mix down help

W

willkinz

New Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2011
I'm really having problems with mixing down,putting a compressor on the master perhaps?
I just dont know :(

I finished this tune about 2 weeks ago,didnt really know alot about mix down then,or mastering.I just did abit of eq'ing on everything,and some very small compression.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8R-1qFii7E




If anyone could give me some tips that would be great :)
 
compressor on the master isnt "mixing down" - and you wont be able to learn how to mix down fast.. in general its just about listening on as many different systems as you can and eliminating frequencyclashes ...
 
my advice is don't get too hung up on it. i tend to mix down and eq as i go along, just the way i've always done it. once i have most of the sounds i'm gonna use then i start thinking about compressing the master.

---------- Post added at 21:10 ---------- Previous post was at 21:07 ----------

songs good btw. although to be fair, may as well have called it Danny Byrd & Willkinz - Vitamin D&B :P
 
Last edited:
Mixing down is the most pain in the arse and most unimportant part of making music when you are learning. I'd not worry about mixing down and concentrate on Ideas, making music will be more fun and less frustrating. Just what I think.
 
Ray Sparra said:
Mixing down is the most pain in the arse and most unimportant part of making music when you are learning. I'd not worry about mixing down and concentrate on Ideas, making music will be more fun and less frustrating. Just what I think.
Click to expand...

Got to disagree although the musical element is important the song will still sound weak unless it has a good mixdown if you haven't been producing long your mixdowns will sound poor regardless but it's all part of the learning process just keep trying.
 
Sweaty Teddy said:
Got to disagree although the musical element is important the song will still sound weak unless it has a good mixdown if you haven't been producing long your mixdowns will sound poor regardless but it's all part of the learning process just keep trying.
Click to expand...



Smarty's gonna tell me off again, but if your tune is rubbish the mixdown don't matter.
 
that's a personal preference,

I like doing mixdowns far more than composing actual tunes.

I just finish them , so i could make another mixdown *coolface*
 
One thing that helps with mixing down is getting your snares, kicks, and hats to blend with each other, and then raise the levels of other elements one by one.

Im an amatuer as well, but what i do is turn all faders down to zero, then i'll try to get my kick to sit around -10db, then i'll raise the snare volume until it sits nicely with the kick. Then i'll raised the hi hats to fit with the kick and snare. From that point i basically raise all other faders (sub, fx, etc.) slowly until it all sits nicely with each other.

From there i eq clashing frequencies out and give every sound its own "space"

once i learned that i started getting a grasp on lots of things.
 
Simply D. said:
One thing that helps with mixing down is getting your snares, kicks, and hats to blend with each other, and then raise the levels of other elements one by one.

Im an amatuer as well, but what i do is turn all faders down to zero, then i'll try to get my kick to sit around -10db, then i'll raise the snare volume until it sits nicely with the kick. Then i'll raised the hi hats to fit with the kick and snare. From that point i basically raise all other faders (sub, fx, etc.) slowly until it all sits nicely with each other.

From there i eq clashing frequencies out and give every sound its own "space"

once i learned that i started getting a grasp on lots of things.
Click to expand...

^^ This all the way! ^^

Taking the faders down and completely re-mixing it down is so important. Also... I'd advise leaving the tune for a few days and coming back to it. Just gives it more breathing space and a new perspective on it when you return to it. Loop mong is a destroyer of a good mixdown.
 
I send all tracks to group channels so you don't bother the channel itself, and then EQ and level them as necessary. Start with drums, add the bass, then add the individual elements.

One thing to remember is that everything has an effect on everything else. Turning your bass up will draw attention away from the treble. It's all about a balance. Most important thing, however, is to work on your sounds first - you can't add a load of high end into an instrument if it's just not there in the first place. Don't be too picky, and if you're unsure about something, turn it off - if you miss it, put it back in.

This is all just food for thought though...just practise, see what you like.
 
Back
Top Bottom