![]() If we can reference another mix periodically, we may catch ourselves before going too far in terms of increasing the gap between the lead elements and the rest of the tracks. We can end up with the vocal or lead element being far too loud relative to the rest of the elements in our mix. If we can reference another mix periodically, we may catch ourselves before going too far in terms of boosting the low end unnecessarily.Īs yet another example, we could push the lead element (typically a vocal) a bit too loud in the mix (increase its overall level) to make it heard, when really we should be allowing it to shine in the mix in other ways. However, this can all too easily cause a lopsided, dull mix with lost headroom/loudness. If we can reference another mix periodically, we may catch ourselves before going too far in terms of increased brightness/harshness.Īs another example, we may go down the road of pushing the low-end too much, thinking we're enhancing a thick and powerful bass response in the mix. It may sound good in the short term but rapidly cause an overly harsh result. Periodically switching our monitoring to our reference mix will effectively “reset” our ears and remind us of the overall aesthetic we're going for in the mix.įor example, we can easily get caught up in increasing the brightness of the mix. This adaptability is partially why taking frequent breaks, utilizing multiple monitor systems, and A/Bing our mixes to our reference mixes is common practice. This means that we can swiftly lose our objectivity while mixing. Our ears/hearing have a natural propensity to adjust to whatever we're hearing. To learn more about A/B testing, check out my article A/B Testing & Its Importance In Mixing (With 5 Best Tests). ![]() We'll go over the different methods of doing so later in this article. So for this article, we'll focus on reference mixes that we want our own mixes to sound similar to.Īs we make our way through the mix, we can periodically A/B our work against our reference mix. However, it's the most common and effective to have a reference that we'd like to sound alike. Of course, reference tracks can also present mix aesthetics we're trying to avoid, where we will do our best not to sound like them. ![]() In other words, we're typically trying to match the general sound of the reference. ![]() It should act as a sort of “goal post” to work toward in terms of the overall mix aesthetic. In general, a reference mix is a commercial release in the same or similar genre as the mix you're working on. In this article, we'll discuss reference mixes in greater detail, including how to choose the best reference mix(es) for your work and how to go about actually referencing the reference mix(es) once you have them assembled. A reference track is typically in the same style/genre as what we're working on and acts as a goal post to work toward in terms of mix aesthetic. What is a reference mix, and why are reference mixes important? A reference mix (or reference track) is an audio mix/track that we can compare our work against as we make our way through the mixing process. ![]() I neglected this tactic for years and only really began crafting consistently-good mixes once I began utilizing proper reference tracks. Using reference mixes is an often overlooked yet incredibly powerful method of improving our own mixes. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |