures that constantly change and you have changed your set up.
Switching up your set up is a big deal, maybe you are going through more of a body or personal change then you realized: enjoy the ride, seems like life and sound are opening up to you in new snd interesting ways, ride that wave, like a fader.
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Post by nick8801 on Feb 19, 2021 5:41:14 GMT -6
Taking time off once in a while is key to coming back motivated and with fresh ears. Every once in a few years I have little mixing epiphanies where all of a sudden I can hear things better and make much better mixes. I actually feel like I’ve had one recently, but it might just be the new converter/monitors. I mean, they definitely help! All my mixes I did years ago when first starting out are more than decent. I think we go through that phase where it’s like, oh hey, I’m pretty good at this, now lemme mix like (insert pro mixer here) and we spend years chasing our tail. Eventually you learn to work with what you have or what you are given, and just make it the best it can be without over thinking everything. That’s when mixes really start to come together.
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Post by keymod on Feb 19, 2021 7:36:41 GMT -6
A mix is never finished, just stopped
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2021 10:56:55 GMT -6
Come back to it later. 2-3 months later I often think a mix or master is horrible. A year or two later, that I did good job even if some of my decisions were crazy.
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Post by Johnkenn on Feb 19, 2021 22:16:06 GMT -6
And I can't believe how bad it sounds to my ears now. Lolwut I have had a similar experience lately. I was listening to some mixes I did years ago - before more money spent and supposed knowledge learned - and I’m scared they might sound better than what I’m doing now lol. |
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Post by ericn on Feb 19, 2021 22:20:05 GMT -6
And I can't believe how bad it sounds to my ears now. Lolwut I love had a similar experience lately. I was listening to some mixes I did years ago - before more money spent and supposed knowledge learned - and I’m scared they might sound better than what I’m doing now lol. Every gear pimps nightmare. The dream of every guy listing a dig002 on eBay. |
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Post by Johnkenn on Feb 19, 2021 22:25:40 GMT -6
I love had a similar experience lately. I was listening to some mixes I did years ago - before more money spent and supposed knowledge learned - and I’m scared they might sound better than what I’m doing now lol. Every gear pimps nightmare. The dream of every guy listing a dig002 on eBay. Honestly, I think I’m doing just as good - some of those old mixes I remember dozens of revisions and tweaking forever like a weirdo. Now I’m too lazy…but I get there waaaay quicker. |
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Post by lpedrum on Feb 20, 2021 14:26:01 GMT -6
A mix is never finished, just stopped I know this is a common “truism” but I just don’t subscribe to it. Sure, in the grand scheme of things is any work of art completely perfect? But as mix engineers we have right to claim a mixed finished and be content with it. It’s finished when it’s compelling to the listener, regardless of our obsession with reverb tails or parallel compression. Sorry for the the soapbox rant! |
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Post by mrholmes on Feb 21, 2021 7:49:56 GMT -6
And I can't believe how bad it sounds to my ears now. Lolwut
I know this too, but it can change back again. It has a lot to do with your emotional state - day by day.
If I listen to mixes from the last year I also think mhhh I would do things different today. But that's life and watching other professional on YT doing things totally different is a great inspirational source too.
One needs to allow him/herself to developing in all things in life - till the day we breathe out - the last time. Maybe the last breath is a great experience too.
I am the master of going in cycles, before I step out the cycle and reach the next level. I guess its part of the nature cycles, vibration - btw. everything is vibration, everything is in constant change. As an AE with tech background you know better than I. Calculating formulas you can watch inside the nature of things. Something I am a bit curious about because my math never went over some basic calculation in electronics / physics. People who can understand higher mathematics also understand nature.
It's all cut from the same cloth. I think my fellow German "Albert Einstein" would go with this opinion, even if I am not on the same intellectual level. He insisted more than one time that his craft is an art form, and that nature is perfect organized.
No need for worries. I learned this late, very late.
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Post by Tbone81 on Feb 21, 2021 9:55:02 GMT -6
Every gear pimps nightmare. The dream of every guy listing a dig002 on eBay. Honestly, I think I’m doing just as good - some of those old mixes I remember dozens of revisions and tweaking forever like a weirdo. Now I’m too lazy…but I get there waaaay quicker. In many ways I think the real measure of how good a mixer someone is is not "how good the mix sounds", but rather "how fast did you do it". I know its true for me. My mixes don't sound so much better than they did 3 years ago. But now, my first rough mix sounds better than "mix revision #4" from previous years. The speed and consistency are getting better and better, even if the end product is mostly the same. |
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Post by Guitar on Feb 21, 2021 10:06:02 GMT -6
A mix is never finished, just stopped Unless you do that thing where you make tiny .25 dB tweaks over and over again for four hours. LOL. Then you stop. |
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Post by jaba on Feb 21, 2021 10:44:34 GMT -6
[quote In many ways I think the real measure of how good a mixer someone is is not "how good the mix sounds", but rather "how fast did you do it".[/quote]
Very much agree with this, assuming the mix works!
