You might have heard the phrase “ignorance is bliss” – and deep inside we know that this is partly true. It’s also generally foolish.
To be ignorant at large can lead to all kinds of struggles and challenges that could easily be avoided. For instance, being ignorant of how money works and what your money is doing month to month isn’t bliss – it’s an invitation for disaster.
But for our purposes, creating great sounding music for either ourselves or our clients, ignorance could be one of the most powerful tools at your disposal.
In fact, without it I doubt I would be as successful in music making as I am.
Via Ron Mader Flickr
The Problem Of Being Over-Aware
When you first got into home recording or mixing you were initially excited. You had all of these musical ideas swimming around inside your head that you just couldn’t wait to get out.
You likely discovered that these days it doesn’t take more than $300 to get your home studio up and running – this only fueled your desire to get after it!
Unfortunately what you might have soon discovered is that your first few recordings really didn’t sound that great. In fact that might be what led you on a wild goose chase across the internet looking for answers, perhaps landing you here at The Recording Revolution.
If this is the only audio site you’ve ever spent time reading or watching, then you are in a good spot (biased I know) because you haven’t become tainted by the “outside” world filled with pointless opinions about what you need or don’t need (to do or buy) for great recordings.
But for most of us, however, our journey of music making took us from an initial high to an inevitable low.
What happened?
We became way too self-aware. Aware of our flaws as an engineer. Aware of the imperfections in our recordings or the sloppiness in our mixes.
Doubt crept in and we wondered whether we’d ever have what it takes to reach our sonic goals. Add to that, all of the opinions floating around online in dark dingy forums, which only seem to confirm our suspicions: we either need more talent or more money to churn out the mixes we crave.
This pattern of self destruction leads many to give up, to quit. Perhaps some of YOU have quit and are gingerly stepping back into this world for the first time in a long time.
Ironically all of this could be avoided.
The Solution – Selective Ignorance
If I had to pinpoint the one thing that helped me improve in my craft, gain new opportunities to work with great clients, and even be capable enough to start and run a community like The Recording Revolution with such world wide impact, it would be ignorance.
Selective ignorance, that is.
Early on in my music making days (late high school, early college) I came to the same point many of you have been – I knew that my recordings and mixes were lacking and I almost wanted to give up.
In fact, for about a year and a half I DID give up, assuming I’d never be a great engineer. Instead I focused on songwriting and touring with my band.
But my passion for making music in the studio (anyone’s music for that matter, not just my own) wouldn’t go away, despite my lack of skill.
So I did something that seemed trivial at the time, I decided to ignore my flaws.
I decided not to care too much about how good I wasn’t, and instead I decided to focus on what I WAS doing well, and do more of it.
I decided to tune out the noise of the internet since most of it was a complete drain on my heart and joy (and wallet).
I simply turned back to what got me into music making in the first place: joy.
How Joy Helps You Improve
Think about your most creative moments in the studio. Were you stressed out? Were you operating out of doubt? Were you concerned with other people’s opinions (especially people hiding behind avatars and forum threads)?
No. You were having fun! You were experiencing pure joy.
If you’re into music at any level, then that is part of your DNA. God gave you that passion and it can’t be denied.
And it’s that passion, that joy that is your ticket to better recordings.
The way to get BETTER at making music is to operate from a place of joy, not over-awareness of your musical flaws.
To be ignorant of how much better you “need to become”, to tune out the noise online and in your head that screams “you’re not good enough at this”, is ironically the WAY to becoming better.
This art, this craft, takes time. That’s it. Time. We can only get better if we don’t give up.
If some selective ignorance helps you stay in the game, then it’s worth it!
Had I not developed ignorance to how much better I could be come in those early years, I would have become so frustrated with myself and I would have quit for good.
There would be no growth as an engineer, as a musician, as a music lover.
The Recording Revolution would not exist.
I would not have met as many incredible people as I have.
