☕ I want to say a huge thank you to those who support my free videos here: buymeacoffee.com/michael.inthemix 📱 All my links: linktr.ee/inthemixlinks 0:00 - What is this all about? 0:58 - How to mix clashing tracks 2:10 - Phase can ruin a mix 3:20 - The 5 Click Rule 4:33 - The Loudness War is Over 6:00 - Solo is ruining your mixes 6:50 - Gaslighting Nonsense 8:18 - More Nonsense 10:00 - Let me know what you think?
The louder IT hast to be played the better IS IT to See whats going on with Maximum loudness , but i have Instrumentals that IS simply chilling and relaxing , they Dont need Maximum loudness to Work , but If Theres anything wrong with IT still in the Mix you can hear the issues when ITS very loud and correct IT again But ITS Something you so at the end Im Not a Fan of very loud music But i can understand to mix IT loud in the end to know what happens Today i Had a very huge Bass IT Had a Bug Problem in the Mix Just by reducing the length of the notes , erasing notes IT got much better Then adjusted the Volume of the notes and now ITS Just the Last question for me how to Transform This Bass Into what i want to hear in the end I think when you start to realy listen and to notice that they Instruments are not free enough or they Dont buit a unit and Mix Into each Other Like colour you will find Out what you want The information AS Said Here is Options you have to try or you See someone using a Tool or Gear to getvthe result you also need There is fundamental way to get from start to Finish But thats Just a step by step Thing in the whole context These steps will Not BE in the Same row everytime because everything depends in the Sound in the Moment he will meet all Other Sounds you use So Sometimes you EQ straight away because ITS destroying everything already there Other Times you correct IT Later to Bring Out the Things you want to hear better or in a certain way Language and speech depends on the Ego or Illusion of the Person itself So they will Tell you Something because they are living in their small bubble And some people See music AS war With some ITs Intension to Show authority with some IS their experiences with many Bad people to Project themselves and with some ITs Just that they follow Something beeing good people Just repeating the words because they Trust the wrong people Not all people IS making music because they Love IT And even those WHO Dont realy Love IT can make great music , because they know how to simply come Up with Something I was a Lot of deceivers Loosing even Respect These ones learned music because their parents Had a Lot of Money and then they started realising they can manipulate Others because they get fascinated But This IS Just an example Theres a Lot of good people Out there too
I struggle with being able to build momentum, because I’m unable to work consistently, so when I am able to work I try to cram and that makes it hard to want to keep going sometimes
I’m a professional mixing engineer and tutor, and I’ve taught hundreds of students so far. You my friend are one of the few on TH-cam that’s no-nonsense (I’ve started my channel on TH-cam myself and I want to be a part of this “10%”) and I’m really glad the numbers on your channel reflect a great deal of success that you deserve. I’ll keep pointing students towards your channel!
@@gershommaes902 just my 2 cents but here are a couple of giveaways for shite channels for tutorials: - Selling courses online or their own plugins that obscure the actual treatment and are sold like one-size-fits-all solution with a flashy GUI. - Not explaining the reasoning behind advices. While sometime it may be for the sake of not overcomplicating, when someone digs really deep at least you can judge by youself rather than being forced to take an advice for an unquestionnable truth. - Being cartesian with their advices - there's rarely only "one right way". - On the other hand, sometimes a poor advice is an advice still. I learned the "Low cut at 35Hz plus side low cut at 250Hz" and worked off that. It is a poor advice but it helped me through years before I was able to hear the differences myself and to pinpoint the right amount of cut I need.
I love how when you start out there's a freedom in not knowing anything. And when I started to learn more about production I felt more and more limited because there were so many bullshit rules I felt I had to follow. But Im just started to realize that your track sounds as good as it sounds and it's really quite simple.
Yes absolutely! It's felt like a phase when the information you have at your disposal increases rapidly but the overall quality doesn't. Then you realise you can shed a load of that information and retain core knowledge which is enough for just about anything you will do with sound engineering. It feels great to be on the right side of it and this channel is wonderful by the way!
this is pretty much any hobby. start knowing nothing. learn a bunch of rules. then finally understand that those rules don't matter and all that matters is results
Yeah man learning about mixing and the more technical side of music production has really hurt my motivation and actual song writing... I spend too much time worrying about if things are "right" and thinking about how to mix it i can't even finish a damn song. its so stupid. I think about all the other stuff i need to do and its just overwhelming ffs FINISH THE SONG AND THEN MIX
The best producer on YT by far. No nonsense. No stupid music in the background. No idiotic video edits for those with a short attentions span. Well spoken and educated human being. Purely professional presentation and advice. Liked, subbed and recommended to others.
I've been self-producing music & audio for my videos since ~2017. I've taken in so much nonsensical advice that nearly hindered me from doing any of it, and I ultimately came to the conclusion that what I've been doing was not only perfectly fine, but was perhaps best for my given genre or video I'm working on. This video was honestly REALLY informative, and helped a lot to destigmatize any choices made with mixing or equipment.
The lack of a loudness war is one of the many things that made transition into working in game audio so incredibly rewarding. We have actual delivery standards to adhere by and dynamic range is still something that’s appreciated! (Except on mobile lol)
As someone who started producing 4 Years ago with the help of one of your videos I can say: I always felt like you were one of the only YT-Producers that didnt try to sell me complete bullshit advice. Thank you for that :)
YAAAAS! i owned FL for years but never truly dug deep until covid, and basically this channel helped me go so much further SO much faster. I am beyond grateful!
lesson ive learned, everyone used to say "dont clip no matter what" but ive learned clipping can sound good ast long as the input signal is clean going into it
100%. i make a pretty niche genre of trap, after trying to apply music theory such as "dont let it clip"... it doesn't work, no matter the mix i do, no matter how much room i give instruments to the sample, it HAS to clip to sound good. that's one genre which i throw away all i know right about music production in favor of listening to my ears.
@@levimoody4307 '"Audio engineering Theory" then? The Culture of Sound Supersedes the Theory of Music Theory is conceived, in part, to provide a descriptive framework for the “culture of sound” it is describing. When creating, what matters most is not what is theoretically possible to create, but the actual fruits born of the artist's labor. By disregarding “theoretical possibilities,” the artist is unbound. --TheDivergentDrummer 4:27Pm
@@yungfueleconomy Music theory is "which combination of notes or chords in which order sound nice to people"? "dont let it clip" is just basic mixing/mastering advice.
The amount of snake oil online really is insane and I completely agree with that point. I've been helping some newish mixers and mastering engineers learn the craft and the amount of terrible advice, limitations, and thought processes I have to basically tear out of their brains are insane. I know now everyone has access to teachers or industry professionals who can cut through the noise, but my advice to any new mixing or mastering engineer is to take everything you hear online with a huge grain of salt. Consider advice, advice, not a rule set and you'll do just fine.
The best way to navigate this is to learn the technical details of how your plugins are actually working, and what they’re doing under the hood. Dan worrall has some fantastic videos on both his channel and the fab filter channel.
Very true, i realised this after taking a music production course, speaking to mixers in the business. Basically came down to a shit ton of misinformation.
@@inthemix Maybe in a future video you could elaborate on the top (and most pernicious/frustrating) bits of poor advice, and what you should think about instead for each?
1:07 One thing you can do to carve space with drums vs everything else is by re-tuning drums up or down a little so their main frequency doesn't fall in the same frequencies of the song key/scale (bass notes). Find a space (the notes) that are out of the song key/scale to place your kick, toms and snare fundamentals. This is one of the only "post" fixes you can easily do!
Changing the pitch of a sample isn’t exactly what we would traditionally call “post”. But I would say a snare, in particular, should be tweaked in pitch to find where it sits best. Also don’t overlook drum envelopes! You can easily overcome clicky drums by adding a bit of attack time (in the millisecond realm), and with a bit more elbow grease you can increase the overall body of a drum with envelopes or hard compression, and also truncate the sample start or end as necessary. For busy electronic grooves this stuff is essential.
Granted I have wild mood swings on occasion, but this was possible the best 10 minutes of music production advice I've ever heard. It all resonated like the earth with the sun. Clear, concise, absolutely genuine and honest. And, let's face it, when it comes to simply being a pleasure to the senses, this guy could rival the young Mister Rogers.
