2 Big Reasons Why Your Mixes Sound Bad

🎙Get better recordings AND mixes by this weekend with your free Recording Cheat Sheet or 5-Step Mix Guide

*****
CONNECT WITH ME:

[MrBinthestudio]

You're right on the money here. Al Schmitt is famous for never using EQ... but that is because his tracks are captured - during the tracking process - exactly how he wants to hear them in the final mix. And THAT takes a lot of time and practice. But even he is reluctant to take full credit for that... he has said that the more successful you get, the easier your job gets. The best musicians playing the best instruments in the best studios is always going to yield better results.

Great channel, Joe! Love your videos!

[alexbooyse]

I agree with Joe. My mixes always felt low grade until I got to do mix for a friend on Sony. My mix sounded amazing. Actually it wasn't down to my mix at all, it was just a great song with well recorded tracks.

[JulianFernandez]

Hey Joe, check this Eric Valentine quote: "It is easy to get caught up in the idea that "if only had this converter or that clock or did this at a higher sample rate my mix would be sounding bigger, clearer, wider, better image, just better....etc" I have definitely caught myself making those excuses for myself at times. I believe they are just excuses though. Especially in the digital domain, I believe 99.99% of the end result comes from how things are recorded, how they are EQ'd, compressed and balanced. And of those 4 things EQing is by far the most important. I call it "voicing". The voicing of a mix has the most significant impact on how clear, punchy, big, open, wide things sound. I have to remind myself this all the time, but if I am struggling with a mix it is not the equipment's fault it is my fault." Amazing.

[AdamEarthMusic]

So true, I make sure my tracks sound amazing before I add any plugins or mastering, I spent years not doing this or not doing it enough:)

[devingademan]

Hi Joe, I always really enjoy watching your videos. In terms of progression, I was wondering if you sometimes still have a bad mix every now and then even though you are very experienced and achieved some great results. I always feel like these producers are very consistent where I struggle a lot though I am always trying very hard. Thank you and never stop making videos. It is a pleasure and it helps. Bye from the Netherlands.

[AvAfanfromfrance]

Something I learned during mix lesson at my school is that "LESS IS MORE". Some of the best advice I ever got

[wutheringheights]

All along I was wondering why my mixes weren’t comparing to these songs that were being recorded in big expensive studios....it’s because I have a budget bedroom studio...and that’s the sad truth....

[JimiGoldsmith]

Hey Joe, you should do a video on the difference between bad sounding tracks and good sounding tracks and compare them side by side.

[JustinChampa]

Joe, your YouTube vids always sound great, better than 99% of anything else out there. Do you essentially just apply a high pass filter and a limiter, or what’s the “secret”? Thanks!

[weedywet]

That's actually brilliant. I wish more people would actually acknowledge that "mixing" isn't supposed to be the secret... good RECORDING is. And most of THAT has to do with performance and arrangement even before recording technique.

[camfrek]

I have a question. I know my problem lies with not having good recordings to begin with. But the thing is when I record my acoustic guitars and I solo them without any effects I actually think they sound pretty good. But as soon as I add other instruments it's like they just doesn’t fit together. I'm having trouble getting different instruments to sound fit together. Maybe it's because i'm recording the guitars in my living room and have shitty acoustics. But then I had someone tell me that sometimes guitars can be recorded in a "verby" room to give it a charistic tone. I record my acoustic guitars at home, but use software bass and drum and various other instruments. My two questions is: should acoustic guitars be recorded in a totally dry room like vocal, and how do I get my instruments to sound like they fit in the same enviroment together? Thank you

[JulianFernandez]

Someone to blame. Right. Your tracks. hahah.Nailed it.!

[asherevenson]

What do you mean by the track itself? Like the Original Preset?

[lawrencerasmus]

Mine sound great until I hear them on my phone after uploading to FB or youtube

[FlatTire]

I replaced my vst with hardware, and - BOOM!

[RBBiT]

The background track is a little distracting, but good video though!

[jezwinski]

Nothing wrong with dirty tracks. It is way too easy to add unnecessary plugins! Thank you, Joe.

[musiciana]

Joe, I'll try again: Is there an album with your songs??? I want to buy it!

Apart from that, this was a very helpful video again :-)

[BoboButYouCanCallMeTom]

Hi, I had a question to start of with I'm a bit confused with how I need to set my gain's on my interface normally I mix live and set my gains so I have a bit of headroom left so I can push something if needed. But now with my interface, I keep finding that my levels are way to quiet this methode. Should I set my gain to the edge of clipping, Or somewhere inbetween? Thanks for the video's!

[djerikfox]

hahahaha, man i love you you made my day...you are an amazing teacher, respect