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Reddit mentions of Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio (Sound On Sound Presents...)

Sentiment score: 49
Reddit mentions: 89

We found 89 Reddit mentions of Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio (Sound On Sound Presents...). Here are the top ones.

Mixing Secrets for  the Small Studio (Sound On Sound Presents...)
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Found 89 comments on Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio (Sound On Sound Presents...):

u/crayonconfetti · 26 pointsr/Guitar

Since everyones just tossing accolades, I thought I'd toss out some constructive criticism.

From a pure mixing standpoint, I'd have to suggest going for more low pass/high pass filters before compression. Everything sounds a bit mushy to me as if it were tracked but not mixed properly.

[This book] (http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807) will really help you get the most out of your mixes in a small studio environment.

u/RedRedRoad · 24 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers


Comprehensive List of Books Relating to Music Production and Creative Growth

<br />


***


On Composition:

<br />


Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies - Dennis DeSantis
Amazon Link
This is a fantastic book. Each page has a general idea on boosting creativity, workflow, and designing sounds and tracks.


Music Theory for Computer Musicians - Michael Hewitt
Amazon Link
Really easy to digest book on music theory, as it applies to your DAW. Each DAW is used in the examples, so it is not limited to a specific program. Highly recommend this for someone starting out with theory to improve their productions.


Secrets of Dance Music Production - David Felton
Amazon Link
This book I recently picked up and so far it's been quite good. It goes over all the different elements of what make's dance music, and get's quite detailed. More geared towards the beginner, but it was engaging nonetheless. It is the best 'EDM specific' production book I have read.


Ocean of Sound - David Troop
Amazon Link

Very well written and interesting book on ambient music. Not only does David go over the technical side and history of ambiance and musical atmospheres, he speaks very poetically about creating these soundscapes and how they relate to our interpersonal emotions.


***


On Audio Engineering:

<br />


Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio - Mike Senior
Amazon Link
In my opinion, this is the best mixing reference book for both beginners and intermediate producers. Very in-depth book that covers everything from how to set-up for accurate listening to the purpose of each mixing and mastering plug-in. Highly recommended.


Zen and the Art of Mixing - Mixerman
Amazon Link
Very interesting read in that it deals with the why's more than the how's. Mixerman, a professional audio engineer, goes in detail to talk about the mix engineer's mindset, how to approach projects, and how to make critical mixing decisions. Really fun read.


The Mixing Engineer's Handbook - Bobby Owinski
Amazon Link
This is a fantastic companion book to keep around. Not only does Owinski go into great technical detail, he includes interviews from various audio engineers that I personally found very helpful and inspiring.


***


On the Industry:

<br />


All You Need to Know About the Music Business - Donald S. Passman
Amazon Link
This book is simply a must read for anyone hoping to make a professional career out of music, anyone wanting to start their own record label, or anyone interested in how the industry works. It's a very informative book for any level of producer, and is kept up-to-date with the frequent revisions. Buy it.


Rick Rubin: In the Studio - Jake Brown
Amazon Link
Very interesting read that is a semi-biographical book on Rick Rubin. It is not so personal as it is talking about his life, experiences, and processes. It does get quite technical when referring to the recording process, but there are better books for technical info. This is a fun read on one of the most successful producers in history.


Behind the Glass - Howard Massey
Amazon Link
A collection of interviews from a diverse range of musicians who speak about creativity, workflows, and experiences in the music industry. Really light, easy to digest book.


***


On Creativity:

<br />


The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
Amazon Link
This is a must-read, in my opinion, for any creative individual. It is a very philosophical book on dealing with our own mental battles as an artist, and how to overcome them. Definitely pick this one up, all of you.


This is Your Brain on Music - Daniel S. Levitin
Amazon Link
A book written by a neurologist on the psychology of music and what makes us attached to it. It's a fairly scientific book but it is a very rewarding read with some great ideas.


***


On Personal Growth and Development:

<br />


How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
Amazon Link
Although this seems like an odd book for a music producer, personally I think this is one of the most influential books I've ever read. Knowing how to be personable, effectively network, and form relationships is extremely important in our industry. Whether it be meeting and talking to labels, meeting other artists, or getting through to A&amp;R, this book helps with all these areas and I suggest this book to all of you.


7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
Amazon Link
Similar to the recommendation above, although not directly linked to music, I assure you reading this book will change your views on life. It is a very engaging and practical book, and gets you in the right mindset to be successful in your life and music career. Trust me on this one and give it a read.


Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Amazon Link
You know the feeling when you're really in the groove of jamming out and all worries tend to slip away for those moments? That is the 'Optimal Experience' according to the author. This book will teach you about that experience, and how to encourage and find it in your work. This is a very challenging, immersive, and enlightening read, which deals with the bigger picture and finding happiness in your work and life. Very inspiring book that puts you in a good mindset when you're doing creative work.


The Art of Work - Jeff Goins
Amazon Link
A very fascinating book that looks at taking your passion (music in our case) and making the most of it. It guides you on how to be successful and turn your passion into your career. Some very interesting sections touching on dealing with failure, disappointment, and criticism, yet listening to your intuition and following your passion. Inspiring and uplifting book to say the least.


***


Happy reading!