This is actually how a lot of producers in the industry like to do their mixes due to speaker limitations, especially in untreated rooms/environments. When playing your music loud, speaker cones take more time to actually pump out the correct amplitude of certain frequencies. That alone isn't really a problem when your song isn't big on orchestration/instrumentation. The problem comes when you start to layer a bunch of different sounds. Your speakers cones (i.e. monitors, headphones, etc) wont be able to keep up with the amount of signal that comes through with a whole bunch of varied amplitudes. Great observation!
'Stop listening in ideal environments' I hate the idea of listening on as many headphones/speakers as possible, but the biggest realisation I had with a mix (using a professional) came when I was listening in low end earbuds on a busy road with cars, i.e. how a lot of people are gonna hear it. So yeah - don't listen to it exclusively just as you like it - the best headphones, or only listening loud.
Fully agreed! Also, a controversial thing I do to evaluate my mix, is to listen on the shittiest speakers possible, such as my computer's, or even a phone. That way, the hierarchies and dynamics are really obvious, and easier to identify what to tweak.
I just wanted to say that I really appreciate your honesty and humility and you’re openness to share mistakes you’ve made and still make. It’s wonderful to learn from people that is willing to be down to earth.
Most people wouldnt even be able to tell difference between different compressors or eqs yet they purchase them for hundreds of dollars😂 reality is that its more important what you do with an eq or comp than which exact plugin you use
@@roy-yal EQs are inherently the same thing. Compressors however aren't. Most of all compressors have widely different characteristics and behavior. Sure, there are clones too. But it's true, huge amount of even the more professional engineers do not mix with their ears.
The very first tip was big for me. Asked an online forum about side chain compression, and someone said that my arrangement was probably wrong. I was really mad for weeks, then realized they were right. Arrangements and/or automation is so much more helpful than trying to “mix” too many simultaneous elements together.
Tbh i always had a conspiracy theory that engineers out there give trash trips and to try and gatekeep the profession edit: My music: collapsing mind - Broda
There is no absolute truth to how to do it, thats why many audio engineers dont answer simple questions or dont answer in a simple matter. its a profession which relies extremely on experience. Because, at least in germany, you can officially learn to become an audio engineer, but what most people dont get is that you are not good just because of that. Your ears still need more training, so does your mindset for most people. Gatekeeping is a good thing here.
it's cause to have views you need to generate more and more content. there is no secrets, just practicing and getting good feedback and practicing again. like with anything. like playing piano is all written out there, doesn't mean you gonna play well by just reading all the books on "how to play piano".
i don’t have much to say but i’m comforted that i feel similarly about a lot of the breakthroughs/ thoughts you’ve listed. i really appreciate how community oriented you are, too
Thanks Will. Without a community I’m just speaking into the void! Sometimes these mistakes do seem silly or a bit obvious but I appreciate your kindness!
Completely agree about not mixing in solo! Any instrument can sound great in isolation, but it's about how it fits in with the rest of the track. It's about balance 👍
Love the point about ignoring what's posted online for the larger part... that's true for many things outside of our industry too. You notice a pattern amongst those with a tendency to trigger post their opinions for the sake of having something to say.
It is funny how it applies to almost every hobby and skill. Each time that I pass a few years of experience in a hobby I cringe at the advice I took on board in the early days!
No matter how much I learn, this channel will always be a blessing to me. Thank you Michael for the wealth of knowledge you've provided myself and countless others over the years. Peace
@@inthemixInstead of that, what about a video showing the evolution of how you'd make a beat going from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd parts of your journey? I was gonna ask a question , but this would help myself and others in ways we wouldn't expect.
This is super helpful. As someone who has been learning to produce/mix/master for over 10 years now. THIS VIDEO ALONE, confirms all the things I had an inkling about, but was too convinced by false "Master classes" and "forum threads" to know for sure. Thanks for the insight
wow a down to earth video, must be the first on YT . The wisdom we gather are always the mistakes we learned from , so go and make mistakes it will always make you smarter IF you learn from them
Hi. Former 8+ year Sound Engineer here : The "Not about the gear, its about the ear" is definitely true in a manner of speaking, and I'll explain it in the following manner : What actually is sound? On a physical level, sound is an aggregated motion of molecules. If you take a moment to think about just a single molecule and what it is doing, the molecule is just "moving in a direction." The aggregate motion of those molecules you can chart and that creates the waveform. So on a chart what actually constitutes the properties of the wave? Intensity (THE AMOUNT OF FORCE) that the molecule is moving, and the frequency (HOW MANY TIMES IT MOVES). These two properties; Intensity and Frequency are the fundemental and only true components of sound. Intensity = Volume Frequency = Frequencies. If you took a moment to analyze all of your plugins and gear and what they do, All of the parameters...every single one adjust only these two things in some way. What is panning? Reducing Intensity (volume) in one of the sides of a speaker or headphone, and boosting it in another. What is an Equalizer? Increasing the Volume or Decreasing the volume of certain frequencies...Deessing? Reducing volume of particular range of frequencies in a vocal...and the list goes on and on... Compressors? control of the volume...gain staging? control of volume again... What's the most important stage for sound then? It's the recording process...the original, un-adultered sound. This is where the emphasis on gear comes in and the gear nerds will nerd out over the tiniest increases in capturing frequency without unwanted frequencies. But to push back : The fundementals of sound allows one to also take advantage of the fact that you don't need nerdy gear to get great recordings...you just need volume (contol of it), and frequencies (control of the frequencies) and capturing this in the recording process. Bad Recordings = will have a bad time mixing so put a greater emphasis on getting the recording good, and making sure you and the person or instrument you are recording have an understanding of these two things. Do you know what i use to produce top tier vocal sound quality for games and movie dialogue? Audacity! That's it. In fact i don't even listen to the thing I'm cleaning up...because you can actually S E E this information --> of volume and frequency in the program. Audacity has an advantage over other DAWS in this manner because DAWS don't immediately show you the Waveform up close and personal its often tucked away and simplified. Anyway great video sir. I hope this explanation gives you and other viewers a much different perspective on that particular point in the video. It can be an esoteric topic, but having an understanding of sound at a physical level makes it clear why its true and that you don't need neither gear, or even your ears to do sound (ironically) Cheers everyone,
I also have 10 years of experience, and I agree with everything in this video. From the very beginning I noticed - many "helpful" tutorials clashed with each other, It's like two kids arguing, it was just maddening. But communication with experts and years of experience helped to solve difficult questions
Thank you and congrats from Korea. Wish you have more prosper years to come. This channel is informative and insightful for me. When I was on serious shipping for the speakers set, I saw yours and decided to get PSI A25. You saved me a lot of time, energy and money.
Bravo. Well said. Just sit down and nail this craft by yourself. There is simply no way around it. Do it day by day, week by week, year by year, and you eventually get there. You need to do that, because you can't learn to ride a bicycle just because your dad says how. You need to fall, hurt yourself, stand up and then.. Eventually you are riding! So yeah, same with music production/mixing. I can only agree with this. All those resources online, yeah, they are good to introduce you with EQ, compression, etc, but... Hard truth, you need to experiment, play with those tools in a context of your ACTUAL SONG. Every song has different feeling, needs, purpose, so you can't just simply apply one 'award-winning producer' (lol that's really funny when you think about it, if you are award-winning producer, why you are even on internet selling courses, like a merchant?) method, and hope that it serves as a salvation to your struggle. That's BS. This is a craft that you need to go through yourself. Individually.
Re: gaslighting nonsense, I think the "it's not about the gear, it's the ear" reaction is often well meaning. A lot of people (myself included) will waste tremendous amounts of money chasing the right tool to make their work sound better, and completely ignore skill development. I know a lot of folks in my field (sound design for video games) that go through a process of acquiring lots of tools when they're young, then getting more experienced and starting to let a lot of tools go, only keeping the ones that have really made a positive impact on their work. It's a very nuanced issue, and you touched on it at the end of the segment. Gear is not irrelevant, but it's also not a magic bullet. You've gotta have a baseline toolset that can be used to do work at a professional level. And honestly I feel it's more about listening environment (speakers, room) than about any specific plugins.
Here's to the next 10 years! I discovered your videos when getting into music production, and your tutorials are what convinced me to go for FL Studio. As I knew I'd likely find the answer to any of my questions in your videos. So thank you very much for the videos you've produced, and all the knowledge you've shared!
The loudness one is always so interesting. In school I got told that it was an absolute thing and that you NEEDED to stick to a specific lufs level. Even though i am still super green, I have already been realizing that not every song or genre i work on is going to be at exactly -14 lufs (like they always said to keep it at), but more so based on the genre and feel of the song.
