Mixing AFTER composition?

[logakght]

So I was reading some articles about mixing in Live http://www.musictech.net/2013/03/live-9-tutorial-mix-and-workflow-tricks/ And in one part it says that I should divide my work in the "creative" part and the "mixing part"

 

That means I shouldn't worry about mixing while creating? I shouldn't worry if one thing sounds louder or muddy or shit like that until I start the "mixing" part?

 

I used to mix and create all at the same time.

 

Opinions?

[Brisbot]

I've heard this advice a lot, but I kept seeing that the people who recommended it were people who usually only made one type of music, and were worried about efficiency more than anything else because they wanted to bust out the same kinds of tracks over and over.

Personally I naturally tend to do some mixing during the process of composition, then as I approach what I feel like is the 'final composition' is when another bulk of mixing comes in because I know I want to finish the track. I like to make it sound decent-good while on the composition tip then really getting under the track as you approach the finish line of composition. I try not to think of the track in different stages really, because mixing is apart of composing in a sense. Dividing stuff into distinct stages is weird when you think about it. It caters to the human need to categorize.

Maybe in a few years I'll naturally be having a composition stage and then mixing stage, but for now I'm pretty comfortable tackling things as I see them needed.

[Klopjob]

This method of working makes you critically listen after doing the meat of the creative work, which is helpful but always remember it's easy to over-polish and lose the heart and soul of something, this is what some have said about Tomorrow's Harvest; personally I like it though. Different processes work for different people/software

[Brisbot]

 

 

Different processes work for different people/software

totally agree. It's probably worth trying out the stage by stage thing but if it doesn't make your workflow more comfortable or natural then chuck it.

[mcbpete]

Although sometimes I'm naughty and try and mix at the same time (well, a final mix) - I usually like to go back to a track a day or two later to listen with fresh ears. Of late I've taken to uploading the track to an mp3 player and then play the track later whilst walking around town and seeing what bits I'd change in the mix and note them down somewhere - there's always something that needs a tweak I find !

[Guest]

That means I shouldn't worry about mixing while creating? I shouldn't worry if one thing sounds louder or muddy or shit like that until I start the "mixing" part?

 

Choice of sounds can already be considered mixing because of the frequency content, don't worry about these musictech dude's opinion, they need to have new articles on the same shit every month. Create the song as how you want it to sound changing eq and levels as you go along, or make something and foresee how it sounds in the future, doing all the mixing in the end? I get what they mean with focusing on the creative stuff first, but better do a bit of both at the same time imo. You imagine best when the sounds are already sounding how you imagine them in the mix, why postpone the realization of all components till the end?

[Chris Toffer]

Just do whatever. Don't hesitate to mix during the composition but also don't hesitate to make different mixes once you've completed the composition. Experiment to discover the ultimate mix

[peace 7]

In my early days of making music (late 90's), I would never mix. Everything was mud. And then after learning of the magic of mixing, I always mixed during composition. In later years, I did conceive of the concept of composing everything before mixing, but then I realized that in electronic music, the sonic qualities were part of composition. Sooo in summation with regards to this thread: I feel mixing and composing simultaneously are essential. The ultra hardcore clinical eq shit, though, that can wait until every aspect is in place.

 

Composing = adding.

Mixing = taking away.

 

If music composition is thought about like working on a clay maquette, both adding and taking away are required.

 

Summation of summation: Final result is important. Getting to the final result in the most efficient or enjoyable manner is important; order of actions is irrelevant.

 

random p.s. shiz: Knowing when not to mix, can be pretty tough. Sometimes it takes hours of mixing to realize that somehow everything sits fine in the original.

[klore]

the mix of your tracks is part of your music creativity and your artistic approach.

which means it can be whenever you want although a proper final mix is always needed too

 

if there would be something universal i would say:

while composing, mix the stems so they can sound well together, because it will help to find the core idea, but don't get lost in details, plus details are always best treated with fresh ears, the technique must be secondary at first and priority at the end, but you also need to do both on both steps

 

so mix the best possible on the core idea, it must sound good to your ears before saying "it needs a great final mix now"

 

the final mix is technical and science, not really artistic imho

[Bechuga]

Yeah mixing is definitely more a science than art, which is why I stopped doing it until I'm finished with a track and still like the track a week or so later. Otherwise, I'm spending my precious time tweaking a track that I haven't even finished that I realize I don't really like.

 

But as mentioned, everyone works differently, and that's part of the fun. :D

[logakght]

thanks a lot for the replies. Really informative. And yeah, I will then mix and create at the same time, but make the "final mix" at the end. But I guess I shouldn't add a compressor in the first mix, right? :P

[PhylumZunami]

shit just do what makes you happy, baby

[peace 7]

Yeah mixing is definitely more a science than art...

 

For clarity, somewhat clinical and freq-science stuffs, is uh "science". But I do feel the highest level of mixing is an art. A personal style of sonic quality- THE FLAVOR OF EAR CANDY- takes many years to craft. In electronic music, the mixing styling seems somewhat more generic than pop music (well, pop from past decades, anyway)-- and nowadays, all genres do tend to copy popular sonic aesthetic (mixing style, synth style, compressor style, reverb style).

 

But the art of mixing is fucking crazy. Cuz you can take the same stems, have 5 people mix them and the results can be emotionally different. Music's so fucking deeep, dyuuuuudee.e..e.e..e.