Today is The Recording Revolution’s 8th birthday!
Exactly 8 years ago on this day I published my first ever post on how to build your home studio for only $500. That article has helped hundreds of thousands of people save money and get more music made than ever before.
And as encouraging as it was back then to be able to put together a home studio for only $500, things have only gotten better in the last 8 years. You can now get started in your home studio for as little as $350!
We truly are living through a recording revolution!
And today I wanted to celebrate the joy that it has been to create some of the world’s best material on recording and mixing over the past 8 years by boiling everything I believe about making music in the home studio into 8 simple “laws”.
Follow these “laws” and your music will truly sound it’s best (while keeping money in your pocket).
Break these “laws” and you might find yourself spinning your wheels year after year while others are out there churning out great sounding records. If you’re like me, you’d prefer the former outcome 🙂 Let’s dive in!
Law #1 – Write Better Songs
The simple truth about great recordings is this: you must start with a great song!
Ironically one of the big downsides of this recording revolution is that many artists can simply record every song that comes into their heads, without any thought to whether the song is worth recording in the first place.
If you want a great sounding recording, the best place to start is with a great song. In fact, songwriting is the first of six steps to delivering a radio-ready song.
And be honest with yourself. If you just started writing music this year, your songs likely aren’t that great. Songwriting takes work, so treat it like your job and write as much as you can!
Law #2 – Don’t Waste Money On Gear You Don’t Need
If you have lots of extra money to burn, you can skip past this law. But for the rest of us, pay attention.
You do not need to spend lots of money these days to get a high quality professional sounding studio.
The budget equipment available today (like in my recommended $350 studio) sounds better than stuff 10x its price just 15 years ago.
People don’t believe this until they hear what’s possible on affordable equipment. In fact, some of my music years back on a budget rig helped save one of my students $9,000.
Only buy what you need. Then learn how to make that gear sound amazing. You’ll be happy for two reasons: you’ll have better sounding recordings and a fatter wallet!
Law #3 – Record At Conservative Levels
One reason why so many home studio recordings sound amateur is simply some bad advice that’s held over from the old analog days.
Digital recording is very different than analog recording.
The converters in our audio interfaces, while amazing these days, still cannot handle overloaded signals. When you “clip” your converters, your recordings can’t come back from that.
The key is to record at conservative levels.
You do this by watching the meters in your software while you adjust the gain knob on your preamp or interface. Shoot for 50-75% of the way up the meter.
This will keep you from clipping your converters AND put your signal at the optimal digital sweet spot when it comes time to mix!
Law #4 – Commit To A Sound On Recording Day
One byproduct of the home recording revolution is laziness.
Specifically I mean the inability for new engineers to commit to a sound. They tend to record tracks as clean and basic as possible, deferring the final sonic decisions to the mixing phase.
This is completely backwards to how you want to work.
The recording phase is where sounds should be created and decided upon. The mixing phase is simply where you can balance those great sounding tracks together and present them in the best way possible.
Choose to be a smart engineer and record as if the mixing phase just doesn’t exist.
In fact here are 3 ways to get a killer mix in the recording phase!
Once your recordings sound better than your old mixes, you’ll know you’re on the right track!
Law #5 – Don’t Record More Than 24 Tracks
Laziness in the home studio also manifests itself in how many tracks we tend to record.
Than answer? Way too many!
It’s funny, though, I used to think that that more tracks I recorded, the bigger and more layered my sounds would become. Turns out I had it backwards.
Bigger mixes come from having fewer tracks, not more. Just ask Green Day!
So what is the magic number of tracks then?
While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question, a good rule of thumb according to producer Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan) is to shoot for 24 tracks. No more.
History alone tells us that 24 tracks is all you need to make killer sounding record, simply for the fact that mixing consoles only had 24 tracks (or fewer!) for decades – and “somehow” ground breaking records were made.
Also, our present reality shows us that the more tracks we have available, the less intentional we become with each track. We don’t think through whether that track is truly adding to the song or just filling space.
