Part 28 of 31 – As you near the end of your mix, one of the best things you can do is reverse mix it. This simple little move will tell you a lot about your volume balance between kick, snare, and vocals.
What Do You Hear Down There?
If you take your monitors and turn them all the way down and then bring them up in volume ever so slowly, what is the first thing you hear? Ideally it should be vocal, snare, and kick drum. What’s that you say? You haven’t tried this little trick?! Today’s your day!
Wow. Thanks man. I never thought of that either. God bless you, sir. You have helped me so much and my mixes are becoming very professional sounding. May I share my new song with you, Graham? It’ll be done within a week.
Hi Graham,
Great mix, love the guitars and the vocal melody. Who is it? Can we hear the entire mix of the song?
Thanks for the tips.
Hi Cheero, it’s actually my band from our latest EP: http://aletheiatampa.bandcamp.com/
Graham,
I wish I’d write songs like “Lift Up Your Heads”. What a GREAT SONG! I LOVE IT. Sounds like British Alternative Rock, my favorite kind of Melodic Pop Rock. That was definitely my favorite song of the 5 demoed.
Technically what I like about “Lift Up Your Heads” are how the guitar inversions build up the song, the open string chording, and how you fill the EQ spectrum by spreading them out Center and Sides. But also when you pull them out. I love the reverse loops you use at 3:05 during the vocal & drums only part. The vocal harmonies are perfect. Drums sound very good. Great nuances.
To resume, a song that lasts 5:28 and I stay till the end and repeat over and over, I haven’t done that in a long long time. Captivating. 🙂
You my friend have many talents not just a great voice and guitar skills, add Song Writing, Sound Engineering and Production. Congratulations on a excellent piece of art.
Oh and I almost forgot, you’re a very good teacher as well.
Cheers from Montréal, Québec, Canada!
Great tip! Btw, I don’t say much but always reading… thanks man.
Dear graham!
Thanx for all your tips’n tricks!
They keep me inspired and I feel my mixes are definately improving bros!
This is the only site where one recieves soo much FREE infos and top quality videos
God bless bros! I luv ja!!
Regards from Switzerland :-))
Dude, I really enjoy all of your tips but this is one that I really love and, coincidentally, have been doing for years. Don’t remember if someone suggested it to me or if I just tried it. Regardless, I can attest to its efficacy. I think of it like the Nestlé version of getting a new perspective after a long session…it’s instant, it’s (aurally) delicious and pairs great with peanut butter. As does everything.
Hahahaha.
Interesting tip, I’ll have to try it. I’ve always mixed ever since I started with drums and vocals at the top of a mix, It’s just always what sounded right to me. Even when I was back in college my first time behind a mixing desk and a copy of Logic 5.1 on a 500Mhz Windows 98 OS. lol