7 Mixing And Mastering Mistakes You Might Make In Your Home Studio
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Written by Jaron Lewis
Mixing and mastering at home is difficult but not impossible. There are far more technologies available today than there have been in the past – but that doesn’t mean mistakes aren’t made. Mixing and mastering software is great to have, but learning how to do it all on your own is a process. Here are 7 mixing and mastering mistakes you might make at your home studio.
*EXTRA* How To Make Sure Your Mixes and Masters Sound Good In The 1st Place
One of the easiest ways to make sure a mix and master for your song sounds great is to compare it with a similar song that's already mixed and mastered.
So if you're not sure that your songs are sounding like you want them to, it wouldn't hurt to spend a little money to get at least one of your songs mixed and mastered professionally so that when you're improving your own skills, you have a reference to build upon!
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Not Editing And Comping Your Tracks
Mixing is easier when the tracks sound great. Of course, you want the music to sound good when you’re recording it, but editing isn’t something you want to slack on either. Make sure you get rid of any unnecessary noise.
If you’ve recorded multiple takes, take the time to make sure you are using the best possible take in every spot. If the verse was better in take number one, but the chorus was better in take number 3, comp those takes together and take your song to a whole new level of greatness.
Just Using Presets
Presets are a great place to start, but they are not a good substitution for knowing what you are doing. Putting on a preset that sounds cool is great, but it does not know what it’s listening to. It’s too generic and won’t be helpful, without you being able to tweak it a little. Make the song your own by manipulating the presets to fit the song you are working on.
Too Much Drums
Don’t allow your drums to be overwhelming. They should be there to support and not interfere, coming out bold and strong only when it is their time to shine.
Neglecting Groups and Busses
It is smart to create a simple mixing process if you don’t want to go through the same little things over and over again. Groups and busses are the best way to simplify your mix, making you faster and better at what you’re doing.
Too Much Reverb
A common and understandable mistake, because that reverb just sounds so good! Adding it to everything is a mistake though, as it leaves everything just drowning in reverb. Spend the time tweaking your reverbs until they sound right.
Mastering Too Loud
You want to find the perfect balance between loudness and dynamics. A master that is too dynamic can be just as problematic as one that is too loud. If you can’t find that loudness “sweet spot” then things might get a little out of control.
Using Too Many Plugins
Plugins themselves are not the enemy. Some of them are very useful, but it can get out of hand easily. Most of the time, it’s better to keep the use of plugins minimal as too many will just start fighting against each other, getting you nowhere.
Wrapping Up
There are many mistakes to be made when learning how to mix and master at home, but hopefully these mixing and mastering tips will help you as you navigate your way through the process. There are some mixing and mastering free software options out there, so you can get started right away even if you don’t have money to spend!
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© 2023 Omari MC, LLC. All Rights Reserved.