<br />



u/amaraNT2oo2 · 19 pointsr/ableton

Just to act as devil's advocate here - I would recommend at least balancing this guy's work out with some of the more standard texts on mixing (listed below). I checked out this video a while back and was a little weirded out by his approach, which often steps into pseudoscientific territory. If you go to the author's company website, you'll see some dubious claims and suggestions about mixing techniques:

-"There are archetypal frequencies that have been used since the beginning of time to affect us."

-"As shown by the research of Alfred Tomatis, every frequency is a nutrient."

-"Tuning A to 432 hertz vs. 440 has been proven to resonate better with the resonant frequency of our cells - Tuning concert pitch to more auspicious frequencies makes the music go deeper."

-"High Frequencies activate the mind; Low Frequencies calm the body."

-"When you relate to frequencies based on ancient Chakra energies, the way you "feel" the balance of frequencies in a mix in a whole different way that goes through your whole body instead of just your mind. "

I'm sure the guy's mixes sound great - and he seems to have been a successful mixing engineer - but I personally wanted nothing to do with this guy. There are other "holistic" approaches to mixing (like Mike Stavrou's Mixing with your Mind) that work without having as much of a "snake oil" flavor to them. But as always, if this guy's approach works for you and you can look past his quirks, then I suppose it's a good resource.


Other resources: Mike Senior's Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio, Roey Izhaki's Mixing Audio, Bobby Owsinski's The Mixing Engineer's Handbook

u/bassist · 14 pointsr/audioengineering

The first step in mixing any genre is getting a good static mix. Meaning, get your tracks to sound as good as possible using only volume and panning. No EQ, no compression, no bells and whistles. You take your lead vocal track, find a good place for the volume slider, and then leave it there for good.

The second step in mixing is compression, and you do that for when you can't really find a good place to leave the volume fader. For example - the vocalist was singing softly 1ft away from the mic during the verse, then screaming point blank at the mic during the chorus. Obviously, that's gonna leave you with a pretty sizeable volume difference - you can't decide if you should turn it up during the soft verse, or turn it down during the loud chorus. That's where compression comes in. Compression squashes some of the louder parts down to maintain a more even balance throughout the track.

As for how - youtube some tutorials and/or buy Mike Senior's book which has a whole chapter on it.

u/hennoxlane · 14 pointsr/edmproduction

So... your only technique in mixing is moving your faders?

I don't want to sound rude, but that's not enough to get your mix to sound good. It's only going to get you a starting balance.

I'm not going to write a book here, but I'd like to give you a short overview of what concepts an average mixing process comprises of (in a nutshell and NOT comprehensive,... there's enough information out there to learn about each topic).

  • Editing: check phase if you're layering instruments/recording stuff with more than one mic, clean up your tracks,...
  • Gain staging (that's - more or less - what you're describing)
  • Equalizing tracks
  • Compressing tracks
  • Panning tracks
  • Transient shaping
  • Sweetening the mix (room tone reverb, delay, saturation, ...)

    Seriously, educate yourself on mixing and your sound will get an enormous boost. There's a ton of resources out there, including some of my favorites:

  • Mixing secrets for the small studio
  • Mixing audio - concepts practices &amp; tools
  • Zen &amp; the art of mixing
  • shameless plug, but I've started a video series on mixing as well, maybe you'll find it useful: Start To Mix

    With regards to mastering, I would really consider sending your mix to an external mastering engineer. You will get a much better result, not only because these people specialise in what they can do, but a second pair of ears is always a good idea.

    Hope you find this useful &amp; best of luck!
u/vandaalen · 12 pointsr/audioengineering

Mixing Secrety by Mike Senior did a great job for me. It covers neaery every topic, goes into depth without getting too technical and it's amusingly written.

I also like Bob Katz's book, but I was honestly only able to understand what he was talking about after I had some basics covered. If you've got no clue whatsoever I'd spare it for later.

Dave Pensado's Into the lair helped me to become more creative and act more freely.

I've also watched dozens of YouTube-videos on various topics, since there isn't that one way to do it right, but many roads lead to Rome.

Anyways there is no way around just getting started, after you understood what all the different processors can do for you.

Here is a big library of multitracks compiled by Mike Senior, which you can use to practice.

And never forget the most important component: fun. ;)

u/i_make_song · 10 pointsr/audioengineering

I'd also like to mention it's probably helpful to Mike Senior of you purchase his book, Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio.

He's the one that maintains that resource, also the artists who contribute.

u/goetz_von_cyborg · 8 pointsr/audioengineering

Mixing Secrets for the Home Studio is a pretty great primer aimed at the home user.

u/sza_rak · 7 pointsr/audioengineering

Tips are nice when you know the basics. I found this book very comprehensive and easy enough for a beginner.

http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807
http://www.cambridge-mt.com/MixingSecrets.htm

u/mladjiraf · 7 pointsr/edmproduction

Music theory:

Start from the basic videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTUtqcDkzw7bisadh6AOx5w

Rick Beato's channel is also decent.



