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If you’ve been crafting your own tunes in the comfort of your home studio, and you’ve been comparing your work to the greats, it’s really easy to feel discouraged.
It’s easy to question what you’re putting in when what you’re putting out doesn’t match your reference.
This video is incredibly significant for songwriters who are recording their own music because it offers a glimpse into the transformative process of mixing.
By witnessing the evolution from raw demo recording to a finished mix, songwriters can realize the potential for their raw recordings to be transformed into exceptional songs through the process of mixing.
Welcome to Learn Audio Engineering.
My Names Robert!
In today’s guide, we’re diving into a crucial phase of music production
As we explore the journey of a song from demo to master recording through the magic of mixing.
Let’s be real, mixing can be a bit of a dark art.
A lonely, solitary journey.
It’s not about the tools and plugins you use; it’s about:
– serving the music and the artist the best you possibly can
– developing your ear to understand what you’re hearing, and developing the judgement to know what moves to make to achieve your mix goals,
– and, most importantly, having the patience to sculpt a masterpiece, and the discipline and confidence to release it.
Which brings us to the sponsor of Today’s video, DistroKid.
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You can sign up today using this link to get 7% off your first-year subscription with DistroKid.
Don’t wait any longer – let DistroKid empower you with confidence to share your music with the world!
That confidence is important because….
The truth is, imposter syndrome affects us all at some point.
Even the Artists and Producers we look up to are human and have doubts and fears about their work like anyone else.
You can hear this explained by Arnel Ethier in our Local Leaders series.
The goal of this video is for you to understand the transformation mixing can offer.
Now, you might be wondering, what exactly does mixing do for your sound?
Well, think of your initial demo as the raw material.
Mixing is where we sculpt and refine that material into a polished form .
It’s the process of balancing each element in a way that best represents the vibe, style and energy of the piece of music.
In a more involved mix this can mean carving out space to create support for what’s most important.
Ultimately, the goal of mixing is to bring out the best in every note and lyric.
Up Next, you’ll experience the journey of music production through three examples.
Each example showcases a song’s evolution from its humble beginnings as a demo recording to its final polished form as a finished mix.
Here is the demonstration of the progression from demo, to rough mix, to the finished mixed recording.
You’ll not only appreciate the impact of mixing on your recordings, but also gain a glimpse into the creative journey that turns a simple idea into a finished piece, of recorded music.
Ex 1. The Geas – Live – Rough – Mix
– This first song is one I recorded and mixed for a Hip Hop duo ‘Discount Lion Safari’
– They perform their songs 100% live with an emcee, and a pad masher making the track.
– For this project it was important that the recording be an accurate and ideal representation of what their live performance sounded live.
– You can hear the essence and vibe of the tune are captured in the rough demo. You’re certainly able to hear the lyrics and instrumental more clearly.
– Compare that to the finished mix. Everything feels bigger, and more extended.
– We’ve extended the low end, accented the vocals and added an urgency to the delivery.
– Even when volume match the finished mix sounds more exciting and engaging to listen to.
Ex 2. I’ll Be Ok – Demo – Rough – Mix
– Alright, The next song is one I recorded and mixed for a band I used to play with.
– The bass player brought this tune in and we worked out an arrangement based on his demo.
– The demo has riffs, an idea of the drum groove, and some shots, everything you need to get an idea of the song’s vibe and start building the production.
– so I recorded the bed tracks and hired a singer
– Now I’m actually gonna show you how that song sounds when I started mixing.
– Compete clutter, there’s no chance of here’s anything with all that mess on top of one another
– here’s a very rough mix, of about a minute of panning and volume balance of the same song.
– There’s still a lot to be done, but you can hear how big a difference there is after JUST balancing the levels of your tracks
Ex 3. Patience – Demo1 – Demo2 – Rough – Mixed
– Patience is a song I produced last year for Lexene as part of her Burn Out EP.
– The song went through a few stylistic choices before landing on the Rhythm&Bossa fusion flavour.
– you can also hear we experimented with several different tempos as well.
– The rough mix is more consistent with how your tracks may sound at the beginning of the mix process.
– The pieces are all there, but they have’t been balanced so they are getting in the way of each other.
– A Dense Mix will require that every piece is in its right place.
– Giving special attention to layering your tracks to create a sense and hierarchy of depth.
– The Mix becomes wider as the instruments are spread out across the stereo field and frequency spectrum.
– The tone and frequencies of each instrument have been balanced to cut through the mix and reduce masking.
– The Dynamics are also much more consistent in the finished mix.
But why does it matter?
Well, the quality of your mix can be the difference between a listener hitting repeat or skipping to the next track.
A well-mixed song not only sounds better but also connects emotionally with your audience.
And That is what we strive for at Back Burner Studios:
To transform the raw materials provided by artists into larger-than-life creations that authentically embody their vision, enabling you to reach greater heights in your music careers.
Now, we get it.
Navigating the mixing landscape can be challenging.
That’s why I’m extending an invitation to you.
If you’ve got a song, a demo, or even just an idea, share it with me. Let’s make this a collaborative journey.
I’m here to offer insights, answer questions, and perhaps provide that missing piece to your sonic puzzle.
Are you Ready to transform your recordings into polished mixes?
Contact me today. We’ll discuss your project and together we can craft something extraordinary.
Message me now about mixing your songs so that you can focus on creating your best possible music.
Whether you’re a new artist or a seasoned musician, I’m here to bring out the best in your sound. Don’t hesitate to reach out!
I hope you found these tips helpful in improving your confidence in your recordings.
If you found this video valuable, don’t forget to hit the like button, subscribe, and ring that notification bell so you won’t miss more videos like this one.
Thank you for watching, and happy tracking!