All because I would have listened too closely to the voices telling me, “Graham, you’re simply not good enough bro.”
Let’s Be Ignorant Together
Are you on the edge of giving up? Are you frustrated with your results? You’re likely not alone.
Will you join me in cultivating a selective ignorance? Will you “foolishly” plow on in your music making adventures, having fun all along the way?
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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. 
Idk but I dont think ignorance or selective ignorance is the solution and its not about only u into music. One should have the talent to get into the field plus it need patience so u have to be adoring it so much to give it time and patience for sure. I guess if someone just wanna do it for being cool among his friends, for being popular or famous or for money but not to step in cuz he probably gonna fail cuz you have to have the talent and passion and love. Peace
I personally don’t think that talent really excist’s, anyone can become great or brilliant at something if they put the time in and have good persistence will achieve what they want. Some people need to hang in there and believe in themselves i find, well talking from my own experience.
Sorry but it does exist bro. Talent do exist else everyone would be number one in every field out there but thats not happening
By saying everyone I meant everyone that put time, effort and have good persistence and in each field there are millions of people that does that and bunch of them with same experience but just one or couple that get to the top and shine on and be number one and even maybe this number one with a lil bit less experience than others, why? Cuz talent exists and what makes him more especially than others with same experience or even a lil bit more. Wish my point was clear enough. Take care. Peace
Discipline can make one grate. Talent and discipline can make one brilliant to outstanding.
‘There are more important things in live than constantly increase it’s speed’ (M. Gandhi)
Discipline needs time…
Being an engineer takes patience and practice. And Graham i get what your saying about selective ignorance. You can get so depressed by reading all this stuff and get input that your mixes suck that you forget to try and do the basics well and overtime you develop your skills and become good at what you do, and for your style. I know of persons who never releases music because they think their stuff is not good enough and stop doing music all together because of it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Better not to release music that u dont feel its good enough cuz that will build the impression about u to people if once they heard ur released stuff and they didnt hear u then they will never give u a try anymore. Plus if u even made later on something big and lets say that they heard it and loved it the old black spot u made wont be erased from ur history and they will be like that what he made when he began… which will be ridiculous so one should focus and be sure of what he releases before he do it. Also using a $300 home studio is a very risky move cuz we all know using cheap stuff will for sure produce cheap quality and u guys even want to mix and master on a cheap stuff which is the most precise thing one should do in production to make a mix sound the best so come on. Enough dreaming and be real. Sorry if I am being tough or breaking ur expectations but I like to be logical and real. Tc people. Peace
This website is definitely not for you, dude. Please keep stepping.
Thanks a lot for this post, Graham! It was exactly what I needed to hear (:
I think its true to a degree, however seeing your mistakes and learning how to fix them is a good confidence boost. therefore more fun as well. isnt that what reference tracks are for? realising mistakes based on a mix that was mixed in isolation and then fixing those mistakes. i think ignorance might help learning, but also slow it down.
I for one find “Talent” has nothing to do with it or is the key. after all talent is just ability to learn a skill faster cause its natural for a person. but you can have the same skill as the talented one. it just takes longer time. for any form of art talent is nothing but an advantage in context of time. like i said talent is just ability to learn a “skill” faster. so lets not give to much credit on talent but rather working hard cause skills can be learned talent is a about a skill. so that being said i love it how you mentioned joy graham indeed. that joy of making is enough to push someone. joy that turns into passion !
A lot of the tips, tricks, etc. I’ve found on this site have been so helpful. But it was the tip of having fun and not dwelling on the things your not good at and focus on what you are good at that was the best tip. Really corny, but it helps.
WTF !!!!
Thanks again, Graham!
Encouraging as always, Graham! Yes, I’ve been frustrated with results many times, wanting to give up. But I won’t, not yet.