Cheap and everything explained clearly.

https://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-3E-Idiots-Guides/dp/1465451676/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&amp;amp;pd_rd_i=1465451676&amp;amp;pd_rd_r=GF5SHDNNXVSHYD85SBMA&amp;amp;pd_rd_w=N6uHQ&amp;amp;pd_rd_wg=baHRW&amp;amp;psc=1&amp;amp;refRID=GF5SHDNNXVSHYD85SBMA

Or print the lessons of this site:

http://openmusictheory.com/contents.html



Mixing: MixbusTV ; recordingrevolution

https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Presents/dp/0240815807/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&amp;amp;pd_rd_i=0240815807&amp;amp;pd_rd_r=71AA09DB5BSM6697CVWQ&amp;amp;pd_rd_w=fruKp&amp;amp;pd_rd_wg=JTmnE&amp;amp;psc=1&amp;amp;refRID=71AA09DB5BSM6697CVWQ&amp;amp;dpID=51eoJadnMbL&amp;amp;preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&amp;amp;dpSrc=detail


Edm production tips: type "Lessons of KSHMR" - it's uploaded by a used named Splice (which is an audio samples related site)

Future music magazine: in the studio / Steinberg sessions


Tons of free vsts: https://bedroomproducersblog.com/free-vst-plugins/

http://vst4free.com/

Recommended DAW is Reaper (60 USD), because it's the most stable, the cheapest and has the most options and custom skins, so you can replicate any other DAW's key commands/mouse modifiers and skins, while having cheaper and more stable DAW - the only negative is that it doesn't include synths and samples, only fx plugins.

Reaper tutorials (around 340 videos )
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq297H7Ca98HlB5mVFHGSsQ

Free samples:

http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/free-music-samples-download-loops-hits-and-multis-627820

Paid samples:

https://www.loopmasters.com/

https://splice.com/

Recommended payed synths:

Serum (CPU killer, so don't buy it, if you don't have a good computer) or Massive for dubstep. These 2 are easy to learn and there are tons of presets for them - free and paid.

For non-dubstep anything goes as long you know what you do. You may like Syntmaster - tons of presets, cheap (100 usd) and many synthesis modes (but is very ugly and cluttered GUI). But whatever, the sounds are great (there are also cutdown versions of it, so care). The synths with that many different synthesis modes are usually way more expensive (200-500 or more USD)- but like I said, Synthmaster has pretty bad UI; still, it's a steal for that price.

At some point you will probably want NI Kontakt, because of 3rd party soundbanks, but better buy it in a Komplete bundle - it's cheaper.

Nexus is OK, if you are after some of the latest soundbanks (and they are super expensive). Factory sounds are overused and somewhat dated, so it's not worth it, if you don't get any of the latest expansions.

u/AnhedonicShellac · 6 pointsr/audioengineering

This book is an awesome resource when starting out. I've read through probably 6 times and I still pick up something new every read through. Also, take everything you read on forums like gearslutz with a huge grain of salt. There are many audiophiles out there that don't know any hard sciences, and for some reason try their damnedest to convince people to believe in their myths. Also also, audio is subjective, do what sounds good.

u/S1GNL · 5 pointsr/audioengineering

Do it old school cool... Read a book about it

Highly recommended!

u/OrendaBass · 5 pointsr/edmproduction

Def want acoustic Treatments for sure. I've stumbled across some pretty crazy deals on Ebay from time to time. Upgrade your monitoring next and get a small sub. Try to get monitors and subs that are the same series, as they are often built to work together and have easy cutoff switches that end/start at the others frequencies. Something like this is ideal for a great price: https://www.ebay.com/i/182475564279?chn=ps&amp;amp;dispItem=1

Avoid monitors that are ported in the front (i.e. rokit krk's). If you want bass traps, make your own. Just goolge the process. Keep in mind a bed is already and excellent bass trap, if there is one in your room. Generally want monitors at ear level. This book is a wealth of information on this topic and many others. Maybe check it out as well: https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Presents/dp/0240815807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1501967590&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=mixing+secrets+for+the+small+studio

Good luck with everything! Enjoy yourself!

u/UprightJoe · 5 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I highly recommend this book for mixing: https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-small-studio-Presents/dp/0240815807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1539751292&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=mixing+secrets+for+the+small+studio

&amp;#x200B;

The author has also compiled 345 multi-track recordings that you can use for mixing practice: http://www.cambridge-mt.com/ms-mtk.htm

&amp;#x200B;

Practice is important!

u/natufian · 5 pointsr/edmproduction

Some advanced and very in-depth mixing resources:


  • Mike Senior's book- Mixing Secrets

  • Dave Pensado's Youtube channel- Pensado's Place.


    Mike Senior was Editor for Sound On Sound magazine's "Mix Rescue" column, where you could listen to mixes submitted by readers. Mike fixes the mix, and give his reasoning to why he makes each change that he does. Great concept, great articles.

    Dave Pensado is just a class act. You have to love the guy. Grammy awarded, and a great teacher. His interviews with other professionals are always a blast, but for very in-depth technical discussions, go watch his "Into the Lair" segments. You won't be disappointed.