LUFS are fucking stupid, according to LUFS the loudest sound possible is alternating -1s and 1s. Literally just a sine wave at the nyquist frequency (which is inaudible to a lot of people lmao)
I've gotta say, in 9 years of being a sound engineer, this is the most useful TH-cam video I've seen. When I started, there was jack shit online that was professionals actually giving solid advice. I wound up having to do a master's degree to get these tips. Also the compression "tip" is people trying to stop creative mixing. Crush busses are absolute S tier.
I just want to say that I love your channel so much, what has kept me learning from your channel for the past 4 years is your consistent honesty and simple communication Good job!!!
This was actually really helpful and not a bunch of BS like I see most of the time. I recently learned how to master tracks, at a beginner level of course, and the LUFS and true peak were giving me a headache for a minute cuz I was trying to adjust it to the streaming regulations when I didn't like the sound it was producing. I ended up figuring it out for the most part, at the cost of a compromise, but in retrospect, after seeing this video, I think I'm going to go back and change some of them before they release. So, thank YOU!!
OMG THANK YOU. I love that you spoke about the fact that most stuff you find online is nonsense. I've really been getting sick of it and I think you are the first person I've seen who actually talked about it. If there is one thing to take away from this video, it's that skill comes from years of experience, not from internet tutorials and especially not from people who try to sell you mixer presets.
I started when I was about 12 with a Yamaha PSS140 and a C64 into a tape recorder. May you have this joy for the rest of your life. You never stop learning and discovering in this hobby or career.
you're the best dude, I can't believe I've gone so many years in FL without seeing your guides. you make the clearest, more informative guides out there 💪🏿 cheers and thank you!
Good stuff Sir. I'm an older player from a world when tape was king and have evolved with the limitations of past/current gear. I totally agree with you about gaslighting and the huge amount of rubbish online confusing people. Cheers.
I learned FL Studio from your vids a couple years ago. This year, one of my songs were featured on a Spotify playlist for the first time. I feel kinda proud lol. Thank you, man. Learning production would've been a lot harder without your tutorials. Great advice as always.
Man, seeing you again is like reconnecting with an old friend after a long time =') I've been following you since I started using FL Studio. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge ♥
In regards to the point on making space in the mix, it took me a long time to appreciate how far the stereo field can help rather than the frequency spectrum. Panning, widening, L/R, mono/stereo, mid/side adjustments in the production stage can make a load of difference where i dont feel the need to be carving stuff out with eq in the mix.
This is the truth! The next point I was going to move onto before cutting the video was about using the space you have before dramatically mixing elements. It seems we are both on the same page!
The biggest portion of this that stuck with me is the equipment section. I've spent so much time trying to learn pairs of headphones for mixing (which is still a good habit to have), that i convinced myself that I never needed anything else. I recently broke a pair of headphones I loved and dropped the money on a pair of 600's, and taking that same idea that I had before and applying it with a reliable, well known and trusted set of headphones has absolutely changed the way I feel about mixing. I finally feel that I can trust myself with what I hear, and give my mixes and songs a style of my own. I absolutely loved this video and I'm not one to comment usually but thank you for the years of teaching and I'm happy to see that you get the success you deserve!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Many of us have had a similar struggle trying to make the wrong tool work for the task we faced. I remember the first time I put on a pair of DT 1990Pro after using ATH M20x headphones for many years and was absolutely blown away. Perhaps embarrassingly (but I'll share it here anyway, who cares!) I was brought to tears hearing music in such high definition and spatial clarity for the first time. I immediately knew that the cheaper AT headphones had held me back and were simply not the right tool for the job. The ATs are fine headphones, but were not right for mixing.
I've learned a lot over the 26 years I've been writing/composing as a self-taught musician but must say that your channel has provided me with some of the clearest and most helpful tips for recording and mixing. Congrats on your decade and keep up the great work! Your fellow musicians appreciate you.
honestly I always hate watching mix tips or tutorials online because I feel like this stuff is always so subjective and what it takes to make something sound good is different for everyone. Kinda like a headfirst approach learn later type thing- but I feel as if this video genuinely hits so many great talking points. everything you said is so true in my personal opinion & its very reassuring to know that I've been on a good track on my own by making it to a lot of these conclusions. shoutout
thank you genuinely.. really does seem like everybody gatekeeps on youtube.. I was trying to learn how to mix vocals via YT for 2 years and while i did gain understanding of the plugins, i didnt learn anything that made a good sounding preset; especially in the highs… thank you for your sincerity
This video is a real gem! Straight to the Point, genuine and just helpful. I guess with Music Production being a thousand times more approachable for us These days many Things Seem to be way more complex and overcomplicated, Even „Magic“ at First. Some might be.. but the majority of the Process CAN and SHOULD be easy. Keep it up man, love your Videos ❤
Around 10:15 you say that you are trying to make content that you wish was available when you started out. I'd like to say, I've watched loads of videos as a new producer, just starting to get into FL Studio, and I am absolutely hooked on your videos and explanations. I can tell that you aren't trying to optimize videos or clickbait or anything to try to grab more views, and your content isn't structured in a way to get people to watch longer, but to actually explain things step-by-step and not leave anything out. It feels like your motivations are very genuine, and real. I think this somehow has looped around (horseshoe theory) and made you get a ton of views and have you be the number 1 source of information and help for hundreds of thousands to millions of people. You have done and are doing amazing work man, and I appreciate it.
Thank you so much! It is funny how it worked out. I never wanted to be a TH-cam creator and I don’t even have personal social media accounts but I always create the videos I wanted to see and it seems to resonate with so many people. Thank you for your kindness!
I see it over and over again where the click bait title will say "these settings will change your life". I now ignore these videos. However, I always watch your videos because your advice is in the top 5% 👍
You left out the most crucial advice there is. You have to be able to confidently recognize tuning, notes, frequencies, fundamentals, volume differences and so on. If you can't EQ and balance with utmost confidence, you won't be a good mixing engineer. What comes to the loudness war, it's not a thing professional engineers really consider at all. Only reason to consider LUFS is when you have to send tracks to Radio, or TV stations cause they clearly do not understand what normalization is. And you do that after the initial mastering. What professional mastering engineers do is, they have calibrated their monitoring to proper loudness for listening and they master according to that. The master usually goes well over the streaming platform normalization standards because modern soundscape has that kind of detail that allows powerful and loud mixes and masters and physiologically louder sounds better, so there's that too. Those that has been or are deep into the loudness war, they're getting it all wrong. You aren't supposed to be looking at the loudness levels, you should be listening. Well, unless you're working with more specific standards like in much of the sound design of film, TV and game productions. Anyway, when you really listen, you know when you're pushing the limiters, compressors or plain clipping through the roof and that doesn't sound good.
The part about bad advice on forums hits home hard. I frequented some electronic music focused forums in the start of my journey in 2005 and onwards. The amount of advice that, today, just sounds like sabotage was insane. On one of the forum most of the bad advice came from a guy who claimed to work in Hollywood and never posted his own music because he was "bound by an NDA", lol. Well, most of us looking for advice were impressionable kids back then. If I could add one thing into this list that should rise close to the top is using reference tracks. I've only done it for a couple of years now, but it has been a huge help in getting a more coherent mix level-wise.
Honestly that is so close to what I remember too. I started later but so much of the “advice” literally sounds like sabotage when I think back. It was crazy!
Thank you sincerely, I've been playing with music production since 2019, mostly to match all the songs I write. This video laid a few fears to rest, so very much appreciated.
Thanks for your advice, Michael. I recognize a lot, perhaps all the issues you mention. I really like your voice by the way. You don't ever say "erm"' or "uh". Very nice voice to listen to. Chapeau!
Dude, where have you been hiding! 5-Click rule & More nonsense sections (Masterful!) - You are part of a VERY short list of honest, humble, chilled and ACCURATE production tutors in the known universe. As a great man once said - I'll be back!
love your contents bruh, your humbleness and perspective is helping so many people around the world developing their crafts (so they can inspire more and more people), i'm grateful
The gaslighting section is the most accurate opinion I’ve heard in the business. I wish I knew this from Day 1. Took me 4 years to succumb to splice. Research, trial and buy as much as you can afford!!!
All of these were simple, easy to understand, and (in retrospect) kind of obvious, but it was really great to hear them all the same. Sometimes I think we need to be reminded of the "obvious" things. Thanks for the video.
Honestly I just took it as a sign from the universe that the first recording of was not meant to be! It’s the first time my footage has ever corrupted in 7 years.