Some of my favorite mixes were done in my early years. My eq'ing/ compression/ FX skills were still pretty lean but I happened to get a great balance for the tune and that's what makes it hold up. Others tunes I knew didn't gel the same way but I had no idea how to get them where I wanted.
Over time I've learned a lot, but one key thing is knowing when to forget most of it and just get a great balance.
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Post by svart on Feb 22, 2021 10:25:48 GMT -6
Honestly, I think I’m doing just as good - some of those old mixes I remember dozens of revisions and tweaking forever like a weirdo. Now I’m too lazy…but I get there waaaay quicker. In many ways I think the real measure of how good a mixer someone is is not "how good the mix sounds", but rather "how fast did you do it". I know its true for me. My mixes don't sound so much better than they did 3 years ago. But now, my first rough mix sounds better than "mix revision #4" from previous years. The speed and consistency are getting better and better, even if the end product is mostly the same. There's the right way, the wrong way and my way to do a mix. My way is like the wrong way but takes way longer. |
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Post by Blackdawg on Feb 22, 2021 12:39:02 GMT -6
I had an old mentor tell me a story once when he was mixing back in the day(probably late 60s early 70s era). He was doing a record and they had an API console with the EQs and comps on each channel plus a few pieces of outboard.
He was fighting the mix pretty hard. EQ all over, compression on stuff, it was just kicking his butt. Producer said to "Okay hold on, why is this so complicated?"
He thought, "wait, yeah wtf. What the hell am I doing?"
Turned off everything, all the EQ, Compressions, everything. Went back to just the faders, balanced it out...bam. Mix was there. "Ahhhh there it is" he smiled.
I think about that a lot sometimes when Im mixing.
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Post by jmoose on Feb 22, 2021 15:47:41 GMT -6
I dunno, I'm just shocked at how something I thought was pretty good a couple months ago sounds so bad now. Over the years I've come to the realization that if the mix sucks now then it probably sucked then too. Difference being perspective, and at the time we were probably too shot to realize that it actually sucked. Hindsight is 20/20 blah blah Another realization, one that wasn't so quick or easy is that from the perspective of "mixer for hire" I really don't have to actually like the final mix. At all. There have been plenty of times where the artist or other powers that be have pushed decisions that I absolutely didn't agree with. But end of the day their name is on the artwork in big print, and they write the checks, so, they usually win. I can only push back so much. And what's funny is that some of those, the mixes I didn't really like are the albums that had some real traction and commercial success. Good press, FM radio play, opening new doors for the artist... which ultimately is what the whole thing is about. If people are actually listening and enjoying the music that's a win in my book. |
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Post by guitfiddler on Feb 22, 2021 16:20:02 GMT -6
It’s all in the DAC, one can’t mix what he can’t hear! Lol...what do I know...lol! Of course it’s all about the gear!!! Lol
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Post by jeremygillespie on Feb 22, 2021 18:44:19 GMT -6
Hey svart, are you listening with your new setup to stuff you did with your old setup?
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Post by the other mark williams on Feb 22, 2021 19:15:07 GMT -6
Hey svart, are you listening with your new setup to stuff you did with your old setup? This is exactly what I'm curious about, as well. |
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Post by svart on Feb 22, 2021 20:34:52 GMT -6
Hey svart, are you listening with your new setup to stuff you did with your old setup? Yes I am. The pro mixes I usually listen to sound mostly the same but my mix sounds so different now, so I'm not sure it's all the new setup. I think it's mostly that I went a while without listening to this mix and I just got un-used to it. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2021 12:55:38 GMT -6
I've kind of had a similar experience lately. I've been digging up mixes from 9+ years ago, which I thought sounded absolutely horrendous at the time. I had no idea what I was doing as an engineer and I was extremely dissatisfied with my recordings. On one song in particular, I used an MXL V67 for vocals, and I remember thinking it sounded like unlistenable, nasal, honky garbage. Listening back now, I'm kind of in disbelief. Pretty much everything I did back then sounds shockingly decent. Not amazing or anything, but nowhere near as bad as I originally thought. I think there's often a period right after finishing a mix where we tend to be the hardest on ourselves. All of the details are still fresh in your memory, but the job is done and you can't go back and change anything. It's probably not as bad as you think. There's mixes I did when I first started in the mid 90s that I think were way better than they had any right to be. I made a huge step backwards for years trying to chase tones and get too cute with the "I'm going to be the one to make cheap ass gear sound like pro gear" and I spun my wheels for forever and lost my ear for mixing for the longest time.. Old thread I know but I've done the exact same thing LOL, for me it's far easier to mix someone else's work than it is your own. I always try to do my best work but there needs to be a level of distancing that I just can't seem to achieve with my own stuff, before I know it I've gone ear blind and wrecked it. Ironically my music often sounds best when I'm just messing around.. Normal mix for a client? Half a day, a full day or two if a lot of tuning / comps are needed? My stuff? A week none stop, no breaks or enough time to recover.. It's silly. |
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