    I realize that these two resources are not EDM centric, but the fundamentals are rock solid and you'll be able to use them wherever you go.
u/zedsinn · 4 pointsr/edmproduction

If you want more in detailed information, buy this book and read chapter 1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807#reader_0240815807

u/laughlines · 4 pointsr/edmproduction

So this is what you learn:
-How to create an 808 Kick
-How to arrange a track
-How to create a "lush sparkling mix"
-How to use reverb
-How to create a build up
-Basic sound design
-How to use distortion and compression

NOPE. Not for $40.
For mixing: http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1427666706&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=small+studio+mixing

Sound design, arranging, etc.: http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1427666724&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=dance+music+manual

The first book I linked to is literally the bible of mixing. It's a truly great resource. The second is a great cursory overview of music theory, sound design, and several aspects of the big electronic genres: arrangements, keys, percussion. It even tells you settings for synthesizing kicks in each genre it covers.

u/magicmaestro · 4 pointsr/audioengineering

The first couple of chapters of Mike Senior's mixing book is on room design http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807

All around a good reference book to have regardless

u/ReverendEntity · 4 pointsr/edmproduction
  1. It's already been said. I will say it again. Syntorial.
  2. I'm sure that once this post circulates a little more, there will be more people making recommendations, but in the meantime, here's an article on 10 headphones that are good for music production. The keys are flat frequency response and comfort.
  3. Also already been said, but Rick Snoman's Dance Music Manual is a good place to start regarding comprehensive coverage of the concepts you need to know. Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio is also good, as are Bobby Owsinski's books and Mixerman's books.
u/WanderingMayor · 3 pointsr/makinghiphop

Too many focus on plugins or hardware, and not enough learning and knowledge. Get a book or two. This one is on my wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240815807

u/cryscloud · 3 pointsr/edmproduction

I just ordered Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio yesterday from Amazon. It looks pretty damn promising.

u/Excess34 · 3 pointsr/edmproduction

Mixing Secrets by Mike Senior is a pretty sweet read on everything from prepping your track for mixdown to home mastering and everything in between: http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1342531444&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=mixing+secrets

u/salvodaze · 3 pointsr/ableton

Wow, ALL of these replies are gold :)

I'm reading [this book]
(https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Presents/dp/0240815807) about mixing, and it has some nifty ideas for arrangement as well. It says when you think about your mix in parts (be it verse, chorus, bridge etc. or otherwise) you might want to think about what instrument you want to be the focus of a part and make sure it shines through and any other competitive instrument makes way for the focus one, esp. if they are in the same frequency range. This seems like a "duh" idea but often times we are not that conscious in our decisions. The writer also mentions the ear can process only 3 things at a time, so it makes sense to choose our battles wisely in each part of the song :) Here's the full quote from Jack Joseph Puig in the book: "You have to consider the fact that the ear can process only three things at once. When you get to the fourth thing, the attention drops away somewhere.”

Edit: Added quote.

u/w_v · 3 pointsr/Logic_Studio

When you're done with YouTube there are quite a few books written in the past ten years aimed at getting people started in production as effectively as possible.

As much as I hated his eMarketing-style sleaziness, Marc Mozart's book, Your Mix Sucks, is the best “starter” manual written in the past five years.

Another amazing resource is Mike Senior (of Sound on Sound fame)'s book, Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio. This nails what audio production is like in 2018. No large format studio nonsense, no old geezers waxing about mixing Diana Ross albums in the 70s.

u/terriblesounds · 3 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I learned a ton from this book. Good luck!

u/theGaffe · 3 pointsr/audioengineering

I always recommend [Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior.] (https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1473187120&amp;amp;sr=8-5&amp;amp;keywords=home+studio+book)

Vocoders and formants are kind of specific, not sure if there's a lot of books that cover those in depth. I'd probably google around for some online literature for those. Or once you understand audio fundamentals, reading a plugin's manual will give you all the info you need to know.

u/moothemagiccow · 3 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I heard this was a good book for improving your mixes. I like the author's work in Sound on Sound.

http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-small-studio-Senior/dp/0240815807

You won't have much luck finding a job, skills or not.

u/Ragnatronik · 3 pointsr/makinghiphop

Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio is the only book I've found to be really useful, informative, and well-laid out.

I've read a few other books dealing with production like Dance Music Manual but they seemed amateurishly written. I have Mixerman's Zen and the Art of Mixing but the dude is anti-digital and comes off like an asshole imo. You should download the pdf manuals of your DAW, synths, samplers, etc. Izotope has some good reads on mastering and bit/sample rate stuff. SOS is one of my favorite resources and their archives are free to read and they have thousands of topics.

u/breakfastanimals94 · 3 pointsr/FL_Studio

Not really a tip/trick, but something that really helped me was reading Mike Senior's "Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio."

https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807

That books does an excellent job of breaking down the process, and the purpose of different tools. Once you really know what FL's different plugins are meant for, and how to use them, making music will become much easier/faster. I really recommend reading through that book to familiarize yourself with all the powerful tools you have, I promise you that your music will improve dramatically after utilizing all the knowledge and skills presented in that book!!

Sorry if that's not necessarily what you're looking for mate, but it's something I feel will really help get you where you want to be!

u/imsalhi · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

A good idea is to get a private teacher, someone who can listen to your mixdowns and tell you what is missing. You might learn really advanced techniques and forget them as you will never need to use them (like multiband compression). Instead, just focus on what will get your own mixdowns to the next level.
Have you read this book?

u/mikecoldfusion · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807

About the first 1/4 of that book is about monitors, how to place them in a small studio, and things you can do to control room noise. This was the most informative part of the book for me.

The author goes off on a lot of tangents but its a very good book for general production knowledge as well. It clarified a lot of things I had a rough idea of.

u/itsjack1996 · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

Don't really know any good "production" books, but this book on mixing is fantastic http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z. I hear very nice things about the Dance Music Manual, so thats worth checking out. You should also get a book on your DAW. Never underestimate the value of understanding what your software can do. It'll save you a lot of endless google searches when you need to get something done. :)

u/antarchitecture · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Mike Senior from Sound on Sound wrote a book that I found really helpful. It tackles everything from how to set up a good listening environment to how to use eq, compressors, reverbs, delays, etc.