7:04 FINALLY someone said it (the gaslighty ness of "It's not about the gear - but the ear" or notoriously being preached "do what you can with what you have" .... Cute sentiment really but let's be real good tools will drastically take off your workload and improve your workflow. Most importantly it makes a night and day difference in terms of inspiration when you can open up a good synth and pick something that sounds good right out the box ... everyone has different affinities, pockets and focal points and not everyone is super emphasized on sound design
Yeah I'm coming from a guitar background and, like everyone, started with cheap shit. Actually, I still mostly have cheap shit. Anyway, when I got a DI box it made such a huge difference to the texture of the sound, it was unreal.
I have been watching you for years, just getting back into it now and nice to see you are still going - one of the best to explain concepts oof mixing when going into a more advanced level.
Started listening to you when I first started producing around 4 years ago. 4 years later I can watch the same videos and take away more from them, your channel is a treasure trove for all levels of producer. Congrats on 10 years.
Like he says in the video, ignore 90% of online mixing advice (or more reasonably: take everything with a pinch of salt), I solo while mixing all the time, it depends on what's required, if the keyboard has a horrible little buzz at the end of each note and you're trying to sort that out, then trying to do that with everything else playing is just hamstringing yourself . . . or a slightly out of tune vocal note, or slightly early snare hit, or a weird resonance in the synth - or endless other mixing move made all the more difficult if you are trying to resolve them with everything else playing . . . my rule would be not be 'don't solo when mixing', my rule would be - specifically - don't spend ages in solo as you lose context after a couple of minutes, but the solo button is there for a reason.
Soloing is fine when mixing, we all do it especially when adding the effects and checking for errors. But remember to mix in the context as well as in solo!
I have a tip related to the Solo tip: Mute the track instead, and listen at what happened. Did you hear a difference? Was the track important? Did it mask other tracks? Was that track the one that stood for all the midrange? And so on. But there is one great Mute button that makes all the difference: Take a break. Things sounds so different after a walk or a nights sleep. But the way, it’s funny that mixing tips online has such a low SNR (signal to noice ratio). 😁 This channel doesn’t suffer from that. It’s so refreshing! So as someone said: here’s to another 10 years. And then another. 🙌
Thank you for the mute suggestion. I have definitely used that for trying to find issues but I haven’t actually used that technique to really question what is needed in a song. Something similar I do when mastering is to notch a narrow band down with EQ and sweep around hearing which areas of the spectrum really matter in each song. Your last point about SNR is exactly why I started TH-cam (and tried to get better) in the first place!
9:10 oh my god the way you hit me in the 'old advice I got from a liquid dnb producer homie about never compressing more than 3db' with that. I needed to hear this it appears
Let you know what kind of stuff I like to see? This is the kind of stuff I like to see. It's genuine, feels human (because you too started as a beginner someday), you don't pretend that you know it all, but you are aware of your lessons learned. Well done, and thank you :] Biggest lesson for me thus far? Don't overvalue feedback. Feedback is good, when it shows you issues in your mix you were unaware of, but as soon as the feedback leeches your motivation to create, it's time to stop listening and to make the music you feel like [in mixing regards as well]. It felt rude to me initially to "step over" opinions that were offered to me, but learning to trust your my own integrity as an artist has been a vital step for me to remain motivated.
You really nailed it with that last sentence about trusting /aligning with your integrity as an artist. Technical feedback can be awesome but they don’t always know what you want or why you create music. Thanks for the kind words!
@@inthemix Thank you rather! I've been with your channel since it was in the 5 digit subs. I don't know much yet, but the bit I know, I mostly owe to this channel of yours (and a truck load of curiosity). The least I can do is to leave a kind word every now and then :] I remember inquiring you about sytrus and budget synth options ... good times. I'm impressed that you're maintenancing your community even at this size today still. Good stuff! 'nodds approvingly'
Your FL Studio for beginners video happens to be the first ever music production video I watched, when I first got FL Studio 20.4 back in October 2020. Thank you for all your efforts, Mr. Wynne 🤝
I've always admired your advice, videos and the way you encourage your viewers to think and learn for themselves. I've been watching your videos for maybe 4-5 years now, leaving comments on my main account (I just realised I'm not subscribed on this one!) and I very much appreciate your transparency and the effort you put into your craft. It does not go unseen. I've been making music for 11 years, improving my mixing and music quality over time, and while I have infinitely more progress to make, I'm now working on my first video game soundtrack! Thank you for what you do for your community, your art and yourself; without creators like you I most certainly would have put this hobby down years ago.
That's why it's said that being a sound engineer is a lifelong profession! As far as I'm concerned, I grasped the phase principle a good 2 years ago. Once you've got the hang of it, you generally don't feel compelled to apply any effects whatsoever to a kick or a bass. It's something a lot of engineers would do well to learn...
I couldn't have said it better myself. Phase really does take care of so many "issues" and most of mixing seems to be getting the tracks working before processing is applied!
☕ I want to say a huge thank you to those who support my free videos here:
buymeacoffee.com/michael.inthemix
📱 All my links: linktr.ee/inthemixlinks
0:00 - What is this all about?
0:58 - How to mix clashing tracks
2:10 - Phase can ruin a mix
3:20 - The 5 Click Rule
4:33 - The Loudness War is Over
6:00 - Solo is ruining your mixes
6:50 - Gaslighting Nonsense
8:18 - More Nonsense
10:00 - Let me know what you think?
GOAT is back !!!1
Hi, great info. i just started out, will be following you. love from the netherlands.
The louder IT hast to be played the better IS IT to See whats going on with Maximum loudness , but i have Instrumentals that IS simply chilling and relaxing , they Dont need Maximum loudness to Work , but If Theres anything wrong with IT still in the Mix you can hear the issues when ITS very loud and correct IT again
But ITS Something you so at the end
Im Not a Fan of very loud music
But i can understand to mix IT loud in the end to know what happens
Today i Had a very huge Bass
IT Had a Bug Problem in the Mix
Just by reducing the length of the notes , erasing notes IT got much better
Then adjusted the Volume of the notes and now ITS Just the Last question for me how to Transform This Bass Into what i want to hear in the end
I think when you start to realy listen and to notice that they Instruments are not free enough or they Dont buit a unit and Mix Into each Other Like colour you will find Out what you want
The information AS Said Here is Options you have to try or you See someone using a Tool or Gear to getvthe result you also need
There is fundamental way to get from start to Finish
But thats Just a step by step Thing in the whole context
These steps will Not BE in the Same row everytime because everything depends in the Sound in the Moment he will meet all Other Sounds you use
So Sometimes you EQ straight away because ITS destroying everything already there
Other Times you correct IT Later to Bring Out the Things you want to hear better or in a certain way
Language and speech depends on the Ego or Illusion of the Person itself
So they will Tell you Something because they are living in their small bubble
And some people See music AS war
With some ITs Intension to Show authority with some IS their experiences with many Bad people to Project themselves and with some ITs Just that they follow Something beeing good people Just repeating the words because they Trust the wrong people
Not all people IS making music because they Love IT
And even those WHO Dont realy Love IT can make great music , because they know how to simply come Up with Something
I was a Lot of deceivers
Loosing even Respect
These ones learned music because their parents Had a Lot of Money and then they started realising they can manipulate Others because they get fascinated
But This IS Just an example
Theres a Lot of good people Out there too
9:57 Spill the beans. What course was it?
I struggle with being able to build momentum, because I’m unable to work consistently, so when I am able to work I try to cram and that makes it hard to want to keep going sometimes
Here's to another ten years 🥂
Cheers 🍻
That beers icon looks like a girl twerking
@@inthemixOh god 😂
It never ends 😂
Make it 30. This man is a gem for the music community and nobody else has his good vibe.
I’m a professional mixing engineer and tutor, and I’ve taught hundreds of students so far. You my friend are one of the few on TH-cam that’s no-nonsense (I’ve started my channel on TH-cam myself and I want to be a part of this “10%”) and I’m really glad the numbers on your channel reflect a great deal of success that you deserve. I’ll keep pointing students towards your channel!
Thank you. I wish you all the best of luck!
What are some nonsense mixing channels you've seen on youtube? Asking in hopes of avoiding them myself!
can i contact you on email?
@@gershommaes902 just my 2 cents but here are a couple of giveaways for shite channels for tutorials:
- Selling courses online or their own plugins that obscure the actual treatment and are sold like one-size-fits-all solution with a flashy GUI.
