Best video on mixing i've seen in a while. Emotions affect the mental. Mental affects the physical. Physical pushes the mix. Well done Waves. Well done Michael Brauer, sir.
This is the best mixing advice I've ever heard... and I've heard a lot from interviews with the greats. The best part that most mixers don't fully clarify is going with pure feeling first and revisit the mix later for the thinking part where you become your own worst critic. Fix any details that are off in the thinking part, not the feeling part.
This guy has the right attitude. Overproduction is a smog stopping music from breathing, and it's everywhere I listen, plastic music. This guy seems like he knows how to let a song sing.
Kristiaan Kristiaan I’m sure it happens all the time....artist is on the road and there’s a deadline to get the record out... I’m sure with the artists he’s worked with repeatedly they probably know what to expect of each other... I think it’s a testament to their faith in Brauer’s ability to not be there. I sure as hell would want to be there, though, and soak up every bit of knowledge I could...
Very similar attitude to how I mix. My spirit really guides me, and a lot of that is searching, moving, feeling around, experimenting. There is thinking, yes, but that is usually when I have to fix a problem more logically because it is getting in the way of where my heart wants to go.
Really good perspective on the process. I am still a novice mixer, only been learning for about 6 years and I have a long way to go, but it's nice to have someone with real experience give validity to my own methods:)
Just 3 hours to mix a song? Wow. I'll spend 3 hours on the kick and bass. Lol Edit: I guess I forgot to add the /s, as I was exaggerating a bit, but I appreciate the thoughtful responses.
Well, there are two things : - maybe you shouldn't and have more focus on the big picture of the song - Michael Brauer receives songs with tracks that are recorded by excellent engineers, and it's pretty rare he will have a "shitty track" like an awful bass sound or voical track Also although, one might no like Coldplay, the arrangement on their tracks are great. Nothing gets in the way of something else. And it's mostly the case with well written music. And Brauer works with good musician. So the thing in my opinion is this : the better you get at mixing, the better the bands you'll work with.
Some tips to mixing faster = -spend a lot of time early on in mono (or check it frequently) -check super low volume for levels (and or on auratones/computer speakers, something basically mids-only), but many engineers prefer to check bass/kick tone also at pretty loud volumes. If you do all that super quiet it'll end up way too bassy usually (and too bright) because of the fletcher munson curve (if not familiar, google it). -and unless you're trying to make really pop or metal tracks where all the drums sound like samples that could have come from different studios/rooms/players/etc (and even if so, probably should go for that tone in tracking), don't spend a ton of time solo-ing tracks. It's tempting to do but you'll often end up with tracks that sound good solo'd but either are way too big for the mix or don't cut enough at certain frequencies in the mix. So you'll spend a lot of time perfecting things in isolation and then end up undoing a ton of what you did by the time the mix is over. An example might be snares. For some genre's, I'm sometimes surprised how squishy sounding a snare mic is when I solo it, but it sounds good in the song so who cares.
The weirdest part I feel about my own mix is that the rough mix feels like what I want my song to feel like because that’s how I recorded it and how I planned it but as soon as I start putting plugins the feeling kind of go away compared to how u felt about my rough mix
Pizza Network One of the best pieces of advice I got is, “if you can make it sound good without plugins then that’s fine! It’s when you can’t get the sound/fix you want naturally that you need plugins.”
I so love the thinking Michael Brauer takes toward the song. Making the emotional content the prime ingredient, is a brilliant way to approach mixing. I try to do this myself, but I'm not always successful. I'd love to work with someone like him. I've been doing it all myself for too long now.
