Here’s How You Mix the Same Song Over and Over With Different Results

Got a great question from a reader the other day:

“Is it okay to practice or just improvise mixes over and over again on the same project? “

First of all, it’s not up to me to judge whether it’s ok to practice. Of course it’s good to practice your skills.

But the better thing would be to practice towards something.

Instead of mixing the same thing over and over again the same way, try to go for a different feel in your mix every time.

If you only have one multitrack to work with then try to make it sound radically different every time(btw, there’s no reason you should have only one multi-track to work with to improve your portfolio, check out Dueling Mixes if you need more multi-tracks).

But I digress.

Making different sounding mixes of the same song will help you understand how all your processors, EQ, compression and effects work when you’re trying different things.

For instance,

• Edgy drums – Try making a mix that’s really edgy on the drum sound. Here’s where you focus on nailing drum compression and making the drum sound thick and punchy in your mix.
• Soft and natural – After that try for a soft and dynamic mix. Ease off on the compression and get an earthier sound that’s more seventies than modern pop.
• Hypercompress – Try something completely different and really work on making a mix super pumpy and squashes. You might not like the end result but it will teach you to recognize the sound of an overcompressed mix. Even if you hate overcompression it’s great to do it anyway if only to learn how to avoid the sound.
• Different vocal styles – There are so many ways you can process a vocal. With all the different reverbs, delays and processors you can make the same mix every time but it will sound radically different by just changing the vocal sound.

Those are just some examples. But make sure you don’t do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.

Even Albert Einstein agrees that you’ll go insane.

Instead challenge yourself to do something different every time.

And hey while you’re at it, use some of the tips and tricks found in Recording & Mixing Strategies Bundle to give you new ideas on how to make your mixes sound better than ever.

www.audio-issues.com/strategies

Image by: sparktography

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