- Not explaining the reasoning behind advices. While sometime it may be for the sake of not overcomplicating, when someone digs really deep at least you can judge by youself rather than being forced to take an advice for an unquestionnable truth.
- Being cartesian with their advices - there's rarely only "one right way".
- On the other hand, sometimes a poor advice is an advice still. I learned the "Low cut at 35Hz plus side low cut at 250Hz" and worked off that. It is a poor advice but it helped me through years before I was able to hear the differences myself and to pinpoint the right amount of cut I need.
I love how when you start out there's a freedom in not knowing anything. And when I started to learn more about production I felt more and more limited because there were so many bullshit rules I felt I had to follow. But Im just started to realize that your track sounds as good as it sounds and it's really quite simple.
Placing rules on creative pursuits and hobbies just doesn't feel right.
Yes! i'd say that even applies to music theory. It's not a set of rules, per se, but rather a framework for communicating musical ideas.
Yes absolutely! It's felt like a phase when the information you have at your disposal increases rapidly but the overall quality doesn't. Then you realise you can shed a load of that information and retain core knowledge which is enough for just about anything you will do with sound engineering. It feels great to be on the right side of it and this channel is wonderful by the way!
this is pretty much any hobby. start knowing nothing. learn a bunch of rules. then finally understand that those rules don't matter and all that matters is results
Yeah man learning about mixing and the more technical side of music production has really hurt my motivation and actual song writing... I spend too much time worrying about if things are "right" and thinking about how to mix it i can't even finish a damn song. its so stupid. I think about all the other stuff i need to do and its just overwhelming ffs FINISH THE SONG AND THEN MIX
The best producer on YT by far. No nonsense. No stupid music in the background. No idiotic video edits for those with a short attentions span. Well spoken and educated human being.
Purely professional presentation and advice.
Liked, subbed and recommended to others.
one of the best. anima sounds and eclip is also amazing!
@@martinLagler-x6p Venus Theory is another good one.
I've been self-producing music & audio for my videos since ~2017. I've taken in so much nonsensical advice that nearly hindered me from doing any of it, and I ultimately came to the conclusion that what I've been doing was not only perfectly fine, but was perhaps best for my given genre or video I'm working on. This video was honestly REALLY informative, and helped a lot to destigmatize any choices made with mixing or equipment.
So many dos and don't just get in the way of what we are really trying to do. I always appreciate good advice though!
The lack of a loudness war is one of the many things that made transition into working in game audio so incredibly rewarding. We have actual delivery standards to adhere by and dynamic range is still something that’s appreciated! (Except on mobile lol)
As someone who started producing 4 Years ago with the help of one of your videos I can say: I always felt like you were one of the only YT-Producers that didnt try to sell me complete bullshit advice. Thank you for that :)
I've only just found this channel but I trust a channel called Alex Rome too.
th-cam.com/video/xlAf88_zcNk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=r963Pp0iINUE4iJy
YAAAAS! i owned FL for years but never truly dug deep until covid, and basically this channel helped me go so much further SO much faster. I am beyond grateful!
lesson ive learned, everyone used to say "dont clip no matter what" but ive learned clipping can sound good ast long as the input signal is clean going into it
same!
100%. i make a pretty niche genre of trap, after trying to apply music theory such as "dont let it clip"... it doesn't work, no matter the mix i do, no matter how much room i give instruments to the sample, it HAS to clip to sound good. that's one genre which i throw away all i know right about music production in favor of listening to my ears.
@@yungfueleconomythat has nothing to do with music theory
@@levimoody4307 '"Audio engineering Theory" then?
The Culture of Sound Supersedes the Theory of Music
Theory is conceived, in part, to provide a descriptive framework for the “culture of sound” it is describing.
When creating, what matters most is not what is theoretically possible to create, but the actual fruits born of the artist's labor.
By disregarding “theoretical possibilities,” the artist is unbound.
--TheDivergentDrummer
4:27Pm
@@yungfueleconomy Music theory is "which combination of notes or chords in which order sound nice to people"? "dont let it clip" is just basic mixing/mastering advice.
The amount of snake oil online really is insane and I completely agree with that point. I've been helping some newish mixers and mastering engineers learn the craft and the amount of terrible advice, limitations, and thought processes I have to basically tear out of their brains are insane. I know now everyone has access to teachers or industry professionals who can cut through the noise, but my advice to any new mixing or mastering engineer is to take everything you hear online with a huge grain of salt. Consider advice, advice, not a rule set and you'll do just fine.
The best way to navigate this is to learn the technical details of how your plugins are actually working, and what they’re doing under the hood. Dan worrall has some fantastic videos on both his channel and the fab filter channel.
It’s even worse when those who claim to point out or debunk snake oil are also spreading it.
Very true, i realised this after taking a music production course, speaking to mixers in the business. Basically came down to a shit ton of misinformation.
@@inthemix Maybe in a future video you could elaborate on the top (and most pernicious/frustrating) bits of poor advice, and what you should think about instead for each?
yeah and if u dont understand an advice, you might be better off just not following it
1:07 One thing you can do to carve space with drums vs everything else is by re-tuning drums up or down a little so their main frequency doesn't fall in the same frequencies of the song key/scale (bass notes). Find a space (the notes) that are out of the song key/scale to place your kick, toms and snare fundamentals. This is one of the only "post" fixes you can easily do!
Just eq
Changing the pitch of a sample isn’t exactly what we would traditionally call “post”. But I would say a snare, in particular, should be tweaked in pitch to find where it sits best.
Also don’t overlook drum envelopes! You can easily overcome clicky drums by adding a bit of attack time (in the millisecond realm), and with a bit more elbow grease you can increase the overall body of a drum with envelopes or hard compression, and also truncate the sample start or end as necessary. For busy electronic grooves this stuff is essential.
@@infindebulaboth you and OP just dropped some really good advice, thanks so much for your input!!
Thank you for all of the help over the years 🤝
You are more than welcome!
Granted I have wild mood swings on occasion, but this was possible the best 10 minutes of music production advice I've ever heard. It all resonated like the earth with the sun. Clear, concise, absolutely genuine and honest. And, let's face it, when it comes to simply being a pleasure to the senses, this guy could rival the young Mister Rogers.
I think a good piece of advice is to listen at a low(ish) volume when mixing. It makes it so much easier to spot tracks which are too loud/quiet
This is actually how a lot of producers in the industry like to do their mixes due to speaker limitations, especially in untreated rooms/environments. When playing your music loud, speaker cones take more time to actually pump out the correct amplitude of certain frequencies. That alone isn't really a problem when your song isn't big on orchestration/instrumentation. The problem comes when you start to layer a bunch of different sounds. Your speakers cones (i.e. monitors, headphones, etc) wont be able to keep up with the amount of signal that comes through with a whole bunch of varied amplitudes. Great observation!
'Stop listening in ideal environments'
I hate the idea of listening on as many headphones/speakers as possible, but the biggest realisation I had with a mix (using a professional) came when I was listening in low end earbuds on a busy road with cars, i.e. how a lot of people are gonna hear it.
So yeah - don't listen to it exclusively just as you like it - the best headphones, or only listening loud.
@@NatHarwood Reminds me of Christopher Nolan's films.
Fully agreed! Also, a controversial thing I do to evaluate my mix, is to listen on the shittiest speakers possible, such as my computer's, or even a phone. That way, the hierarchies and dynamics are really obvious, and easier to identify what to tweak.
Also your hearing is more accurate at lower levels. Literally.
I just wanted to say that I really appreciate your honesty and humility and you’re openness to share mistakes you’ve made and still make. It’s wonderful to learn from people that is willing to be down to earth.
I say 90% of advice online is pure marketing! 😂😂😂
Especially compression and eq topics! 😂😂😂
Lol
Most people wouldnt even be able to tell difference between different compressors or eqs yet they purchase them for hundreds of dollars😂 reality is that its more important what you do with an eq or comp than which exact plugin you use
Pro Q 3 Will solve that!
"Game changer tip!!!" and then when I see that they pull up an specific plugin, I close the video 😂😂
@@roy-yal EQs are inherently the same thing. Compressors however aren't. Most of all compressors have widely different characteristics and behavior. Sure, there are clones too. But it's true, huge amount of even the more professional engineers do not mix with their ears.
The very first tip was big for me. Asked an online forum about side chain compression, and someone said that my arrangement was probably wrong. I was really mad for weeks, then realized they were right. Arrangements and/or automation is so much more helpful than trying to “mix” too many simultaneous elements together.