Again, this could be due to poor songwriting, or insecurity about our ability to mix (been there!). But it’s no reason to throw as many tracks at a song as you can hoping they will magically make it better.
Newsflash: it won’t.
Law #6 – Mix In Mono
I love little hacks that guarantee results. Mixing in mono is one of the best I’ve come across!
Simply put, mixing in mono means flipping your entire mix to mono while making your EQ and compression decisions in the mixing the phase. Then flipping it back to stereo again to finish things off.
The rationale is brilliant. Panning gives you a false sense of separation. It covers up the fact that you might have frequency masking in your tracks (where one sound covers up another).
When you fold your mix to mono and every track sounds like it’s on top of the other, it’s harder to hear things clearly.
And that’s a good thing! That reveals that you don’t have your EQ and compression settings correct.
Even Derek Ali (Kendrick Lamar) mixes in mono 80% of the time each mix.
A great mix should sound clear, full, and amazing in mono. Then and only then should you flip back to stere to put the finishing touches on it (panning, reverbs, delays, etc).
Give it try – once you hear the results, you might never go back.
Law #7 – Use As Few Plugins As Possible
As newer mix engineers we tend to be both inexperienced and insecure.
This leads invariably to the overuse of plugins and effects in our mixes.
It’s almost like we know our initial recordings don’t sound as good as they should (see above) so we’re trying make something out of nothing (or turn crap into gold as some of my students say).
Ironically the key to churning out a great sounding mix (assuming you’ve written a great song and recorded it well, again see above) is to use as few plugins as possible. Why is that?
First, this “restriction” forces you to be intentional and make better decisions. You must have a good reason for each plugin, which is a simple hack for making you think, rather than aimlessly inserting effects.
Secondly, the more plugins you add, the more signal degradation you get. Conversely, the fewer plugins you use, the more natural and musical your audio will sound.
As with how many tracks you record, it’s a classic example of “less is more.”
Law #8 – Reference Pro Mixes
There is one recording and mixing technique that works every time, is available to all and costs absolutely nothing to implement – and yet so few do.
It’s the simple act of bringing in a professional recording or mix of a song you like and referencing it while you work on your own music.
Simply put – to mix or master your music in isolation is both arrogant and foolish.
It’s foolish because we have bad sonic memories. While we might think we know what a great kick drum or lead vocal delay sounds like, we actually forget most of the details that matter.
Plus when we work in a bedroom or basement studio, our speakers and room play tricks on our ears and don’t always give us the truth.
Thus, bringing in a professional track to compare our mix to instantly gives a frame of reference and a goal to shoot for. If we know what a “good” song sounds like on our gear in our room, we have something to shoot for with our own song.
Without this reference, we are literally driving blind. Not a good idea 🙂
So What About You?
Whew! That was a lot to take in.
I’m not sure where you are in your recording and mixing journey. Perhaps you are a wiley old vet at this thing, or maybe this is your first time really setting out to record some of your own music. Either way, you might not be following all of these 8 laws.
I know I sure wasn’t for the first decade of music making in my life.
But as I’ve learned over the years, I’ve poured everything I know back into this website – into helping YOU get the most out of your home studio. And I’m humbled and grateful for the opportunity to be one of your teachers and mentors from afar.
And as always, I want to help you grow!
So I’m curious – which of these 8 laws are you “breaking”? And why?
Leave a comment below! And thanks for making the first 8 years of The Recording Revolution so amazing!
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My name is Graham Cochrane and I'm the founder of The Recording Revolution, one of the world's most loved audio recording and mixing blogs with over 200,000 readers each month. 
What you wrote about in the 8 steps to making music should be engraved in every musician’s/engineer’s brain. And thanks for those words of wisdom.
The only thing I think IS okay to do is record every song you write (if you have that kind of time). Even if you did just start writing, this could be really beneficial. You get more practice mixing/engineering, you get to listen to your product and it may help you examine and breakdown your work, and you get to show friends family those songs and get feedback. Just my two cents.
