Ever walked through an art gallery and been unimpressed with the famous paintings? Maybe you feel as though you could have achieved the same result in a fraction of the time, or feel as though there are imperfections in the piece that ruin your experience of it? The same may be felt about your music.
So even in a subjective industry, how do we make changes that actively reduce the likelihood of people focusing on imperfections or generally just feeling unimpressed? We believe the answer is balance.
In order to achieve balance within your mix and ultimately make objectively good music, try to answer the following questions about your track/s:
Does my mix have appropriate contrast in the sound?
If your track is too dynamic - it will leave the listener reaching for the volume knob to turn certain sections up, and others down.
If not dynamic enough - the mix ends up feeling stagnant and ultimately doesn’t keep the listener engaged. Think about it, if Adele's 'Rolling In The Deep' had the same dynamics during the intro, verse, and chorus the listener wouldn't be taken on a journey and there would be no reason to continue to listen because the track isn't going anywhere.
At a time where anyone can make music for the industry, make sure your music is engaging.
Can I hear all of the instruments in my mix?
An overlooked self reflection for many producers. Often adopting an ‘I added the sound, therefore it is there’ attitude. Correctly gain-staging/level-balancing your mix is the single most effective way of achieving a good mix. Oftentimes once a mix has been level balanced, 70% of the mix is complete as a result.
Does my mix feel muddy or lack focus?
Is my guitar track and my vocal track competing for the listeners’ attention? Does my mix sound harsh in the higher frequencies rather than exciting? These issues are most commonly caused by a tonal imbalance. The key to fixing these issues is considerate EQing.
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