It's called "Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807

u/UntimelyMan · 2 pointsr/india

Nice song but the audio is nowhere near release quality. You need to work a lot on mixing. I highly recommend this book.

u/Flyingpolish · 2 pointsr/trance

I'm reading Mike Senior's Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio to figure out how to get my tracks to sound professional and a big theme is setting up the right monitoring environment and a consistent workflow. I have a habit of mixing while I compose rather than waiting to add effects later. While my friends really like my arrangements, my tracks always seem to fall victim to muddiness.

Do you have any tricks that you employ to keep a workflow organized and sounding nice while at the same time promoting the 'finish your tracks' mentality that you've already mentioned?

EDIT: Grammar...

u/atopix · 2 pointsr/mixingmastering

For mixing, as already mentioned: Mixing Engineer's Handbook (Bobby Owsinski), Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio (Mike Senior) and also Mixing Audio (Roey Izhaki).

For mastering: Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science (Bob Katz)

And here are some great books that are not strictly about mixing, but which are very insightful about music production in general:

u/ShitTaste · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I highly recommend you get a copy of Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio. It's a fantastic book that carefully explains what you're trying to accomplish when you mix and how to do it.

u/tmwrnj · 2 pointsr/Guitar

For recording, I'd strongly recommend the books Recording Secrets for the Small Studio and Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior. They cover everything you need to know in a simple, readable format. I'd also recommend browsing the archives of Sound on Sound Magazine. It has been the leading music tech magazine since 1987 and the archives are a treasury of knowledge.

For guitar pedals, I'd recommend the YouTube channel That Pedal Show. It's a weekly series all about pedals and amps. The presenters really know their stuff - Mick is editor-in-chief at Guitarist magazine and Dan is a professional guitarist who builds pedalboards for some of the best players in the world. Their videos show off some of the best gear in the world, but they also cover really basic topics like how to power your pedals, what order to put your pedals in and how many watts your amp should be.

u/js52589 · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

I recommend looking into some books on production. There is so much more information crammed into the better books than you will find in a week's of searching forums and youtube tutorials. For books on mixing, I say you can't go wrong with Bobby Owinski's The Mixing Engineer's Handbook or Mike Senior's Mixing Secrets for the Small Studioand for general production I recommend Rick Snoman's Dance Music Manual just be sure to get the latest edition, it includes chapters that cover everything from basic theory the popular genres (trance, dubstep, DnB, Techno, House, and Ambient/Chillout), it covers the electronics and science of acoustics, MIDI, DAW's and everything that come's along with them (instruments, effects, samplers, etc) and promoting and distributing your music. I can't say enough about this book and what a great way it was for me to see the "big picture" of what was ahead of me when I was starting out.

u/volatilebunny · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

Keep going, you'll get there! Finishing tracks requires a different set of skills, so you have to develop those too. Check out some books on mixing for info on the "final mile".

Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240815807/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;psc=1

Mixing Audio: Concepts, Practices and Tools https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240520688/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_404wDb9DMHAWZ

u/TidesTheyTurn · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

For a great start covering the basics of Reaper specifically, Kenny Gioia's Reaper 4 Explained series is good.


For specific questions about a detailed task you're trying to accomplish, Youtube and the Cockos forums are good. (e.g., "How do I change the tempo of a section without stretching the audio?")


For info on mixing in general, Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio is good (as others have said), but I prefer The Systematic Mixing Guide for a more straightforward, concise and practical approach.

u/Edgar_Allan_Rich · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I'm assuming this is a be-all, do-all type of room that includes tracking and mixing. I'm going to give pointers based on a "perfect world" scenario. It's up to you to make the necessary compromises.

  1. Your monitor position is not great for mixing or tracking; for a few reasons. You got the angles right for the ideal sweet spot, but the monitors are close to the front wall boundary. The ideal placement is somewhere around a third of the room length away from the nearest boundary (9' room length = monitors at ~3' from front wall). Setting monitors on top of a desk is also not ideal because desks will most likely move with the speakers, thus effecting bass response. Desks also cause bad early reflections, and monitors on a two-tier desk will be sitting approximately half way between the floor and ceiling (thus breaking our 2/3 rule again). My suggestion would be to mount the speakers on heavy duty brackets screwed directly into the wall studs 2/3 of the way up the wall above you, pointed down. You will be able to get a wider sound field without sacrificing floor space due to the geometry, avoid reflections, and get better bass response because they will be coupled to the highest amount of mass possible (wall studs + slab). This was my personal solution at home and I have pristine stereo imaging and excellent bass response as a result. This obviously isn't an easy option for most consumer monitors though because not all of them have mounts. The alternative option (although pretty weak) is to at least use Auralex Mopads between the monitors and the desk to keep the two from coupling. I've used them and you will hear an immediate difference. Acoustics are all about mass, and you either want as much mass as possible keeping monitors still or as little as possible to let them move. Two schools of thought, both of which have applications, but setting them right on top of a wooden desk is the worst of both worlds.

  2. It looks like you have bass traps in the corners, which is good. Ideally these should be 4" thick Owens corning 705 or a mineral wool of similar density. Yes, you can stack two 2" thick sheets together to get the same result as long as you don't use the stuff with the aluminum on the outside. 705 is better than 703 for bass traps because of the density. 703 is good for mid frequencies, so you can save a buck and get some of that for the door panels, but I'd go with 705 anyway because bass will go through the panel and then through the door (assuming it's a lightweight interior door) into the hall, acting as another bass trap. Do not pack pink stuff behind the corner panels. It's not worth it and it kills some of the bass trapping.

