A Powerful Trick To EQ Vocals, Drums, & Anything Else | Ear Training For Mixing Music

How do you practice mixing music with EQ? How can you train your ears to identify frequencies and improve your mixing skills? In this video, I'll show you some mixing examples and a technique that will dramatically change the way you mix and master your music.

Download the free Ear Training Guide to get a quick start practicing this method...

Download FREE multitrack sessions to practice mixing!

Song used for the demonstration in this video: Chris Tofield - "Give Life One More Chance"

0:00 - Introduction
0:39 - Ear Training For Audio Engineers
1:18 - Exercise #1 - Drums
2:12 - Exercise #2 - Drums
2:58 - Exercise #3 - Drums
3:51 - Exercise #4 - Acoustic Guitar
5:29 - Exercise #5 - Vocals
8:34 - How To Train Your Ears For Mixing Music
9:22 - Subscribe To Audio University!

Book a one to one call:

#AudioUniversity

Disclaimer: This description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click them, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

[Lasantha.]

One Of the Few Channels that talks about real problems and real solutions for beginner mixing engineers.. Thanks Kyle!!

[RoyBattyLives]

The most straightforward lesson in EQ I’ve watched, real sounds and real examples. Thank you!

[Osiris-wmkj]

"You wont be mixing pink noise, you'll be mixing music." 🤣🤣 idk why that was so funny to me

[D.E.B.T-Music]

Learned more over the last half hour, than in all 3 years I've been mixing, so quick to show what to listen for, and the vowel, sibilance and haptic view makes it so much easier. WTG Kyle and thanks for doing this

[jarekmn]

I like your way of explaining things which are messed up after watching hundreds of videos on the subject. It is a step closer to better mixes. Thank you.

[sxzbstmusic]

Not once have I come across a video that teaches EQ as good as this video does. Great work dude you're amazing.

[wuisaac]

I'm a novice mixing engineer at a small music studio in Taiwan. Your video tutorials have been very beneficial to me. Thank you so much!

[Bpt]

Ooh, I really like the vowel assignment trick! Thank you SO much for this video (and the guides).
Instant empowerment - I can hear better than I did before. That's huge to me!

[DesertTactical]

Just bought me a powered mixer with dual EQ and need to learn how to get the most and best sound from it. This helped a ton!

[BUCKSHOTSTV]

I’m tripping with myself right now. I’m a degreed musician, so I do have ear training, but I had never ever heard of this technique with frequencies. Well even drunk, I got all the examples right after your first video just briefly explaining the syllable to the frequency. That made it all click in my head. Although I don’t mix music daily, I occasionally do, but primarily work with vocal tracks full time. So this has just helped me tremendously to identify what im hearing immediately. Before it was just a guessing game as I had no idea there was a method, but now I know there is, and my ear training can be applied to frequencies almost seamlessly. You’re a genius! Thank you!

[socialmeaslesinpartnership]

This is good. Thank you.

It's good to use reference music while mixing. An easy way is to route a CD player through your monitors and load it with something that you know well and possibly something you're looking to emulate. So you can easily take a break from your mix and run something else to re-find things. I also think the volume is important. Frequencies behave very differently at different playback volumes so an ideal is around 85db to mix and listen back at different volumes and through different equipment too if you can.

[meismofo]

I just made a Preset for my stock EQ and omg this is so practical, thanks, this is such a straight foreward way of listening for frequencys, especially when you make dubstep and use formants all the time anyways, thanks

[wesleybrehm]

OMG, thank you! I've been searching for a simple guide like this to train my ear for months. I started sound school last fall, and the best advice I've gotten from the staff was to "listen critically and it'll make sense." While that advice was actually true, it's been slow going. The vowel sound thing is brilliant!

[marcel.e.c.augustin]

Man thank you so much for this content. I have been trying to get better at my mixes for reels/ production overall. I cant wait to sound better!

[joeturvey]

I truely believe that mixing audio is a form of art. Great information! Thanks!

[papa.alfredo]

I like the fact that you explain really very relaxed and quiet, this channel is one of the very best out there, many greetings from Germany.

[ravendarkspear]

I love your channel you give the info straight forward without trying to be an Influencer. Not ragging on other channels but when the info is super technical it's easier when you don't have to weed through the noise. (Sorry for the pun)

[etiennerallu]

Pretty cool!! In the last example I would have used a low shelf instead of a boost. But I guess it comes down to pretty much the same thing. The vowel technic is very cool.

[RazifMohamed]

I always find it a bit challenging to describe changes to the sound when we do EQ exercises in class. This is wonderful. Will share it to my students.

[jaijeffcom]

Dang, that's pretty eye-opening (or ear-opening)! I've been using the practice tool just today, and already I can get the answers on the tool. I got some of the answers right on these exercises. Surprised myself. I tried it on some violin tracks I recorded in my room. What I think I found is I like the flat sound that I got. Now I'm going to try it on some sample tracks I downloaded for mixing practice.