Why Your Mix Sounds OK, But FEELS WRONG.

How good your mix "sounds" doesn't matter if it doesn't FEEL right. The #1 way to get mixes to feel better is to correctly identify the rhythmic "micro hooks" in any given section.

The word "hook" can mean a lot of things in music. Here, we are not necessarily talking about the "hook" in the sense of the "chorus" of the song. We're talking about "microhooks" found throughout the song.

Learn all about them, and other ways to make your mix FEEL right and hook listeners... Regardless of how "good" it sounds.

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0:00 Introduction
1:51 Is there a solid rhythmic hook?
4:39 Learn to love THIS.
7:19 Shout out!
10:46 Mixing Tiers and Focal Points
14:20 Identify and exploit the hooks
18:50 Case study: "Happy"
23:22 Emotional hooks and Textural Hooks
26:55 Recap until now
27:42 Common examples
28:40 Competing low end
30:00 Case study: "Air"
32:00 Percussion dominance
35:29 Watch your effects!
37:26 Announcement!

[SonicScoop]

Do you have a song nomination you want to hear in our upcoming mix breakdown series?


Also: Here are time stamps:

0:00 Introduction
1:51 Is there a solid rhythmic hook?
4:39 Learn to love THIS.
7:19 Shout out!
10:46 Mixing Tiers and Focal Points
14:20 Identify and exploit the hooks
18:50 Case study: "Happy"
23:22 Emotional hooks and Textural Hooks
26:55 Recap until now
27:42 Common examples
28:40 Competing low end
30:00 Case study: "Air"
32:00 Percussion dominance
35:29 Watch your effects!
37:26 Announcement!

[Otekos]

Lol that kick drum of God reference is really true! 😂, 17:08

[hectormann]

This is great Justin! This is what music is about. Thanks! But I don ’t agree on Happy. Don’t think the hi-hat is more pronounced than the snare. And the backbeat gets even more appearanced when the claps enter. Great song

[UncleBenjs]

swinging by to catch up on the earlier half I missed on the day

[AutoclaveBeats]

Thank you for another wonderful episode... please do the series where you review songs....am curious about how u would categories the importance of elements in an Afrobeat or dancehall song

[SidBarne]

Outcast's "Hey Yah" methinks would be an interesting case study

[kingdomkeys-prod]

Man preach it brother. What I have learned but I'm still very novice... But I learned that you should mix with a low volume for the most part. Keep everything in the pocket for the most part. I can feel when it hit just right but I think I should tighten up my compression because I'm losing some harmony in movement. Like a wash sometimes. But I'm getting it. It takes a time to come from blank to a finished product. Anywho. Thank you sir. Very wise advice.

[tortugulaproductions]

after the last mix critique, i feel like this whole video was you talking to me directly 😂 this was great thank you. Potential Members Question here: If you are producing a project for a band, but not explicitly writing or performing the parts, how can you help the band to enhance their hooks/performance or get them thinking about the various types of hooks? Should they just do their thing and not think about these things? How can you nudge the band in these directions without making them overthink? Curious to hear your thoughts on guiding a band without getting in the way of their creativity.

[whosrichpurnell]

Man, super interesting stuff Justin. As Always. The commercial mix critique idea is also something I'd really want to see in the future. Just as good as the mix critiques for channel members only this time, we get to hear why things sound good instead how they could sound better. Thanks for the insight.

[insanron]

Awesome video as usual! Got my vote for going deep into some great songs that would be really nice! Keep up the good work Justin your channel is gold 👍

[jotamarsmusic]

Hi Justin, love those panels on the back wall. What are those?

[duncan.o-vic]

I wouldn't say that the mix stage of "Happy" is where those decisions happened, when you mix a song produced by a big name like Pharrell, you wanna stick to the rough mix and follow the producers vision.
If you're working with an average client, it's unlikely they will appreciate your view of what is important unles you are a big name mixer.

[DarkTrapStudio]

Mix recommendation :
Headphones - Banx & Ranx & Rêve (super tricky)
Popstar - Drake (super simple)

[tortugulaproductions]

I think a good mix breakdown could be “American Gigolo” by Weezer. The album “Maladroit” is generally slept on imo. On this song the drums are MASSIVE in the intro but recede into the background for the rest of the song. I think it’s a great example of that tier system. When the drums need to be A tier, they are. But for the majority of the song its the guitar and the vocals, and you can clearly hear the balance shift throughout if you pay attention. These drums also open up the song with an immediate and strong rhythmic hook. As a kid however, I didn’t notice. I was just captivated and enthralled.

[DarkTrapStudio]

Justin ! When do you organize a mixing contest ? Sponsors will love it and us too and it cost almost nothing !

[suan-beats]

You can turn on video subtitles?, I don't speak English, thanks Justin

[treproductions]

well that brings up another issue then, is it professionally okay to change things in the arrangement or production to make it 'feel ' better? because a great mix wont fix off timing production or arrangement. Some will probably say as long as you have the artist/band's okay to do so, but i do also see professionals changing drums for their own drums that 'feel better' at their own discretion .

[john-cwq]

Why This Mix Sounds Great ----> "Black and White Town" by Doves. 🤤

[unclesixer]

What if my band is a lead singer, a lead guitar player, a lead bassist and a lead drummer ;)

[DarkTrapStudio]

8:13 : This look so huge it seems scripted haha