  3. The panel above the piano will not be doing much. A more effective placement for that panel would be to use 4" of 705 mounted parallel to the wall but with air space of 2+ inches between them. This will trap lows down to ~50 or 60hz, mids, and highs. Mounting the panels directly against the wall will not allow them to absorb low end. The airspace is necessary to stretch down to deep low absorption. Mount as many of these types of panel as possible in this sized room for the flattest bass response. Expect to have some pretty bad modes below 80hz without more bass trapping. Ideally you'd cover as much wall and corner as possible.

  4. Lots of insulation around a room will make it sound pretty dead in the highs, which make be to your liking. you may be happier though by taping crate paper or grocery bags to the faces of your wall panels. This will reflect the highest highs, keeping the room sounding a bit less claustrophobic. It's cheap and effective.

  5. I don't see any ceilling treatment or mention of ceiling height. I'd install (at the very least) a 4" thick cloud above the drum kit and above mix position to kill early reflections. Ideally you would cover the upper corners where the ceiling meets the wall with 4" bass traps as well. This will greatly improve clarity. You can never have enough bass trapping in a room.

  6. If that's a closet next to the drums, I'd fill it with bales of pink stuff as an additional bass trap (yes, just leave them packaged and stack them up).

    If you're interested in where I got my information, I basically just followed any advice I could find from Ethan Winer, but a lot of it didn't make sense until I built my studio and ran some of my own calculations using this porous absorber calculator. I found it very interesting that a really thick layer of the pink insulation works way better than the dense fiberglass stuff at controlling low end for cheap. The reason people like the dense stuff so much is simply because it saves space, but it's actually pretty ineffective compared to say, 8" of pink stuff.

    If you plan on mixing in this room I would highly suggest the books Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio and Home Recording Studio: Build It Like the Pros, as they both go over small, existing room treatments in great detail.

    Good luck with your room.

    Quick edit: Don't be tempted to put your monitors on their sides just to look cool. If they have tweeters then they should be standing upright to give the best imaging.
u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

it's not about tutorials, it's about improving your ears...and only producing as frequently as possible and listening to the best tracks and referencing improves your mixdown skills.

sure there are a few tricks here and there, but unfortunately it's the answer no one wants to hear. this book has gotten rave reviews from some people i know, however. also this one




u/iamonapig · 2 pointsr/trapproduction

your low-mids to mids as well as highs are lacking. as in you need either better samples to fill out those frequency ranges or you need to eq your stuff better. along with that your sub is lacking any real presence (in terms of the kick and the bass). you can solve this by distorting/compressing/eqing your kick/bass. another problem is stereo placement -- try using the haas effect as well as panning your instruments well.


you've been producing for four years but haven't done much mixing/mastering and your track reflects that. look into buying this book and watch this video as well, i highly recommend this one.

u/7even2wenty · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Read a book, maybe this one in particular https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0240815807

Then make a few hundred songs.

u/angryrancor · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I've read, and enjoyed, Izotopes guide. Their Guide To Mastering is also a great flyby for basic mastering.

Anyone who wants a real in depth look, I recommend "Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio" by Mike Senior:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240815807/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687642&amp;amp;pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&amp;amp;pf_rd_t=201&amp;amp;pf_rd_i=1598632515&amp;amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;amp;pf_rd_r=0FHN1BXAFDMJ7D69KB5X

Enjoyable read, and certainly taught me a tremendous amount.

u/humblenations · 1 pointr/edmproduction

My little brother ... he's been doing it for 20 years. So his tips and help have been invaluable. And then after that this book here, for mixing:

Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio

It's a bit expensive but it's worth every penny. Got so much from it.

u/surfrat595 · 1 pointr/reasoners

I recommend reading this book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240815807/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;psc=1

I asked this very question myself on /reasoners a while back and someone suggested it to me(thanks whoever you were). Gives you a really good foundation on the more technical aspects of mixing and the theory behind certain mixing practices. Kinda a dry read but push through it.

I'd also like to second that mixing is not really so much about loudness but rather making your mix sound balanced both in the volume of individual tracks and the areas of the eq spectrum in which they occupy. Loudness is typically achieved as a result of this and also mastering after your mix sounds the way you like it.

Also, it helps to compare your own mix to a song or artist that you like the sound of and want to imitate from a mix standpoint.

It takes time but you will get it figured out. Just keep at it.

u/PacoPunter · 1 pointr/maschine

So first step to improvement is self examination. As long as you are hungry and looking for ways to improve it's going to happen with practice. All things considered you are doing pretty well for doing this one year and not having a background in music(saying your self taught is I guess what this means) is. So right now what is the difference between you and most people on soundcloud. Frankly not much. But out of let's say 1000 people who are at the level where you are how many say, "Yeah what I got is pretty good" compare to yourself who says "Alright, what I got is fair but how do I take it further". There are people out there better than you but if you are hungry and want to learn you will eventually pass them.