Yes, I record everything I write. That means some songs never get heard by anyone else but the more songs I write the greater chance I have of producing something good. I have also recorded melodies with very average (to be charitable!)lyrics and then come back later to use that tune for something else. Also, the very fact that I am recording makes me better at doing it as I get more practice with mic placement etc. Not everything you record is going to be a radio smash, or even see the light of day outside the studio, but it’s all experience – and all experience is valuable.
Thanks you for the continual work you put into this community you’ve built Graham and congrats on 8 years! Keep on rocking my friend! All the best
Thanks Damien!
Hi I am wondering about top down mixing with reference to mono mixing, do you apply the mix console or whatever to the master bus in mono mode?
I would say yes to put the entire mix in mono via the master bus while doing Top down mixing. Top down mixing usually comes after you have balanced your static mix. I think the goal of top down mixing is to do as little as possible to your individual tracks. Then after you do top down mix go for some individual tracks as needed with EQ and Compression while still in mono. Keep in mono until you are done with all the EQ decisions. Of course there are no rules to this game so see if it works to bring better clarity to your mix. Good luck!
Great question. I don’t. I start in stereo with the top down mixing. THEN when I start to really use EQ and compression on individual tracks I listen in mono.
Hi can you say a bit about why you use ported speakers and what seems like only a small amount of bass trapping in your studio? I am asking because I have done some DIY acoustic treatment based on information I’ve gleaned from the likes of Mike Senior and as I’m sure my DIY job won’t be perfect I am interested to know your thoughts on the need for lots of bass treatment and unported speakers and problems of resonance. Thanks Graham, you do a great job!
Hi Chris – Mike Senior is a friend of mine, and a much smarter engineer. I personally have had few if any issues with ported speakers so I don’t worry about it.
I probably break more than one of your 8 rules, but for this comment I am going to say I break rule #8. I have read your posts and watched your videos and I still don’t understand “how” to use a reference track. Without knowing how to use a reference track, I am simply unable to use this technique.
Jeff every mixing engineer references other tracks differently, there is never one way to do things.
And referencing is WITHOUT A DOUBT the best way to learn faster, get better mixes faster and be more consistent. I dont know any pro mixer that doesn’t reference (maybe CLA and the likes).
A few things most engineers do when referencing is:
– check overall track bass levels (~20-150Hz) with reference, to see if your track is lacking or exceeding; – the same as before for treble/air (~5kHz-20kHz);
– Check the level of Snare and vocal (do this at low levels, then high levels, as for Fletcher Munson curves their perceived loudness will change with volume);
– You can also check overall reverb/space volume and any other thing about your mix you remember, just dont go overboard!
Rules to consider to avoid going overboard when referencing a track:
– Be wise when selecting a reference track: select a song from a good producer and mixer, vocalist sex should be the same, genre and instrumentation should be close, the overal aesthetic should be in line with your vision for the song you’re mixing;
– Dont mind loudness too much, because most references you will have access will be mastered and you rather leave that job for mastering;
– Dont be too OCD on the asects of the mix you reference, your music is different, probably different key, harmony, chord progression, instrumentation, dynamics and space. Just use your hears for the sonic impression, the overall tonal character and balance;
-Match loudness before referencing!!! Or youll find yourself chasing your tail… There are a few plugins that will do that for you, but its luxury.
– Also the obvious, compare chorus vs chorus and verse vs verse not the other way around (unless you’re up to something big eheh!)
– Also a sidenote: changing between tracks as to be instantaneous so your ears dont reset between tracks (some plugins do that for you, I put my reference on mute and the solo it – it does the trick for me – check your solo mode fot this to work)
PS: A pro trick based on referencing is to use an FFT plugin and print the spectral balance from the reference and apply it on the master bus, with very soft parameters though, or you’ll ruin it.