Graham, your timing is impeccable–this is exactly what I needed to hear right now. Thanks.
ha! same…
“I decided not to care too much about how good I wasn’t, and instead I decided to focus on what I WAS doing well, and do more of it.” This sound very familiar to me from a great master (go to 1:10). “I don´t work on my weaknesses, I ignore them and i cultivate my strenghts….”
great post Graham!
I have recorded and mixed 4 songs EP, without too much positive feedback and just thought about to give up, but now I’m thinking maybe I should record an album of songs and hope for better:-)
As always, it is a pleasure to read you. You seem to grasp all so well the most important aspects of this game and I learn from it every time.
This only confirms what I’ve been thinking, even if not consciously. Thanks for saying it out loud!
I’ll be back, again ;).
Great post, Graham! I am really facing this problem and would like to get rid of it. I will try to remember and follow this advice. 🙂
Keep up the good work!
Sure will. But I think being in that Limbo for a while is part of getting to the point, where you can ignore and just enjoy your music making. I have somewhat just gotten out of it lately. I’m glad that you pinpoint these issues, because that is truly what us self-doubters need to hear sometimes. Thanks G.
I agree with you Graham. I know too many people who have turned creating music into a frustrating chore, dwelling on details that barely make a difference. I don’t see them enjoying the excitement and the fun that they could be having. I have found that when I play / record in the “joy zone” the results have a better energy and appeal than when I labor over it unnecessarily.
Definitely. I’m always trying to figure out how my successful songs turned out successful and what I was thinking or doing at the time. I’m gonna try this fancy ‘selective ignorance’ thing, though it may be difficult!
I got pretty down and out when I seemed to have hit a wall,my mixes, my tunes all just sounded boring and lifeless. I took a break until I felt inspired enough to get back in and try again, I think that if the song is really good the best you can do is not over think it and get out of the way of whatever is right and good with it and look forward to getting it even better the next time!
the best track I ever wrote and produced was a track titled Psalm 51. I had such a passion to get this track sounding good and enjoyed myself so much doing it, that it did sound great in the end. I did it all on a Korg Triton, a Yamaha MD 8 digital recorder and a single Zoom 1204 reverb FX. I have more tracks and plugin’s now that I can shake a stick at and I have never matched that mix or quality. Nuff said really…
Graham, I always enjoy your positive outlook and down to earth insight. Your writing always makes so much sense. I’ve had people , mostly songwriters, tell me they like my mixes or ask how I produced that sound. Then on the other hand I’ve submitted tracks to an opportunity and had a reviewer rip it to shreds. Sometimes we need to think about where these negative reviewers are coming from and do they have something to gain by telling you how bad your recording sounds. I’ve learned somethings in the last few years, I plan to learn more from you and plan to keep learning to get better at recording each year. There are songs that I wrote when I first started recording that I could rework as a better recording. As we learn , I’m sure it doesn’t hurt to revisit out catalog and polish some of those diamonds in the rough. We’re all getting better. You, Graham are amazing, keep up the GREAT work.
You need this, must do that, can’t do this, will never, can never, aren’t gonna, not enough…
I ignore them all. I’ve been broke my whole life, and right now can’t even afford that aforementioned $300 (actually, I want a Zoom H6 with accessories, just cuz I know how to use that stuff) and am lucky to have any time to scratch out new and interesting pieces of music, let alone finish stuff. There is a difference between what is in my head, and what is in my life, insofar as obstacles are concerned. Stuff happens. I will surmount, so long as I am not yet dead.
“Fear not what you do not yet know, and fear not to use what you know now,” says me.
It’s crazy the timing of your posts like this Graham…they always seem to be exactly what I’m needing to hear or remember. Thanks!
You’re right, Graham. It’s easy to fall victim to “analysis paralysis” – in any endeavor, but particularly one as complex and technical as audio production. I always appreciate your thoughts, tips and encouragement. You’re alright!
I’m often reminded of the Bible verse that says, “In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty.” I love that because it encourages me knowing that even if my work is not as perfect as I want it to be, I’m learning and my time is definitely not wasted. Thanks Graham for the encouragement. And thank You, Jesus, for Your holy word!