Thanks Daniel. I’ve been there too, so many times! It’s tough to go back and change things up when you thought it was perfect already.
Tbh i always had a conspiracy theory that engineers out there give trash trips and to try and gatekeep the profession
edit: My music: collapsing mind - Broda
That's why some engineers would just say over and over again, just use your ears.
many mix engineers absolutely do!
There is no absolute truth to how to do it, thats why many audio engineers dont answer simple questions or dont answer in a simple matter. its a profession which relies extremely on experience. Because, at least in germany, you can officially learn to become an audio engineer, but what most people dont get is that you are not good just because of that. Your ears still need more training, so does your mindset for most people. Gatekeeping is a good thing here.
it's cause to have views you need to generate more and more content. there is no secrets, just practicing and getting good feedback and practicing again. like with anything. like playing piano is all written out there, doesn't mean you gonna play well by just reading all the books on "how to play piano".
It really happened bro,
i don’t have much to say but i’m comforted that i feel similarly about a lot of the breakthroughs/ thoughts you’ve listed. i really appreciate how community oriented you are, too
Thanks Will. Without a community I’m just speaking into the void!
Sometimes these mistakes do seem silly or a bit obvious but I appreciate your kindness!
Double Yes for your first tip. I always preach SPACE. There must be space. The silence is where the music grows. Thanks.
Completely agree about not mixing in solo! Any instrument can sound great in isolation, but it's about how it fits in with the rest of the track. It's about balance 👍
You're so pleasent to hear dude
Smooth video
Love the point about ignoring what's posted online for the larger part... that's true for many things outside of our industry too. You notice a pattern amongst those with a tendency to trigger post their opinions for the sake of having something to say.
It is funny how it applies to almost every hobby and skill. Each time that I pass a few years of experience in a hobby I cringe at the advice I took on board in the early days!
I would love to see you dive into each advice/topic for a longer video. Even if it's a 25-30 minute video, we will definitely enjoy learning from it.
Yes, me too. I'll watch the whole thing. Love Michael and #inthemix
Yes upload a longer video please.😊
em. stop. go figure somethings out for yourselves? or not. your life.
@@KOSMIKFEADRECORDS em. No.
@@XXROCKANDROLLPOWERXX lol fair enough. Just wait for the "20 years of producing" lesson. you will love it.
that's was the first 10 minutes I've ever encountered of you and it was totally worth it. Thanks. Eps the bit about not soloing tracks too much
Thanks Keith!
No matter how much I learn, this channel will always be a blessing to me. Thank you Michael for the wealth of knowledge you've provided myself and countless others over the years.
Peace
Wouldn’t have come as far as I have without your unconditional help, thank you so much! Happy 10 years🍻
it would be really cool to see video about evolution of your music since you started :D
I will dig in the archive to see what I find. Unfortunately, I didn't save any of my earliest projects. I so badly wish that I had archived them!
@@inthemixInstead of that, what about a video showing the evolution of how you'd make a beat going from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd parts of your journey? I was gonna ask a question , but this would help myself and others in ways we wouldn't expect.
This is super helpful. As someone who has been learning to produce/mix/master for over 10 years now. THIS VIDEO ALONE, confirms all the things I had an inkling about, but was too convinced by false "Master classes" and "forum threads" to know for sure. Thanks for the insight
i would have listened to a 45 minute video
8:40 single biggest thing that held me back. Pitching tracks in progress to discussion forums felt like tail-chasing
wow a down to earth video, must be the first on YT .
The wisdom we gather are always the mistakes we learned from ,
so go and make mistakes it will always make you smarter IF you learn from them
Hi. Former 8+ year Sound Engineer here : The "Not about the gear, its about the ear" is definitely true in a manner of speaking, and I'll explain it in the following manner :
What actually is sound? On a physical level, sound is an aggregated motion of molecules. If you take a moment to think about just a single molecule and what it is doing, the molecule is just "moving in a direction." The aggregate motion of those molecules you can chart and that creates the waveform. So on a chart what actually constitutes the properties of the wave? Intensity (THE AMOUNT OF FORCE) that the molecule is moving, and the frequency (HOW MANY TIMES IT MOVES). These two properties; Intensity and Frequency are the fundemental and only true components of sound.
Intensity = Volume
Frequency = Frequencies.
If you took a moment to analyze all of your plugins and gear and what they do, All of the parameters...every single one adjust only these two things in some way. What is panning? Reducing Intensity (volume) in one of the sides of a speaker or headphone, and boosting it in another. What is an Equalizer? Increasing the Volume or Decreasing the volume of certain frequencies...Deessing? Reducing volume of particular range of frequencies in a vocal...and the list goes on and on... Compressors? control of the volume...gain staging? control of volume again...
What's the most important stage for sound then? It's the recording process...the original, un-adultered sound. This is where the emphasis on gear comes in and the gear nerds will nerd out over the tiniest increases in capturing frequency without unwanted frequencies. But to push back : The fundementals of sound allows one to also take advantage of the fact that you don't need nerdy gear to get great recordings...you just need volume (contol of it), and frequencies (control of the frequencies) and capturing this in the recording process. Bad Recordings = will have a bad time mixing so put a greater emphasis on getting the recording good, and making sure you and the person or instrument you are recording have an understanding of these two things.
Do you know what i use to produce top tier vocal sound quality for games and movie dialogue? Audacity! That's it. In fact i don't even listen to the thing I'm cleaning up...because you can actually S E E this information --> of volume and frequency in the program. Audacity has an advantage over other DAWS in this manner because DAWS don't immediately show you the Waveform up close and personal its often tucked away and simplified.
Anyway great video sir. I hope this explanation gives you and other viewers a much different perspective on that particular point in the video. It can be an esoteric topic, but having an understanding of sound at a physical level makes it clear why its true and that you don't need neither gear, or even your ears to do sound (ironically)
Cheers everyone,
I also have 10 years of experience, and I agree with everything in this video.
From the very beginning I noticed - many "helpful" tutorials clashed with each other, It's like two kids arguing, it was just maddening.
But communication with experts and years of experience helped to solve difficult questions
As someone who only just bought a midi keyboard a couple months back, that first and fifth tips are insanely valuable.
I wish you a much smoother and easier journey than I had!
so helpful and you can tell he's just a really patient, caring person. thanks for what you're doing man!
Thank you and congrats from Korea.
Wish you have more prosper years to come.
This channel is informative and insightful for me.
When I was on serious shipping for the speakers set, I saw yours and decided to get PSI A25.
You saved me a lot of time, energy and money.
Bravo. Well said. Just sit down and nail this craft by yourself. There is simply no way around it. Do it day by day, week by week, year by year, and you eventually get there. You need to do that, because you can't learn to ride a bicycle just because your dad says how. You need to fall, hurt yourself, stand up and then.. Eventually you are riding! So yeah, same with music production/mixing. I can only agree with this. All those resources online, yeah, they are good to introduce you with EQ, compression, etc, but... Hard truth, you need to experiment, play with those tools in a context of your ACTUAL SONG. Every song has different feeling, needs, purpose, so you can't just simply apply one 'award-winning producer' (lol that's really funny when you think about it, if you are award-winning producer, why you are even on internet selling courses, like a merchant?) method, and hope that it serves as a salvation to your struggle. That's BS. This is a craft that you need to go through yourself. Individually.
I needed this video soo bad...you deserve whatever comes your way man!!!! I'll forever be #inthemix
Thanks for your continued support!
@@inthemixThank You, for your continued valuable teachings 🫡🤘🏻
Re: gaslighting nonsense, I think the "it's not about the gear, it's the ear" reaction is often well meaning. A lot of people (myself included) will waste tremendous amounts of money chasing the right tool to make their work sound better, and completely ignore skill development. I know a lot of folks in my field (sound design for video games) that go through a process of acquiring lots of tools when they're young, then getting more experienced and starting to let a lot of tools go, only keeping the ones that have really made a positive impact on their work.
It's a very nuanced issue, and you touched on it at the end of the segment. Gear is not irrelevant, but it's also not a magic bullet. You've gotta have a baseline toolset that can be used to do work at a professional level. And honestly I feel it's more about listening environment (speakers, room) than about any specific plugins.
Here's to the next 10 years!
I discovered your videos when getting into music production, and your tutorials are what convinced me to go for FL Studio. As I knew I'd likely find the answer to any of my questions in your videos.
So thank you very much for the videos you've produced, and all the knowledge you've shared!
You are more than welcome, here's to another ten years!
you seem like the most genuine person on the internet. keep it up bro!
