In the first part of this post we discussed the things you should do throughout the recording and mixing process in order to achieve a mix that you’re happy with. If you didn’t read that one, you can click here to get caught up.
5. You gave song references to your engineer, not mix references
It’s commonplace to send your mixing engineer references so they understand the sound you’re going for in your song. However, a common mistake that artists make is they send songs they like and think sound like their own music, rather than sending songs with mixes resembling the sonic qualities they’re trying to achieve in their own mix.
For example, I was once producing someone going into his first mixing session, and I asked to take a listen to his reference tracks. He sent them to me, and I asked him if that was how he wanted his guitars, bass, drums, etc. to sound in the final mix. He said “oh no, I just really like the beat”. The song served as a great musical reference during his songwriting process, but its sonic qualities (the drum, bass, guitar sounds, etc.) weren’t actually what he wanted in his own mix. We then discussed what he actually wanted his mix to sound like, and he then found recordings with mixes that more closely resembled what he wanted in his own music.
6. You weren’t specific about what you liked in your reference tracks
Even if you find reference tracks that perfectly model the sound you’re going for in your own mix, you still need to write a note specifically saying what you want the engineer to reference in each track. This is especially important if you are using more than one reference, because you don’t want your mixer guessing what you like about each track. Even if you only use one reference track and you want the engineer to use everything in it as a reference for your own song, you should tell them that. It’s also still a good idea to explain what it is you like about the reference (eg. “I’d really like to get the same warm, dead ‘70s sound that’s on this track”). If you don’t tell your engineer what it is you want them to specifically draw from your references, they are going to guess.
Another thing I’d like to mention is that in terms of the musical style, your reference tracks don’t have to sound anything like your own music. For example, if your song is punk rock but the bass in a mainstream pop tune is exactly how you want yours to sound, then use it. Just make sure to tell the engineer that you specifically want him/her to reference the bass sound, and nothing else from the mix. It may feel weird ignoring the musical aspect of a song and focusing solely on its sonic qualities, but you must do it in order to provide helpful references to your mixer.
7. You insisted that the engineer use your rough mix as a reference rather than a professionally mixed song
Now that recording technology is becoming more accessible to the average bedroom musician, it’s become possible for us to dabble in mixing our own tracks. The problem though is that when an artist hires a professional to mix their music and the time comes to send reference tracks, the artist will insist on using the rough mix they created at home, rather than sending a professionally mixed commercial release. This is not recommended for a couple reasons.
First, there is a very good chance that you don’t have the same experience or hours under your belt. You may have picked up a few tips from YouTube or Gearslutz forums, but that doesn’t come anywhere close to your engineer who has been mixing full-time for the past 15+ years. Second, you should be using music that has already gone through the mixing and mastering process by professionals as reference, not your half-baked rough mix you whipped up in Logic. It would be like hiring a professional photographer and asking them to use some blurry selfies you took as a reference for your photo shoot, rather than photos that were shot and edited by a professional.
If you have specific ideas about how you want your mix to sound and you still think a rough mix would be useful, send your mix, but still send proper reference tracks. Give the engineer your notes about each reference track and what you like about them, and when it comes to your rough mix, let them know what it was that you were going for in your own mix (eg. “I was experimenting with the panning, and I really like what I ended up with in my rough mix. If you could do something close to what I have, that would be great, but if you have suggestions for how to make it better then I would love to hear it.”).
If you still feel that your mix is the absolute best reference, don’t hire an engineer and just do it yourself. Otherwise, leave your ego at the door and let the pros take care of it.
8. You’re being too critical
It’s possible that your mix may actually be great, but you’re being too critical. Maybe it doesn’t sound quite like your reference track, or you simply aren’t used to hearing your music with EQ, compression, and other processing after getting used to the raw stems during your editing. This is a great time to have other people listen to your rough mix and give an objective opinion.
I’ll have non-musical friends take a listen, because I know they will be judging it from a purely instinctual way, rather than trying to dissect it. I also like to have musical friends (especially those with at least a little knowledge in mixing) to take a listen, because they may be able to point out any problematic areas in the mix that I didn’t notice. For example, is the lead vocal really too loud in the mix, or are you just insecure about your singing? It’s important to be able to take a step back from your own music and understand the difference between what you think you’re hearing versus what you’re actually hearing.
9. You chose the wrong engineer for the job
If you did a good job in all the previous steps and you’re still not happy with your mix, it’s possible that you simply chose the wrong engineer for the job. I put this as the last point because artists often have difficulty taking responsibility for their own missteps in the process which may have lead to an undesirable mix. If you truly feel that you did everything right throughout the process, from getting the sounds you wanted in the studio to choosing good references, and you still aren’t happy, then maybe the engineer wasn’t the right fit after all.
If they mainly work with jazz and your music is hip-hop, they are probably going to approach your mix with a jazz sensibility, even with well-chosen reference tracks in your genre. It’s also possible that your engineer is simply inexperienced, and they aren’t at a level where they can produce quality mixes yet. This is why it’s important to check out mixes they’ve done in the past to make sure they’re at a level you’re happy with.