It's very nice to hear those great professionals talking, but in the end, there's a huuuuge gap between us and them, why? Because they use excellent tools to mix excellent recordings of excellent performers while we spend most of our time struggling with shitty recordings (mikes, acoustic treatment and the like) of not so ideal performers... ;-) So, of course they can mix a song in 3 hours and concentrate on "philosophy". :-D And it's also the big flaw of most of the tutorials we can find around: they never deal with actual problems you have to face in bad situations. That's the hard law of poor unknown artists/technicians, we have to spend an amazing amount of time correcting things instead of dedicating our energy to real Art... :-/
By now he’s switched completely to in the box, so the gear advantage doesn’t count anymore. Off course there’s still the thing with the original material
Get it sounding great in 15 minutes....TOTALLY TRUE! If you've spent 3 hours and it still sounds like shit and you're running around like a demented chicken trying all sorts of fancy processing and routing trying to stumble upon that magic sauce which makes it sound great, either you're working with the wrong sounds or there is something wrong with the arrangement.
Best video on mixing i've seen in a while. Emotions affect the mental. Mental affects the physical. Physical pushes the mix. Well done Waves. Well done Michael Brauer, sir.
I love this guy. Really do. He, CLA, TLA, Bob Clearmountain are just the best.
This is the best mixing advice I've ever heard... and I've heard a lot from interviews with the greats. The best part that most mixers don't fully clarify is going with pure feeling first and revisit the mix later for the thinking part where you become your own worst critic. Fix any details that are off in the thinking part, not the feeling part.
Probably the best video from waves so far!! :) Really good stuff!! :) Thanks!
This guy has the right attitude. Overproduction is a smog stopping music from breathing, and it's everywhere I listen, plastic music. This guy seems like he knows how to let a song sing.
true. you gotta have BALLS to mix. or so i heard.
Thanks for the video. I could not agree more. Emotional guy. It's the only way to mix
A combination of head and heart works for me.
Im not a mixer but this kind of mentality and view on things is what i would go for.
legend of a guy he is omg !!! just changed my whole perspective on mixing as a whole !! thanks so much for this and inspiring me !!!
Imagine Michael Brauer is mixing your song, and you don't even bother to show up :|
Kristiaan Kristiaan I’m sure it happens all the time....artist is on the road and there’s a deadline to get the record out...
I’m sure with the artists he’s worked with repeatedly they probably know what to expect of each other...
I think it’s a testament to their faith in Brauer’s ability to not be there.
I sure as hell would want to be there, though, and soak up every bit of knowledge I could...
What songs did Michael Brauer mix?
Very similar attitude to how I mix. My spirit really guides me, and a lot of that is searching, moving, feeling around, experimenting. There is thinking, yes, but that is usually when I have to fix a problem more logically because it is getting in the way of where my heart wants to go.
Really good perspective on the process. I am still a novice mixer, only been learning for about 6 years and I have a long way to go, but it's nice to have someone with real experience give validity to my own methods:)
Wow! Great advice and insight. Impressive :)
well done WAVES...NICE INTERVIEW
Great video !!
Very Cool approach and thanks for sharing it!
I couldn't agree more!
I was lost in your explaination. I understood every bit of what you said! ❤ Such a philosophical mixer he is! :)
This interview is gold
Fantastic video!
very professional dude
Muy buen enfoque, el lado humano de la mezcla
Just 3 hours to mix a song? Wow. I'll spend 3 hours on the kick and bass. Lol
Edit: I guess I forgot to add the /s, as I was exaggerating a bit, but I appreciate the thoughtful responses.
Well, there are two things :
- maybe you shouldn't and have more focus on the big picture of the song
- Michael Brauer receives songs with tracks that are recorded by excellent engineers, and it's pretty rare he will have a "shitty track" like an awful bass sound or voical track
Also although, one might no like Coldplay, the arrangement on their tracks are great. Nothing gets in the way of something else. And it's mostly the case with well written music. And Brauer works with good musician.
So the thing in my opinion is this : the better you get at mixing, the better the bands you'll work with.
Some tips to mixing faster =
-spend a lot of time early on in mono (or check it frequently)
-check super low volume for levels (and or on auratones/computer speakers, something basically mids-only), but many engineers prefer to check bass/kick tone also at pretty loud volumes. If you do all that super quiet it'll end up way too bassy usually (and too bright) because of the fletcher munson curve (if not familiar, google it).
-and unless you're trying to make really pop or metal tracks where all the drums sound like samples that could have come from different studios/rooms/players/etc (and even if so, probably should go for that tone in tracking), don't spend a ton of time solo-ing tracks. It's tempting to do but you'll often end up with tracks that sound good solo'd but either are way too big for the mix or don't cut enough at certain frequencies in the mix. So you'll spend a lot of time perfecting things in isolation and then end up undoing a ton of what you did by the time the mix is over. An example might be snares. For some genre's, I'm sometimes surprised how squishy sounding a snare mic is when I solo it, but it sounds good in the song so who cares.
yeah, I spend many days on songs. I'm too much of a perfectionist
@wafertheen Yes to clean up the session but not to mix for him
Bitch please, I've mixed some of my songs for months lol
How to mix with your gut (and with feeling). Awesome.
i am so thankfu; to you that u shared this valuable info.
The weirdest part I feel about my own mix is that the rough mix feels like what I want my song to feel like because that’s how I recorded it and how I planned it but as soon as I start putting plugins the feeling kind of go away compared to how u felt about my rough mix
Pizza Network One of the best pieces of advice I got is, “if you can make it sound good without plugins then that’s fine! It’s when you can’t get the sound/fix you want naturally that you need plugins.”
Goddamn those ATC's are so gigantic
Kyle Byquist air traffic controllers? Kidding.
amazing video
Brauer is the OB1 of mixers.
Thank you 😊
Thank you!
Dude has dope watch
This is great inspiration.
I so love the thinking Michael Brauer takes toward the song. Making the emotional content the prime ingredient, is a brilliant way to approach mixing. I try to do this myself, but I'm not always successful. I'd love to work with someone like him. I've been doing it all myself for too long now.
Good stuff
Not an engineer. But I think the EXACT same way when I am forced to mix a song! One of the greats think the same way as some of us do!
Best Video Ever !!
It's like you mix without the ego and just do what feels good but when you need to "fix it up " for others the ego comes in and helps you out a bit
Excelent interview. What radio monitor has that is so good?
Good question. I guess he tries the mix on his usual speakers and not the mixing ones.
Yamaha ns10
It's very nice to hear those great professionals talking, but in the end, there's a huuuuge gap between us and them, why? Because they use excellent tools to mix excellent recordings of excellent performers while we spend most of our time struggling with shitty recordings (mikes, acoustic treatment and the like) of not so ideal performers... ;-)
So, of course they can mix a song in 3 hours and concentrate on "philosophy". :-D
And it's also the big flaw of most of the tutorials we can find around: they never deal with actual problems you have to face in bad situations.
That's the hard law of poor unknown artists/technicians, we have to spend an amazing amount of time correcting things instead of dedicating our energy to real Art... :-/
caremeprenant hey, this is the best coment haha
Agreed
By now he’s switched completely to in the box, so the gear advantage doesn’t count anymore. Off course there’s still the thing with the original material
Anyone know what he's referring to as his radio? Is it a monitor? What kind?
Help would be much appreciated :)
that was good.
this guy looks really sadistic
My _ProFit_Video ..EveR!!
Feels
gold
Move move move. That’s how I do it too. Never sounds like his tho. 🤣
Lets make a record
Мега мощь !!!
I see Tobey Maguire talking, I can't help it...
When mixing Coldplay, play the tape backwards and end the earth
Get it sounding great in 15 minutes....TOTALLY TRUE! If you've spent 3 hours and it still sounds like shit and you're running around like a demented chicken trying all sorts of fancy processing and routing trying to stumble upon that magic sauce which makes it sound great, either you're working with the wrong sounds or there is something wrong with the arrangement.
Artists all men are they...?! It's 2018, jeez...
It's 2019 mate
When mixing Coldplay, the first thing to do is delete the source files, then relax for a couple of hours....
JAFO-PTY playing cold
You'd sell your left nut to mix a Coldplay album. You're not fooling anyone.
Then you sell millions of albums all around the world, oh no, that’s Coldplay sorry
them them them - does he only work with men?
I wonder if he can do a mix that makes me feel like Coldplay has some balls?
that's not the feel of the music, clearly..
He or she, they should say. Bit of an oversight.
Amazing video!