The loudness one is always so interesting. In school I got told that it was an absolute thing and that you NEEDED to stick to a specific lufs level. Even though i am still super green, I have already been realizing that not every song or genre i work on is going to be at exactly -14 lufs (like they always said to keep it at), but more so based on the genre and feel of the song.
LUFS are fucking stupid, according to LUFS the loudest sound possible is alternating -1s and 1s. Literally just a sine wave at the nyquist frequency (which is inaudible to a lot of people lmao)
Don't go to music school
@@encryptedmaze totally agree. I’ve been breaking the habit for myself and just let the song tell me where it needs to be
I just make sure the loudest part doesn't go over -5lufs and call it a day
@@theperiidot 🫷😭🫸
I've gotta say, in 9 years of being a sound engineer, this is the most useful TH-cam video I've seen. When I started, there was jack shit online that was professionals actually giving solid advice. I wound up having to do a master's degree to get these tips.
Also the compression "tip" is people trying to stop creative mixing. Crush busses are absolute S tier.
What do you mean by Crush Buss? Bus stuff out and compress the shit out of them?
@@Fordddyyy Yeah, it's compressing by like 60db when the RMS is is -12dB, as a parallel track.
You’ve quickly become one of my favourite TH-camr covering mix tips. Super approachable, helpful, great stuff!
I just want to say that I love your channel so much, what has kept me learning from your channel for the past 4 years is your consistent honesty and simple communication Good job!!!
I'm an absolute beginner, your videos have helped me alot, appreciate the amazing knowledge that you possess and help others! thank you legend 🔥
This was actually really helpful and not a bunch of BS like I see most of the time. I recently learned how to master tracks, at a beginner level of course, and the LUFS and true peak were giving me a headache for a minute cuz I was trying to adjust it to the streaming regulations when I didn't like the sound it was producing. I ended up figuring it out for the most part, at the cost of a compromise, but in retrospect, after seeing this video, I think I'm going to go back and change some of them before they release. So, thank YOU!!
OMG THANK YOU. I love that you spoke about the fact that most stuff you find online is nonsense.
I've really been getting sick of it and I think you are the first person I've seen who actually talked about it.
If there is one thing to take away from this video, it's that skill comes from years of experience, not from internet tutorials and especially not from people who try to sell you mixer presets.
I started when I was about 12 with a Yamaha PSS140 and a C64 into a tape recorder. May you have this joy for the rest of your life. You never stop learning and discovering in this hobby or career.
you're the best dude, I can't believe I've gone so many years in FL without seeing your guides. you make the clearest, more informative guides out there 💪🏿 cheers and thank you!
Good stuff Sir. I'm an older player from a world when tape was king and have evolved with the limitations of past/current gear. I totally agree with you about gaslighting and the huge amount of rubbish online confusing people. Cheers.
I learned FL Studio from your vids a couple years ago. This year, one of my songs were featured on a Spotify playlist for the first time. I feel kinda proud lol. Thank you, man. Learning production would've been a lot harder without your tutorials. Great advice as always.
Man, seeing you again is like reconnecting with an old friend after a long time =') I've been following you since I started using FL Studio. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge ♥
In regards to the point on making space in the mix, it took me a long time to appreciate how far the stereo field can help rather than the frequency spectrum. Panning, widening, L/R, mono/stereo, mid/side adjustments in the production stage can make a load of difference where i dont feel the need to be carving stuff out with eq in the mix.
Great point
And ironically, it all still help with mono compatibility as well...
This is the truth! The next point I was going to move onto before cutting the video was about using the space you have before dramatically mixing elements. It seems we are both on the same page!
The biggest portion of this that stuck with me is the equipment section. I've spent so much time trying to learn pairs of headphones for mixing (which is still a good habit to have), that i convinced myself that I never needed anything else. I recently broke a pair of headphones I loved and dropped the money on a pair of 600's, and taking that same idea that I had before and applying it with a reliable, well known and trusted set of headphones has absolutely changed the way I feel about mixing. I finally feel that I can trust myself with what I hear, and give my mixes and songs a style of my own. I absolutely loved this video and I'm not one to comment usually but thank you for the years of teaching and I'm happy to see that you get the success you deserve!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Many of us have had a similar struggle trying to make the wrong tool work for the task we faced. I remember the first time I put on a pair of DT 1990Pro after using ATH M20x headphones for many years and was absolutely blown away. Perhaps embarrassingly (but I'll share it here anyway, who cares!) I was brought to tears hearing music in such high definition and spatial clarity for the first time. I immediately knew that the cheaper AT headphones had held me back and were simply not the right tool for the job. The ATs are fine headphones, but were not right for mixing.
Your clarity and to the point advise is so refreshing; I have learnt lots on your channel here, a big thank you
So happy that you decided to adress this crap. Loving these types of videos from you :)
I've learned a lot over the 26 years I've been writing/composing as a self-taught musician but must say that your channel has provided me with some of the clearest and most helpful tips for recording and mixing. Congrats on your decade and keep up the great work! Your fellow musicians appreciate you.
honestly I always hate watching mix tips or tutorials online because I feel like this stuff is always so subjective and what it takes to make something sound good is different for everyone. Kinda like a headfirst approach learn later type thing- but I feel as if this video genuinely hits so many great talking points. everything you said is so true in my personal opinion & its very reassuring to know that I've been on a good track on my own by making it to a lot of these conclusions. shoutout
This guy is a smart cookie... loving the honesty and no bs way of teaching us all. Thank you!!!!!!!
one of the best teachers and people on youtube, period. we love you!
You are so kind!
thank you genuinely.. really does seem like everybody gatekeeps on youtube.. I was trying to learn how to mix vocals via YT for 2 years and while i did gain understanding of the plugins, i didnt learn anything that made a good sounding preset; especially in the highs… thank you for your sincerity
Please more details, longer vids!!! We need your wisdom ✊🏽
I appreciate that. I've got a plenty of stuff planned!
This video is a real gem! Straight to the Point, genuine and just helpful. I guess with Music Production being a thousand times more approachable for us These days many Things Seem to be way more complex and overcomplicated, Even „Magic“ at First. Some might be.. but the majority of the Process CAN and SHOULD be easy. Keep it up man, love your Videos ❤
Wow, crazy to hear somebody from the UK saying "disorienting" instead of "disorientating"... what an incredible time to be alive
Honestly it shocks me too. I married an American and my English has been slowly morphing between the two. It catches me off guard too!
@@inthemixWhat accent American?
did not expect that 5 click rule, as a recovering sound design overproduction addict thats such a helpful idea! thank you! ❤
Around 10:15 you say that you are trying to make content that you wish was available when you started out. I'd like to say, I've watched loads of videos as a new producer, just starting to get into FL Studio, and I am absolutely hooked on your videos and explanations. I can tell that you aren't trying to optimize videos or clickbait or anything to try to grab more views, and your content isn't structured in a way to get people to watch longer, but to actually explain things step-by-step and not leave anything out. It feels like your motivations are very genuine, and real. I think this somehow has looped around (horseshoe theory) and made you get a ton of views and have you be the number 1 source of information and help for hundreds of thousands to millions of people. You have done and are doing amazing work man, and I appreciate it.
Thank you so much! It is funny how it worked out. I never wanted to be a TH-cam creator and I don’t even have personal social media accounts but I always create the videos I wanted to see and it seems to resonate with so many people. Thank you for your kindness!
You give genuine advice. Been following you for years and glad I did. Cheers!!🎉
I see it over and over again where the click bait title will say "these settings will change your life". I now ignore these videos. However, I always watch your videos because your advice is in the top 5% 👍
You left out the most crucial advice there is. You have to be able to confidently recognize tuning, notes, frequencies, fundamentals, volume differences and so on. If you can't EQ and balance with utmost confidence, you won't be a good mixing engineer.
What comes to the loudness war, it's not a thing professional engineers really consider at all. Only reason to consider LUFS is when you have to send tracks to Radio, or TV stations cause they clearly do not understand what normalization is. And you do that after the initial mastering. What professional mastering engineers do is, they have calibrated their monitoring to proper loudness for listening and they master according to that. The master usually goes well over the streaming platform normalization standards because modern soundscape has that kind of detail that allows powerful and loud mixes and masters and physiologically louder sounds better, so there's that too.
Those that has been or are deep into the loudness war, they're getting it all wrong. You aren't supposed to be looking at the loudness levels, you should be listening. Well, unless you're working with more specific standards like in much of the sound design of film, TV and game productions. Anyway, when you really listen, you know when you're pushing the limiters, compressors or plain clipping through the roof and that doesn't sound good.
