The Pros and Cons of Mixing Quiet

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[jonpedz]

I really like how it was the concept being talked about. Mixing has so many facets about it, and i love to hear thoughtful approaches to it. hope to find more like this Nice vid

[Lightyxxxx]

This is gold. So basically always mix at lower volumes, so that you can focus on the mid range and it also forces you to get the Kick and Bass right without hearing it at higher Lowend Volumes.

[sm]

Another downside of mixing at a higher volume is endemic compression. By that I mean, at some point your audio interface and your speakers are going to start compressing the sound. They do this to avoid distortion at higher volume. (This will be more prevalent with less expensive and especially commercial-oriented equipment.) Also, take a closer look at the Fletcher–Munson curve. What it shows is that, as sounds get louder, our ears start to compress the sounds, to varying degrees across the frequency range.

Notice, professional mixers say that too much compression causes ear fatigue. They also say that mixing at higher volumes causes ear fatigue. That is not a simple coincidence.

If you mix at a higher level, you are hearing more compression than you are adding to the mix, meaning that the mix could fall apart when listening at lower volumes, where that compression is no longer in effect. I have heard this happen, even on older professional recordings. When you turn the volume down to background level, suddenly the balance is completely thrown off, and the mix becomes unlistenable. So always make sure you spend at least some time listening to the mix at a moderate level.

[miladbarikani]

I was doing this for a couple of years without nobody told me to
I knew kinda about fletcher munson curve but my main reasoning behind it was to make more headroom artificially to have a open space to do what I want freely... and I believe it's kinda help with fletcher munson curve too cause in the leveling you hear it better too and have kinda unlimited headroom

[valleywoodstudio]

Important the SPL measurements are correctly weighted. A weighted will sound a lot louder that a C weighted measurement at 83dB spl. Make sure your meter can do C weighted for 83dB spl

[TheFrankiejay]

Excellent piece of information. Thank you very much.

[saardean]

Mixing bass music with basslines that dont have many overtones is many times very hard at low volumes. Thats why i always use a sub. I set it a tad bit too loud so i can feel it without having the speakers loud. If i manage a midrange that still sounds crisp next to it i then i know it is only a matter of bass level control which i do at the very end. But yes, mixing bassmusic at low levels is a pain . At least for me

[mosermichael]

My game changer was my monitor change.. I have switch from S2v to PMC 6.2 and the bass I so much better.. is next level by Monitor speaker. I can hear what I do in the low end so much better!😉
We you see not to low mixing in the level is better for hear the low end.. 👍

[luklagrande]

this is interesting and I think it's related also to all the tutorials about mixing with NS10 or Cube Speakers etc...When I watch them I always ask myself "ok but if I don't hear low frequencies don't I risk to raise them too much?" 😅

[murraywebster]

I wish someone would make a Fletcher-Munson plugin with real volume calibration…….unread recently some monitor manufacturer had it built into the speakers, also this is why when calibrating your room/speakers the calibration volume IS VERY IMPORTANT as opposed to what many systems say, I always calibrate at around 90dB, this being a habit I learned from my FOH/System Engineering jobs for concerts, I believe you should calibrate 6dB louder than your average „loud“ listening volumes to accommodate for dynamics, I’ve seen systems that have been calibrated at 60 to 70dB and then people wonder why the mixes don’t translate, this is far more important as many people realise….

[loganunknown]

How would you measure 80db if you mix on headphones? I usually mix low volume and rarely turn it up as l have a damaged ear.

[luciiddd]

I’m mixing at whispering levels, but getting great mixes. This may be subjective. Is something wrong with me?

[sampledude]

I really need to crank things to be "inside" the mix. Am I doing it wrong?

[carlos-nihn]

hey justin, jason is already involved in mixcon 2023 right?

[MrFelonyLoc]

I like the convo, but I dont mix for phones and laptops

[JunG]

You can't HEAR low frequency as much as you FEEL them. Anything sub 250 Hz you feel in your feet, hips, stomach, chest, skull cavity. You want hype, mix with subs on every once in awhile to verify SPL in low and lo-low range.