Now regarding your product. Beats are fine. If you were collabing with someone who wanted a simple beat for them to burn on its fine. But fine doesn't cut it with so many people out there. You need to learn how to use equalization, compression, filtering, delay, reverb. These are just as important as what you compose. You have a vision right? You hear other people's beats that you want to get close to. The more you learn the dynamics and effects the better your will be. And yeah when it's appropriate automate your tracks man. Not to a point where you step all over an artist but enough to engage the listener. Rule of four, if something doesn't change in four measures people check out.

I highly recommend this book for someone like yourself.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0240815807/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1466480159&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;pi=SY200_QL40&amp;amp;keywords=small+studio+mixing

Lastly yeah you should be collaborating. You will touch base with people who are ahead of you now but like yourself there's always someone trying to come up. The more you practice w people the better. Keep at it man. You will get better it's just part of the process.

u/thenomadbeats · 1 pointr/makinghiphop

Youtube. Here's a starting point but just search for your specific DAW to start, but eventually it doesn't matter as much once you learn the fundamentals. This book is good too. Search in the sidebar and just google. Tons of resources out there you just have to put the work in. I've spent like, the last year trying to learn about it and I'm still ass, but I'm improving.

u/Barncore · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Well everybody's got a different bloody perspective don't they. ;) It's impossible for beginners to know which direction to start in.

The book i'm reading is this one. It was recommended to me at this very sub-reddit.

u/Boofus101 · 1 pointr/battlestations

Yeah, but all that treatment is completely wasted time and money because the speakers are going to create massive phase issues because you are pointing them at the short length of the room.

this is not a super secret pro tip, this is something that ten minutes of research would have told you is a huge no no.

Also, those ported speakers are too close to the wall. You should have them on stands, set back from the wall, and you should have them set up as a equilateral triangle if you want to use them as proper nearfield monitors. Your desk is too wide and too low to have an equilateral triangle at ear height.

It's a cool ass room and it will be great for chilling and watching movies or whatever. However, it's going to be a fucking nightmare if you ever want to do serious audio work(and by serious I mean if you want to have any clue what is happening when making programming and mix decisions while working).

Edit:this forums archives are really helpful for this kind of stuff

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/studio-building-acoustics/

If you want most of the information I've gleaned from that forum condensed into a single source, this book is worth it's price in time savings alone:

https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1479748811&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=Secrets+of+the+small+studio


u/PoliticalBonobo · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I'd recommend Mike Senior's book, Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio. This will be the most straightforward and efficient approach. The book is fantastic. On top of that, I would start reading SoundOnSound magazine, which has regular articles on mixing (often by Mike Senior himself).

Youtube videos can work, but you'll save yourself a lot of time by simply having a tell-all book.

u/SleepNowintheFire · 1 pointr/makinghiphop

Regarding speakers for your studio, you don't need the huge hi-fi speakers that big studios have, they use those mainly to flatter artists and industry reps. For mixing, you should get a set of speakers with a relatively flat frequency response that spotlights the midrange and has low distortion. The Avatone Mix Cube is good for this. You only really need one because a lot of mixing is in mono. The Yamaha NS10s are also good (these are more expensive and are pretty standard in most studios. The thing about these speakers is not that they sound good, but that, on first listen, you'd probably think they sound bad; they highlight problems in your mix.

I imagine if you're doing hip-hop a lot of your listeners will listen on headphones so it's useful to do some mixing on headphones (you might do mono mixing on your nearfield and work out panning and stereo stuff on headphones, for example), so get two good pairs of studio headphones-one for you, and one for people you record (unless you're building this to record yourself, although if people know you have this cool studio they might want to get in on the action and it'd be good to be prepared for that if it does happen-you might also want to record a feature on your track or something).

Get a DAW and know it back and forth. I would say for your purposes, unless you're already well-versed in Pro Tools or already have a copy of it, don't get Pro Tools-there's a huge learning curve and it's by far the most expensive. Reaper has a free demo that you can use indefinitely and FL Studio and Audacity are free. Ableton is what most producers use but it's not really made for tracking or mixing, so what some people do is they produce in Ableton and bounce the track to another DAW to mix.

Microphone-wise, ideally for vocals you want a large-diaphragm condenser. A small-diaphragm will work too but LDCs are standard. You can record on a dynamic mic but they usually need a lot more gain which might mean more noise and you'll need to be handy at mixing to get the sound you want out of a dynamic mic.

If you're investing in a big project like this, read a lot and know what you're doing. This book will get you started on mixing techniques and the basics. This one is a must, it starts out with some chapters on how to acoustically treat the room you're working in which even though it isn't glamorous or fun is totally vital to a good studio.

u/SirKingdude · 1 pointr/audioengineering

I've been reading through Mixing Secrets for the Home Studio by Mike Senior and I love it. Definitely recommend it to anyone looking to improve their mixing chops!

u/Silentverdict · 1 pointr/audioengineering

I'm relatively new to the mixing game, started a few years ago in college and started back up now that I have a house and room to mix again, and those two resources were my favorites especially when I started learning.

First, you might not need all the info, but I highly recommend Mike Seniors book "Mixing secrets for the small studio". It's around $20, but totally worth it:

https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Presents/dp/0240815807

The most important parts are:

A. he helps you get started on getting a good sounding room and speakers, which you need at least some of or you won't know what sounds good.

B. he goes through a mix step by step. Pros probably don't need that rigid of a format for going through a mix, but as a beginner, it's a great way to know what you should be listening for. It also keeps you from spending hours just messing around with no idea where you're headed, which is what I wasted too much time on early on.

