New year mixing resolutions

Recording, Mixing and Producing
#1

I’ve never been one for the traditional new year resolution thing so I’ve tweaked it this year for something to aspire to:

  1. Reference mixes. I did it properly for the first time yesterday. I know I know…I’ve been such a fool. The example was so simple - a mainly piano track and the drums didn’t sound like they were in the right space. One reference listen and I understood. I’m doing this regularly from now on.

  2. Don’t overthink things. No real explanation needed. I’m tempted to say “AKA, less is more” but I don’t really mean that as I’m often a more is more guy. I suppose “go with your gut instinct” is closer.

  3. Loosen up. I get pretty wound up about performance particularly vocals. I think I might even need to sing when ever so slightly inebriated, seriously. A potentially dangerous approach but it it does seem to help.

  4. Participate more. I got a bit lax with RR in recent months (life stuff played a big part - and still will do but I could have made more of an effort) Great to see this place blossoming and I need to do my bit.

  5. Get out of my comfort zone. I probably need to do more fun stuff for a start. Something sexy and soulful maybe. Or even something totally off the wall but I sense a default “po faced stilted dirge” becoming the norm if I’m not careful.

Right 5 is more than enough! :punch:

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#2

Brilliant, great list. i think i might use if for a while :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: Great to have you joining us. It has been fun.

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#3

Noble ambitions, every one. Completely agree with the whole list.

I also have a couple drinks before tracking vocals to be more relaxed, most of the time. I think it helps me relax into the performance.

And +billion for referencing… indispensable!

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#4

  1. FINISH 3 SONGS. (1 per month? So 3 by Spring) I have over 100 original “songs” on my hard drive. By “song” I mean guitar riffs and chords played over drum tracks lol. No vocals and generally no bass guitar. So they arent really songs. I spent all of 2016 learning to sing and now I am a pretty capable singer…so I have no excuses lol. My creativity is generally being nullified by laziness and lack of focus. So my goal for the moment is to FINISH 3 SONGS!!! So that when people say “oh, youre a musician? what do you play?”, I will have something I am proud of to show them

  2. Learn to mix. Pretty much this. Im not a total beginner, but im far from a pro. i need to learn to get my parts WAY more separated and distinct and of course louder never hurts

  3. Start the process of “getting my music out there”. (clueless)

  4. Build my demos more. As a subset of #1 I want to build my demos more. Essentially I want to start building my demos by adding bass, faux keys, solos, vocals FASTER. In other words I want my demos to sound like what I previously called my “finished songs”. Previously Id be loath to try to add bass etc and id make it into some big chore. I need to start adding at least bass and some vox more quickly and regularly.

  5. Lose 50 lbs. lol. Just throwing that in. It DOES come into play if you are self conscious about how you look, you wont even start a youtube channel etc lol

2 Likes
#5

Excellent list JJ. You’ll get lots of support from us here on all of it – well, probably can’t help you much on the weight loss, but we can give moral support! Given the discipline that it takes to lose that much weight, it’s a great thing to add to your year’s ambitions, it can only help you use similar discipline for your other goals. We’ll be cheering you on. :wink:

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#6

yeah, losing weight. Id just as well put “make $10 million from scratch and learn to fly”…or even MORE out there would be “follow a regimented practice routine for singing and guitar playing”

hahahahahahaha…even I am not foolish enough to put THAT with a straight face

#7

Hi Everyone,

I would like to get my first real paying customers and expand my mixing and mastering service.

Cheers, Steve

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#8

Recipe is simple. Develop your portfolio.

You have to record bands for free at first. Its the only way you’ll get off the ground. Find the best bands you can and beg them to let you do a mix. (It won’t take much to get them to agree). Do an absolute slam dunk job on the one band. Then use the recordings you did to market your services.

You need a very very good band, because your mixing gets judged on the production quality, even if a poor performance on the bands behalf is not your fault. The other prospective clients often can’t distinguish between the two. If the music sucks, don’t show it to anyone.

#9

Mine is stop buying stuff. GAS be gone!

#10

prevention is the key

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#11

@Jon-Jon I see the Line 6 POD!!!

#12

I cant say a word, ive spent well over $1000 in the last 6 months of EZ Drummer stuff…and a 12 string…and a mandolin

The mandolin and 12 string are sitting right where they sat the night I brought them home…but they look good in that chair lol

BTW, you aint lived until u tuned a mandolin! holy moly

#13

I had an 8 string mandolin once, it never went out of tune because it never got played. :pensive: Because of that, I let it go to a good home.

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#14

I don’t find it to be that hard to do…? It’s one-third easier than tuning a 12-string…! :nerd:

But seriously, what gives you trouble?

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#15

Well I never played one and I just picked up a cheap one from a used store when I bought a 12 str guitar. the mandolin was obviously not tuned when I bought it.it was REALLY slack.

just the freaking TIGHTNESS of the strings was freaking me out. i just KNEW one of them was going to pop into my eye or welt my hand lol