Okay, I get it.Mixing takes longer. If mastering takes longer for you then it means that there is a lot wrong with your mix.
So then, mastering should be quick?i never get this question. mixing is something i do as i go along. people seem to put 5 sounds in all fighting for simialr frequencies, then try and balance them all out at the same time. why not put a sound in, make it fit and then put another sound in and repeat. To me mixing isnt a stage, its a part of building the tune that should be given attention all the time, as for mastering, i get some one else to do it as i just make it sound worse.
i never get this question. mixing is something i do as i go along. people seem to put 5 sounds in all fighting for simialr frequencies, then try and balance them all out at the same time. why not put a sound in, make it fit and then put another sound in and repeat. To me mixing isnt a stage, its a part of building the tune that should be given attention all the time, as for mastering, i get some one else to do it as i just make it sound worse.
Do you listen to it after the mix has been mastered or before it's mastered?I agree with you, as I too do a rough mixing on the go. But I always listen to the mix after the song is finished, so I can locate any problem I couldn't while I was doing the song.
Mixing, as a process, generally takes longer. But mixing starts as soon as you start creating different elements for your track, and is ongoing throughout.
Mastering however is only after everything else is done, and can take a very long time depending on how through you want to be.
Setting up references can take a really long time and is a huge bitch, and for extra thoroughness, getting other people to listen to it can also add a lot of time to it.
It can go either way really, depending on your workflow and how much you give a fuck.
After and before. What I normally do is to bounce the song down after finishing the mixing stage, and listening to it again, and again, and again, trying to figure out if everything is in place. Then, I go to the mastering part. After that, I listen to it again, on multiple sets (my good headphones, my crappy earbuds, my home stereo, my car) and ask some friends (who are not as audiophile as myself) to listen to it, and give me feedback, on anything from how it sounds, to if it has a nice energy.Do you listen to it after the mix has been mastered or before it's mastered?
I do that too, as any infra/ultra frequencies can occupy unecessary headroom space.Also (Might be out of main topic), is it okay if I cut 30Hz and 18khz? I've been doing it to most of my tracks.
I like to mix as I go along but I find it hard to maintain a vibe whilst working in a tune when I do it. I end up spending hours on making my drums punchy that sit well with a big bass line. I'll end up losing momentum and getting sick of the track.
Yeah, that seems to be a problem with a lot of producers, and what ive learnt from listening to top producers is preprocessing is very important in making good sounding tunes. Making sure your drums are punchy and your bassline is mix-ready are things that should be done in a separate session to actually putting together a track. The successful guys preach building your own sample library of things that can go straight in is essential in keeping a good mood and workflow when actually righting a tune, which i've recently tried to apply myself.I like to mix as I go along but I find it hard to maintain a vibe whilst working in a tune when I do it. I end up spending hours on making my drums punchy that sit well with a big bass line. I'll end up losing momentum and getting sick of the track.
spewing it out on vinyls, CDs or whatever, and optimizing the sound for each format.
I like to mix as I go along but I find it hard to maintain a vibe whilst working in a tune when I do it. I end up spending hours on making my drums punchy that sit well with a big bass line. I'll end up losing momentum and getting sick of the track.