Good timing on this post. Time to have fun!
Thanks!
Thanks Graham, your passion is contagious. I can’t thank you enough for what you do. One of the things that I love most about the Recording Revolution is the perspective. Some of the things that you have taught me seem so elementary now. Better mic placements, better recordings at the source, more time recording = less time mixing. But the most important thing so far, have fun. Don’t ever lose your passion for music, and I’ll do the same. Great article.
Your positivity is positively positive.
This is exactly what a lot of people need to hear. That feeling of doubt is the only thing that can hold ANYONE back. Professionals still began their journey with that joy you are talking about.
I’m not normally one for the happy, dancing bears, unicorns, and butterfly nonsense, but Graham salts it with enough solid knowledge and improvement to make up for it.
A+ post
Very timely post for me Graham! I’m not on the verge of quiting but i certainly have become painfully aware of just how many flaws my recordings and mixes have..and it is very discouraging. As I persevere through my frustration and disappointment I have sometimes had to simply decide that what I have to offer right now in terms of recording and mixing is enough: I have to get this music out and at some point I have to say, this song is good enough, and move on.
Frustration and disappointment comes on like a wave that I can either be washed away with (and give up) or decide to channel it’s power and ride the wave to improved clarity and better eq. And frankly, to me at least, our music and our message is too important to give up on.
Nice article on Selective Ignorance.
I consider how if I focus on my weaknesses then i become overly aware of my weaknesses in relation to my other skills which is devastating on many fronts.
1: As a player if I ruminate on the lick/chop i just blundered it negatively impacts the rest of my performance. I’ve noticed this makes the entire performance suffer or at least for 16 bars later.
2: It doesn’t allow my strengths to shine.
3: It impacts my creativity. Creativity needs freedom and positivity in order to come out. No negative vibes.
I’m not stating don’t work on weaknesses. I’m saying keep them in a healthy perspective. We are awesome on so many fronts. Why beat ourselves up with something we think we are lacking in.
Joy it is.
Best advice ever, thanks Graham. Will get back at those tunes tomorrow!
Great post.
Kinda goes along with
Philippians 4:8 KJV
[8] Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
There’s always , better plug-ins, better updates, better techniques. We can try to keep up with it all and miss the moment of making great music. Sufficient for today is the mix that we have!
It all started with a 4 track, years ago
people were telling me that the music that i was doing did not sound good, they wanted me to stop and do it there way.
I know the music was not perfect but i was not making music for me, i was creating music for my lord Jesus Christ.
I am so glad that he was the one who put the passion of music in me because the truth is
that if He wouldn’t have i would have quit a long time ago.
Thank you Graham – Love what you are doing. God Bless
Nelson Pares
Thanks for this mail, I’ve been feeling that was for a long time. I’ve became too complexed and too picky as the failures kept coming up, the worst thing when i was successful i couldn’t enjoy it. I’ve became shallow and empty inside or even sometimes depressed. So I found your mail pretty much helping, well maybe I will keep meeting failures in my life still but it’s good to think about something positive one day or two, makes me feel so much better 😉
My Dutch wife makes me wear my headphones, but tells me I have a lot of passion. When no ones home I make the windows rattle. I will make music until everything goes south….. “Don’t give up”
Graham, you posted this at just the right time for where I am at in my mindset. Thank You. Keep doing what you do buddy.