Hope this helps you get stated on referencing 😉
A/B the current state of your mix with the reference track (pregerably one of the same genre that gas the vibe you’re looking for). Upon A/B-ing, anything in your current mix that sounds wonky or not quite right (even though you thought it was fine) will immediately reveal itself when you do the A/B.
A reference track has already been released, and thus has the sonics deemed radio-ready, as it were, so an A/B will bring stark revelation.
Many songs we work on sound great when that’s all we’re hearing, but in an A/B with a reference track apparently it wasn’t so good afterall.
If you don’t do #1 the rest is a waste of time.
Yes you are right
Thanks Graham
well, thanks, in a big part to you, i’ve been implementing all of these rules for some time now, amongst other rules and tips that you and your fellow teachers have taught me and the results speak volumes, great work as always Graham , here’s to many more years to come, congrats friend
Hey Graham, great post! I really connect with your ideas about limitation; I find that when I sit down to find a nice guitar tone or dial in a reverb or other plugin, the only thing that will actually get me to commit to a sound I like is limiting the amount of tools I have access to. Being intentional with each aspect of a song is crucial and your content has really shown me just how important that is.
Thanks for making this site awesome! Here’s to making more great music.
Thank you for the tips!
I cannot get my head over Referencing Prop Mixes. Please, correct me if I am wrong, but 100% of the music you buy is already mastered music. How does it make sense to reference mastered track while mixing, for example? Or should I just lower the volume to match my mix and listen to the reference?
Matthew. Yes, definitely used mastered tracks as reference. The only thing you need to do is turn them down to level match them.
Once the volumes are comparable you have an excellent bar for what a good mix should sound like right from your mix room.
Also keep in mind. The goal isn’t for it to sound exactly the same (many great mastered mixes will vary a lot). The goal is for it to sound good next to a mastered mix that you know sounds good.
A common problem for me in my bad sounding room is to think there’s too much low mids (200-400 hz) but when I hear that one of my favorite mixes also sounds muddy in that area I know it’s my room.
Hope that’s helpful
Happy 8 years, Graham!
I’d have to say, if I’m breaking these rules, it’s #1, recording every song. I have to hear my songs coming back to me to get a better feel for them, so I’ll demo everything. And really, it’s usually a pretty bare demo – acoustic guitar and voice, or maybe virtual drums, guitars, bass, and vocal. Just the core elements, just to hear how it’s flowing and sounding. That let’s me get out of my own head and experiment with things like length of sections (hey, we should chop the reprise between the chorus and second verse in half). Also, having a rough guitar track down can help me with lyric writing. That way I’m not getting hung up on the instrumentation while I’m writing the words.
So really, it’s part of my songwriting/preproduction process. 🙂
Happy Anniversary Graham and all the best for the future.
Congratulations with the 8 years “birthday”!
Thanks to your work during the past years, I’ve managed to learn theese 8 rules from scratch. I just started my home studio tree years ago, and have been using your advice from day 1 (Even though I broke a rule or two in some of the recordings I have done)! In some odd cases I broke the 24-track rule, because I recorded a lot of “Hurra’s” to a birthday song. This was 18 tracks alone! And I must have been braking rule number one, because my recordings has not gone to the hitlists yet 🙂
Greetings, and keep up this good stuff!!
Good advice, I all of that years ago when I was recording 4,8 and 16 track. starting with a good song that sound like a hit when you play it. and if you are it a band, you need to play it until it sounds like a record.
I have never mixed in mono….I love panning so much it will be difficult, but I’ll try. I understand the possible masking.
…and hurrah for getting your sound during recorded, not in the mix. I could rub that in the noses of about 10 engineers I know. One miserable sot actually forced me to plug my guitar straight into the board. Can you imagine?
I think Graham this is one your of your best articles IMO. Thx a lot!
Thanks!
Graham, good points. I would just comment on one of your statements: “The recording phase is where sounds should be created and decided upon.”
I would say that deciding upon the sounds you want to commit to should not take place on recording day.