One other resources helpful for beginners, if you wanna watch a lot of videos, is the Recording Revolution youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/user/recordingrevolution Most of his content is aimed towards new mixers, and he routinely does new series where he'll go through a mix step by step and show you how he does it, often using just stock plugins. While you might not follow everything he does (Sometimes he gets a little mix bus heavy, which I don't think is the best way to start for beginners) but his explanations on how plugins work is usually sound.

Anyway, lots of other great tips on this already, just thought I'd add my 2 cents.


u/MaxwellMrdr · 1 pointr/audioengineering

These two books will get you far:
[The Mixing Engineer's Handbook](The Mixing Engineer's Handbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/128542087X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_mSDqzbH36PSN0)
Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio

Here's a lengthy video series on mixing by Michael White: Fundamentals of Mixing

I like the way he uses graphical representations to help you visualize various aspects of mixing.

Also check out the UBK Happy Funtime Hour podcast.

u/ScholarZero · 1 pointr/audioengineering

Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio is fantastic.

As for advice? Just do it. FL is fine to get started. If you feel it's holding you back, there's plenty of DAWs out there, some such as Reaper (if you're tech savvy, also it's free until you want to pay for it), Ableton (leans towards live performance), or Studio One (Free version available to learn on as well). Just... make a lot of shit, then make a lot of semi-ok shit, then make some ok shit and a few awesome things, then make awesome things with some occasional shit. It's the only way. You're already doing it.

u/FilbyDilf · 1 pointr/mixingmastering

Definitely check out this book if you need some info on monitors. The first chapter lays out some great ideas for what monitors to look for.

https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Presents/dp/0240815807/ref=nodl_

u/Rhcpbrs · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I think one of the best ways to get better is to watch youtube videos. Specifically for me I have enjoyed Produce like a pro with Warren Huart
https://www.youtube.com/user/WarrenHuartRecording/

Also check out any videos from people who show the before and after sounds of their mixes. It is a good way to hear what they changed and sometimes they show and explain their thought process. I think it is important to remember that mixing is full of objective and subjective decisions and you have to find what works for you.

Another couple of things I did that really helped my mixing is I bought the Slate everything bundle and it comes with a short mixing class, that along with this book by Mike Senior have really improved the sound of my mixes
https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807

Quick note though I'd still consider myself a beginner and there could be better resources and advice out there but feel free to ask anything I would try to help!

u/jseego · 1 pointr/musicians
  • Check out r/audioengineering - they have a weekly "no dumb questions" thread especially for beginners, and a weekly "gear" thread. They're a great source of information.
  • All of the other suggestions for mbox, focusrite, etc. are great. Me, I live in the protools world, so I would suggest an mbox.
  • Here are some suggestions for mics:
    • Shure SM57 - workhorse dynamic mic. Also sounds great with the windscreen attachment. Could be found on ebay for less, still in good shape. Durable, reliable mic.
    • AT2020 - large diaghragm condenser.
    • AKG P-170 - small diaghragm condenser.
  • Great book on home studios
  • Great book on mixing for the home studio

    Have fun and good luck!
u/Starch · 1 pointr/edmproduction

No subwoofer? Those Rokits lowest end is around 45Hz or so - not so good for EDM. Also consider using speaker stands &amp; adding some acoustic foam on the sides of the speakers &amp; behind. (I've been reading up on small studio setups lately; check out http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807 )

u/totalwerk · 1 pointr/edmproduction

I have read that and personally didn't take a whole lot away from it. For mixing I would recommend Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio. For theory I would look into this, or maybe jazz stuff depending on your style, e.g. The Jazz Theory Book.

There are a whole lot of free resources that are worth checking out too, like Pensado's Place, r/musictheory , Pro Audio Files, Freejazzlessons.com, SeamlessR, etc.

u/pleasecallmefilip · 1 pointr/livesound

One book that I keep recommending is Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio.

While it's intended for recording engineers, it's very good at explaining the structure of a mix, and all the tools you can use to shape it.

And, like everyone said before me, get familiar with the digital mixer interface using the offline editors. You'll soon start seeing how similar they all are.

u/krypton86 · 1 pointr/Learnmusic

You can learn everything you need to know about how to operate it in a weekend. Unfortunately, what you won't learn in a weekend is how to effectively record and mix music. I recommend you pick up a book on mixing audio like Mixing Secrets for the small studio or The Recording Engineer's Handbook if you plan on recording through this mixing desk.

u/portuga · 1 pointr/edmproduction

SOS magazine has a shit load of articles on every production topic you could imagine. These are very in depth articles, by some real knowledgeable folks. Don't let the fact some of these articles are a decade old put you off. They are still relevant, specially in intemporal topics like EQ.

https://www.google.pt/search?q=sos+eq+articles

Also here's a recommendation for a good book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807 (it's from a reviewer for SOS)

^^^(and ^^^you ^^^can ^^^even ^^^find ^^^it ^^^online)

u/LocalAmazonBot · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|
|China|amazon.cn|




This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

u/ayetriddy · 1 pointr/makinghiphop

I thought this one was pretty good. Talks in depth about various mixing techniques, EQing certain instruments, and where instruments should sit in mixes. It’s honestly not anything you won’t find online but as one consolidated book it’s pretty good.

Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio (Sound On Sound Presents...) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240815807/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_XiQIAbC62CP9N