Hey Graham,
I did quit, years a go, for about FIVE YEARS!!! Luckily, I didn’t sell off all my gear I just put it away in a closet. Got married, had kids, (two great sons) and started focusing on the “day job” to better my position there. In order to prevent making a long story long, I’ll fast forward. Everything was going along swimmingly, I was happy, but not HAPPY!!! One day it hit me, I miss playing music, so I dusted off the old stuff, practiced the rust off and started up a cover band, we did okay, had some great gigs had a lot of fun. But I wanted to record my own stuff, and Pro Tools seemed to give me that ability. After I learned the basics, I felt empowered, “I’m going to record an album!” What a fool! I soon found out that I didn’t have the “talent” to record my own album. And gave up for about a month. Again, what a fool. I was just going about the wrong way and again, luckily, I was searching for something else and happened to see a you tube “% minutes to a Better Mix” along the side of the screen. I hit it and about 20 video tips later I was back in the game! Graham you have taken from the road to rack and ruin and put me on the right path. I still have ways to go, but its there, I see (hear it actually 😉 the light at the end of the tunnel. To everybody on this list, I’ll paraphrase the great James Murphy) : “Whatever you do, no matter how good or bad it is, someone will like it and someone will hate it. So just do what moves you and make it sound the best you can and put it out there, if you like it that’s all that matters”
THANK YOU Graham for reminding me of that.
-$
When I first got into digital audio production as an amateur musician at home about 10 years ago, I would be so excited about producing a song that I would sit down for an entire day to finish a song from zero to sharing on the internet. And all of my recordings from that era have this really nice feel; they’re somehow very listenable (not just my opinion) even though I hardly knew what I was doing (e.g., all my effects applications like EQ, compressor, etc. were presets of freeware VSTs and my mixing was probably atrocious but it didn’t matter: my vision for each song came through). Nowadays, I spend most of time on the internet looking for new software. But I think I’m satiated and am slowly getting back to writing and recording. Yes, new software is also exciting and I’m glad I have some interesting tools (most important of which is EZDrummer). But I’d much rather have less tools or poor ones and have that excitement I had when I first started. No tool can replace the internal force of passion. Hopefully, I will ignite that passion again by mindfully tuning out of internet and focusing on the music and sticking with that focus even when it doesn’t lead to a relatively quick satisfaction (a concrete result) like in the old days.
VERY INSPIRING…& ENCOURAGING….KEEP IT UP…..GOD BLESS YOUR ENTERPRISE
Some people seem to have missed the word selective. …. A truer point was never raised. We are what we are, if im only 3/5 into my mixing development then so be it….. its not a reason to get upset or dispondant . Great article . Great tips, always!
Walked out of the studio, a little disgusted with the mix of my new tune.
Stepped into my house, opened my e-mail and bam! There it was. More encouragement.
Right on time again Graham.
Walking back to the studio.
Thanks G daddy
Thanks Graham, that came (like for some others as well) at the right time.
Back in 1985 I had a small studio with a friend that had a tracking room and a control room for the desk and the tape deck (8 tracks back then we had to handle everything).
And we even had a window between both rooms.
There wasn’t a lot of outboard that we could use, we used what was built into the desk.
When I stepped into the control room, closed the door and sat down in front of the desk, the rest of the world was left outside.
There was no internet every day to see what’s new on the market, we had to buy magazines, go to fairs, meet friends (who bought this or that).
But it was one thing most : FUN
Nowadays, I am too often catching myself being on auction sites, reading postings also on sometimes questionable sites.
I started having GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrom for the ones who haven’t heard that before) but never really got to the point where I actually finished a recording or a mix or even a song. Let’s try this PlugIn or that PlugIn …. do I already have that super duper Mic Pre wired to use …. and so on…….
This has been covered in another post by you, Graham, as well and I’ll thank you a lot for your words and input.
I then reduced the number of newsletters that I am subscribed to and now I’m done with my daily morning mail within 5 minutes (unless I am answering a post like this one) and there’s still a lot of what I just delete.
But it’s still too much, the number of (new) interesting gear is still around ….. but I will now focus on what I have and not on what there is outside. Sure keeping an open eye but no longer to that extent.
This is also some kind of ignorance that helps me to get closer to results.
And I also think it’s a good advice to be ignorant in the sense Graham describes in his post to get me at least somewhere compared to getting nowhere at all.
Thans again Graham.