It is part of your artistic work arranging the song.
It is part of the songwriting process.
This way when it comes time to record you have a cohesive piece of art.
The longer I produce, the more time I spend on the early steps such as writing or mic placement. It has definitely helped me utilize my equipment for a better Sound.
Great article. I don’t you should have put the “use as few plugins as possible” one though. This will stop young engineers from getting contemporary sounding mixes. Many of my tracks have no processing or not much but when you need a lead vocal for a modern pop mix, this mind set should go out of the window as typically you need: console style saturation, de-esser, Eq, 1176 style, la2a style, another de-esser, Eq 2, exciter, limiter, tape saturater, reverb, slap delay, longer delay, stereo widener. That’s like, 14 plugins! (many of these in parrallel or subgroups but still, you get the point!)
This “use few plugins” mindset just doesn’t help people who aren’t doing retro mixes.
Personally, I mix a little like Andrew Scheps so there aren’t many plugins on inserts but still if you count how many there really are, it would actually be a lot for tracks like vocals, kick, snare… things that the modern listener has unrealistic expectations for!
I get what you’re saying Joshua – but I’m not going for retro mixes either, and I STILL try and use as few plugins as possible. I don’t equate modern sound with more plugins. If recorded well in the first place, fewer plugins should be needed come mix day. No matter the genre.
Here here,Right on the money
Thanks for sharing this article. Nice article to share with professional musicians and also helps in making their career brighter
I would say that deciding upon the sounds you want to commit to should not take place on recording day.
Advice I have found useful:-
1- Do not strive for perfection. My wife has a saying – “Stop faffing with it. It sounds fine!” (She doesn’t always say “faffing”)There is always the temptation to try just one more little tweak.
2 – The song is more important than the production. Yes, you want your song to sound nice and polished but there is a saying about polishing a ****. I have a CD of my songs out now. The most popular song of all on that CD? The one with the very least instrumentation, processing etc. In fact, a product of my earliest attempts at home recording that I’ve done very little to and which is a long way from perfect. It’s also my most requested in live performance too. Voice and guitar, a little reverb and a tiny bit of EQ. Both guitar and voice recorded at the same time with one overdub to fill out the guitar. It sounds like a demo but no-one cares about that. They like the song. Polishing it wouldn’t make them like it more. Been played on plenty of radio stations too.
3 – Most of your audience will play your music on their laptop on 1″ speakers or in their car. Your studio speakers doubtless make your song sound amazing. That’s nice…..but make sure it sounds good in your car too.
I am a devotee of Graham’s and have learned a lot from him but forget the points above (which I think Graham has also said in past posts)
Thanks for sharing Andy!
Hey there buddy, been watching you in YouTube and stumbled onto the written word too! Marvelous. Yes, I’m tickled by your knowledge as a 3 year old newbie who hasn’t struck it big at the drop of a hat. For me it’s become a slug fest making music and spending money on it that I’ll never see again! Being a realist, pardner! But getting a few likes on SoundCloud and 600 followers is not too bad. But, man it’s addictive. All I have to say is that let the music guide you! Listen to it. It must speak to you and that’s the way you make Darkpsy Music. Appalling say the girls. Well, see ya!
Graham,
Law #2 hits home the closest for me. Specifically buying plugins. Not just the money, but the significant waste of time playing with and trying to learn yet another compressor, EQ, FX or what have you, piece of software. Seriously, how many compressors do I truly need?
And what’s worse, some of these amazing plugins go on sale for very little money (writing this the day after Black Friday!). Making it much easier to justify their purchase. I keep reminding myself that every minute I spend playing with a new plugin, is another minute that I’m NOT working on a recording or learning some new music related skill.
It takes huge amounts of self discipline to stay on track, but I’m enjoying the ride!
Thank you for all the knowledge and advice you continue to put out there.
Joel
Glaser Audio Productions
My pleasure Joel!
Love this article, am an upcoming producer
Thanks graham