The part about bad advice on forums hits home hard. I frequented some electronic music focused forums in the start of my journey in 2005 and onwards. The amount of advice that, today, just sounds like sabotage was insane. On one of the forum most of the bad advice came from a guy who claimed to work in Hollywood and never posted his own music because he was "bound by an NDA", lol. Well, most of us looking for advice were impressionable kids back then. If I could add one thing into this list that should rise close to the top is using reference tracks. I've only done it for a couple of years now, but it has been a huge help in getting a more coherent mix level-wise.
Honestly that is so close to what I remember too. I started later but so much of the “advice” literally sounds like sabotage when I think back. It was crazy!
@@inthemix mono the bass lol
Thank you sincerely, I've been playing with music production since 2019, mostly to match all the songs I write. This video laid a few fears to rest, so very much appreciated.
so refreshing to hear this, especially the first point
Thanks for your advice, Michael. I recognize a lot, perhaps all the issues you mention. I really like your voice by the way. You don't ever say "erm"' or "uh". Very nice voice to listen to. Chapeau!
Dude, where have you been hiding! 5-Click rule & More nonsense sections (Masterful!) - You are part of a VERY short list of honest, humble, chilled and ACCURATE production tutors in the known universe. As a great man once said - I'll be back!
love your contents bruh, your humbleness and perspective is helping so many people around the world developing their crafts (so they can inspire more and more people), i'm grateful
The gaslighting section is the most accurate opinion I’ve heard in the business. I wish I knew this from Day 1. Took me 4 years to succumb to splice. Research, trial and buy as much as you can afford!!!
All of these were simple, easy to understand, and (in retrospect) kind of obvious, but it was really great to hear them all the same. Sometimes I think we need to be reminded of the "obvious" things. Thanks for the video.
You are right! I wish they were obvious to me from day 1 too.
@inthemix Key words "in retrospect". The answers always seem "obvious" when they're given to you. Again, thanks for the great content.
Great tips and such a nice calm delivery, makes a refreshing change from a lot of other channels. Subbed. Thanks :)
watched u discuss mixing way back in 2019, this vid finds its way back to me. big thanks for u back in 2019
I really love the "of for fucks sake" take-number-2 vibe that u have in this video!
Honestly I just took it as a sign from the universe that the first recording of was not meant to be!
It’s the first time my footage has ever corrupted in 7 years.
@@inthemix And it's my favorite video in those 7 years! Coincidence? I don't think so 🤣💜
I've used plenty of guides from you over the years always awesome help thanks
You’re welcome!
7:04 FINALLY someone said it (the gaslighty ness of "It's not about the gear - but the ear" or notoriously being preached "do what you can with what you have" .... Cute sentiment really but let's be real good tools will drastically take off your workload and improve your workflow. Most importantly it makes a night and day difference in terms of inspiration when you can open up a good synth and pick something that sounds good right out the box ... everyone has different affinities, pockets and focal points and not everyone is super emphasized on sound design
That’s why no one knows your name. Too busy looking for excuses
Yeah I'm coming from a guitar background and, like everyone, started with cheap shit. Actually, I still mostly have cheap shit. Anyway, when I got a DI box it made such a huge difference to the texture of the sound, it was unreal.
I have been watching you for years, just getting back into it now and nice to see you are still going - one of the best to explain concepts oof mixing when going into a more advanced level.
you’ve always been the real deal ⭐️
im amazed that you seem like the only sane person in these mixing/mastering/producing youtube spaces
also, what the hell, ive been making music for 8 years :0 i felt like you have been doing it for far longer
9:35 "hmmm I wonder what busy works beats is up to" as I thought sippin my tea
Between busy and in the mix I've been learning from these 2 for a while. They're both great teachers in this lane and I appreciate them both.
Started listening to you when I first started producing around 4 years ago. 4 years later I can watch the same videos and take away more from them, your channel is a treasure trove for all levels of producer. Congrats on 10 years.
Avoid soloing when mixing. That's the best tip I've heard. It makes so much sense.
I solo sometimes and its just fine. Depends on the situ
Like he says in the video, ignore 90% of online mixing advice (or more reasonably: take everything with a pinch of salt), I solo while mixing all the time, it depends on what's required, if the keyboard has a horrible little buzz at the end of each note and you're trying to sort that out, then trying to do that with everything else playing is just hamstringing yourself . . . or a slightly out of tune vocal note, or slightly early snare hit, or a weird resonance in the synth - or endless other mixing move made all the more difficult if you are trying to resolve them with everything else playing . . . my rule would be not be 'don't solo when mixing', my rule would be - specifically - don't spend ages in solo as you lose context after a couple of minutes, but the solo button is there for a reason.
Soloing is fine when mixing, we all do it especially when adding the effects and checking for errors. But remember to mix in the context as well as in solo!
I have a tip related to the Solo tip: Mute the track instead, and listen at what happened. Did you hear a difference? Was the track important? Did it mask other tracks? Was that track the one that stood for all the midrange? And so on.
But there is one great Mute button that makes all the difference: Take a break. Things sounds so different after a walk or a nights sleep.
But the way, it’s funny that mixing tips online has such a low SNR (signal to noice ratio). 😁
This channel doesn’t suffer from that. It’s so refreshing!
So as someone said: here’s to another 10 years. And then another. 🙌
Thank you for the mute suggestion. I have definitely used that for trying to find issues but I haven’t actually used that technique to really question what is needed in a song.
Something similar I do when mastering is to notch a narrow band down with EQ and sweep around hearing which areas of the spectrum really matter in each song.
Your last point about SNR is exactly why I started TH-cam (and tried to get better) in the first place!
Thanks for the tip about to notch down a small band. Great idea! I will definitely try that. 👍
I have 20 years of experience and can confirm that your advice is correct
Super sweet and honest video,me personally , i like the "not preachy " communication you provide.
Super important info!
Thank you!
9:10 oh my god the way you hit me in the 'old advice I got from a liquid dnb producer homie about never compressing more than 3db' with that. I needed to hear this it appears
Let you know what kind of stuff I like to see? This is the kind of stuff I like to see. It's genuine, feels human (because you too started as a beginner someday), you don't pretend that you know it all, but you are aware of your lessons learned. Well done, and thank you :]
Biggest lesson for me thus far? Don't overvalue feedback. Feedback is good, when it shows you issues in your mix you were unaware of, but as soon as the feedback leeches your motivation to create, it's time to stop listening and to make the music you feel like [in mixing regards as well]. It felt rude to me initially to "step over" opinions that were offered to me, but learning to trust your my own integrity as an artist has been a vital step for me to remain motivated.
You really nailed it with that last sentence about trusting /aligning with your integrity as an artist. Technical feedback can be awesome but they don’t always know what you want or why you create music. Thanks for the kind words!
@@inthemix Thank you rather!
I've been with your channel since it was in the 5 digit subs. I don't know much yet, but the bit I know, I mostly owe to this channel of yours (and a truck load of curiosity). The least I can do is to leave a kind word every now and then :]
I remember inquiring you about sytrus and budget synth options ... good times. I'm impressed that you're maintenancing your community even at this size today still. Good stuff! 'nodds approvingly'
At the beginning of my journey into sound and your advice is incredibly helpful and motivating, thank you
Your FL Studio for beginners video happens to be the first ever music production video I watched, when I first got FL Studio 20.4 back in October 2020. Thank you for all your efforts, Mr. Wynne 🤝
I've always admired your advice, videos and the way you encourage your viewers to think and learn for themselves. I've been watching your videos for maybe 4-5 years now, leaving comments on my main account (I just realised I'm not subscribed on this one!) and I very much appreciate your transparency and the effort you put into your craft. It does not go unseen. I've been making music for 11 years, improving my mixing and music quality over time, and while I have infinitely more progress to make, I'm now working on my first video game soundtrack! Thank you for what you do for your community, your art and yourself; without creators like you I most certainly would have put this hobby down years ago.
That's why it's said that being a sound engineer is a lifelong profession!
As far as I'm concerned, I grasped the phase principle a good 2 years ago. Once you've got the hang of it, you generally don't feel compelled to apply any effects whatsoever to a kick or a bass. It's something a lot of engineers would do well to learn...
I couldn't have said it better myself. Phase really does take care of so many "issues" and most of mixing seems to be getting the tracks working before processing is applied!
@@inthemix 💯