Interesting Article. A good very worthwhile read of something related is definately: So Good They Can’t Ignore You, by Cal Newport
I have a feeling that you’re writing these posts based on me :D…
Whatever it takes to put joy back into our music and start tapping into true creativity again is a true blessing! I understand what he is getting at and agree that being selective as to what we “internalize” IS so important in life! Not only in music but especially in music since negativity blocks creativity! Thank you for this reminder.
E
Most of us want to be musicians-songwriters who produce their own music. We spend too much time on the technical side of things and not on the material itself. WHY DO YOU WRITE A SONG? WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO SAY?? WHAT’S YOUR ARTISTIC POINT OF VIEW MUSICALLY AND WHAT DO YOUR LYRICS HAVE TO SAY? Cocorosie made ”La maison de mon reve” many years ago without any of the gear or the experience we have now. Its is the record that made people listen to them because they were something new and because they had something to say. Production and mixing is very important but when it comes to songwriting the lyrics, the intonation, the diction count so much too!
Completely agree. Thanks for the oversimplified advice. Even after a few thousand hours at the desk, your advice has been valuable, information useful, and attitude professional. Keep up the great work. It’s been a great experience applying your advice. Thanks, Graham.
Thanks Graham! I think this is so true. So many people online seem to want to make you believe that you’re not good enough, that your gear is not good enough, that you can’t make good quality music without buying X and Y and having your studio set up with perfect acoustics, etc. I really don’t see the point in even saying that. Sure, maybe some of them are trying to give advice, and yes, quality gear and studio treatment are important, but often the tone seems to be geared toward trying to make you give up. What’s the point in that?
I love reading and listening to you and Joe because you guys know that it’s not about the gear, it’s not about the studio, it’s all about the person using it. If Dave Pensado stepped into my small, semi-treated studio room with decent speakers, a very modest collection of mics, reasonable instruments, and stock plugins, he could churn out an award winning mix. Quality of gear is important, but it’s so much more important to “ignorantly” make music, finish mixes, and get better.
Thanks for the reminder, Graham. In the often discouraging world of internet forums, this article has been a light in my day. Thanks and God bless 🙂
Hello Graham. THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!! There is so much information out here on the skill and craft of audio engineering and music creation, that purely dwells in the technical. It is truly refreshing (over and over again with you) to here and read the true essence of what this music thing is all about. REALLY! I am one on the verge. But today I am renewed. I thank GOD almighty for you allowing him to use you to motivate those who choose to listen. I’m a pastor needing you to preach to me, that I must press on in this field. Music creation is my fishing on a calm lake, that soothes me when dealing with my callings pressures. Again THANK YOU!
I’ve always wanted to record my fingerstyle playing but I could never play in time with the click. I guess I’ll just record with more joyand no click.
Thanks Graham
This was an awesome post Graham! Definitely encouraging and something that can be applied to many different areas in someone’s life. Selective ignorance is really helpful, especially, I think, when you’re in the difficult and challenging growth season with your individual craft. It’s best to just keep you head down and focused on what drives you , instead of being distracted by so many outside voices and ideas. Once again, thank you Graham for your words of wisdom and encouragement. [thumbs up]
Thanks Graham! Looking at myself and a lot of the other posts, I am a bit concerned. I suspect that you have webcams set up in our studios – maybe checking us out through our own webcams ! I am so glad I subscribed to RR – even if it was just for this one post from you. Exactly what I needed. (I am also relieved to see that a bunch of other people – including you – have experienced the same feelings) . God bless.
Thanks for sharing.This post reminds me of James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ”
I believe everyone needs to remember this. Just because we’re having a hard time or not feeling good enough to accomplish something doesn’t mean that we can’t grow and get better. The way I’d apply this to recording is if we’re have trouble with a mix then we need to look at it as a learning experience rather than letting it discourage us. We just have to ask ourselves “What could I have done different to get a better result?”. Then we need to take that and apply it to future mixes.
Wow, this is just right on time. I’m at that stage. Man.. I get frustrated some times. But then I’m realizing that maybe I am being a bit too hard on myself. Sometimes I doubt my productions so much i really wonder if I am meant to do this.. but I can’t help doin it… I would even go in to my studio just to sit down and think. and while I’m thinking i’m just having the burning desire to go mix something, even what i have already mixed just so that i can be mixing or creating something. So i can totally relate to this right now at this stage in my experience trying to master my skill. But mastering any skill is going to always require mastering your mind which inevitably will support and enhance your self confidence to make mistakes and not feel as bad about them. Because confidence makes us more comfortable with our mistakes. heck we might even start seeing our mistakes as art lol 🙂
Hi Graham ,,thanks for this ,,I have been reording ,mixing music,, digitally for ab/ 7 years and have wanted to give up at times ( but i trained myself to ignore those voices …we all know them and forge ahead ) For the most part the joy is still there …. ,.and I ahve really benefitted from your site and advice here . I always look forward to your next blog !!!! Peace and of course great creativity to You!!!
Great post man. Appreciated.
I see you’re catching flack for this one, but it’s right on. I’m a very confident multi-instrumentalist, but the results in the studio can beat me down as I’m still fairly new. Learning this trade is like eating an elephant. Might as well salt it and enjoy the next bite.
Its my third year in and even though there are so many successful mixers and recording artists I still do find joy in making my own music (which sucks lol). You’re right, listening to outside comments that will just bring me depressed and stuff is pointless . And you reminded me something I told myself when i started which was to learn to keep going when people say no. A million thanks man and I love these blogs!!
WOW!!! You don’t know how perfect that was for me! That’s exactly what I needed! I just started recording a week ago and that’s exactly how I felt. Thank you so much, Graham!!!
Absolutely agree, Graham. That’s why I still make music. I’ve just finished the piano vamps on a new reggae song I’m working on. Tomorrow some rough guide vocals and then work on some bass. Workflow sorted out because like you say: “You’ll never get better if you give up.”
BTW – I love reading all my fellow musicians’ comments as most of them inspire me to keep working. All kindred souls doing what we are doing out of love.
After taking fifteen years off to raise children, I stepped back into the studio to learn the DAW life. It has been three years of frustration as I pursued the holy grail of knowledge. I spent way too much time and money looking for concrete answers in an abstract world.
Frustrated, I have lately sat back wondering why my old tunes sounded creative and inspired and my new things are just flat.
Your post and Bingo– I didn’t care twenty years ago. I wrote, played and recorded with reckless abandon. I laughed, made mistakes (even kept a few), and didn’t try to reach perfection.
Thanks for the reminder Graham.
I look forward to putting the phones on tonight with a different perspective
This article/email made me think of all my analog recordings on 4-track cassette…
With limited equipment and total ignorance I managed to record a few songs that I dare say, can’t be digitally duplicated for their warmth and innocence. I can hear lots of unwanted room noise, lyric sheet rattle, and a squeaky chair from time to time….but that ignorance WAS bliss. Now…I’m doing much quieter, more complicated recordings, but they do need more ignorance in them…so thanks Graham for the reminder!
Graham,
I’m already old (64 in years anyway), I’ve been at this music thing playing in bands, road manager hauling equipment up and down stairs (my back feels it) since I was 18. I gave up a couple of times for few years at a time but cannot and will not quit now. I may not have that much time left now and (now that I’m retired) I’m going to stay at it and have fun regardless of how good an engineer I become sometime in the future.
Graham,
Sometimes, we can also hope new tools will help us, and it is possibly what happened recently with the iphone app “hearEQ”. This is an ios ear training application to improve our frequencies recognition abilities. It is not really linked to this topic but worth knowing it exists for us, sound mixers apprentices.
You made really good points. I especially love though how you mentioned joy. I think that’s most important to have joy in what you do
Seems to me little, subtle imperfections are ” real”.
I’m Nik, I have a small-time studio in Oklahoma City.
When I have clients in they tend to be too harsh on themselves about not being perfect. I’ll let them try the track over and over and take their money if that’s how they want to do it but I always encourage them to leave things a little loose.
I do a lot of backing tracks for live bands and for individuals to record to. I can do everything midi and make it perfect. HOWEVER more times than not I find myself going back in and nudging things around ( especially drums ) to make them more human. More IMperfect. I find that it sounds more natural. No one is perfect.
The average person isn’t picking it apart like I do. I try to remind myself of that.
For my own songs….since I have a studio I can always go back in and change things. I mainly purge out songs as they come so I can get everything out of my head.
I’m currently fighting this part of me stuck in what I call “ballad hell” . The only way I’ve found to quit writing so many ballads is to just GET THEM OUT and move on.
I appreciate the article (blog) . I also appreciate seeing everyone’s comments.
Nikkin Frank of EXP Studio
Let him with ears to hear really take in this great message. Good music comes from real people experiencing real joy performing their songs. Yes, work on your technical skills, yes, if you want to be taken seriously you need to get better at your technical skills, but those technical skills serve only to allow you to more specifically express your joy and passion through your instrument, be it a harmonica, a bass guitar, or a parametric equalizer. Don’t confuse the forest for the trees. Don’t think that a good mix means a good song, or a smooth riff on the Lydian scale means a moving guitar solo. Technical skill is a means to an end, the end being passionate and expressive performances of your music. LOVE IT!!
What in the heck has this got to do with mixing?
Really interesting topic. Personally, I see two separated levels of “ignorance” when I sit in the studio. The first one concerns something strictly technical, if that kick is not powerful enough and it compromises the whole track, i got to fix it in some way, no “ignorance” is admitted in this case. Or , when i’m lucky, the mix is good, i feel the track and i don’t care of mistakes . The second level is the worst one: the mix is ok, i like the sound and the track is good but i simply don’t feel it. This is something very frequent when the artist and the engineer are the same person, you spend days on the same track for production, arrangement and mix, and you lost your coordinates, you simply can’t judge your work. Is it the bass range? Is the structure of the track catchy enough? In this case, I think it’s just an artistic choice. If you simply don’t feel what you’ve done, don’t sit on it for too much, skip to something new until you feel that particular thing and you say “yeah, I did it”. It’s not a case if the great Giorgio Moroder says “produce 10 tracks and pick up the best one”.
I have a nice story about ignorance.
It was all about ignoring the fear of not knowing at all what I was doing.
When I first was live mixing at an FOH all alone some years ago, my colleague told me upfront we would set everything up together during the first band and that I could easily use the set up for the following three bands.
So I arrived at a small open air venue with already 200 people around and no bands yet.
I started getting nervous as time seemed a bit short and I never saw a mixing console before.
As I sometimes balanced my bands amps and mics when we were on stage I had a pretty good feeling how things should sound like but – I felt scared.
However my friend had to leave before the first band arrived – he just showed me how a mixer channel is set up , EQed and gained and that I should do this for all of the Mics… and he told me to use this mic for the base, this for the vocals and some short hints. Next he showed me the four way monitor system and wished me luck as he had to leave.
Hell – 4 Aux Mix + Front on my first day!
How ever I just tried to do what I saw so often from the other side and hoped for the best and
when you just pulled up some faders you immediately felt what was the right loudness and balance, live mixing feels not so bad as mixing in a DAW. I don’t know why this is but somehow things just come easy together when you balance.
So , yes I made some mistakes and it was a total crazy evening but in the end the bands were really satisfied with me the people were singing , jumping and dancing with the last band and I felt that it didn’t even sound so bad.
So a happy ending but without concentrating on the moment and just ignoring all the things I don’t know I would have screwed this up for sure.
Thanks for post this amazing. I’m a long time reader but ive never commented till
now.
Thanks again for the awesome post.