Mixing your own music

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slowcentury
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Mixing your own music

Post by slowcentury » Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:19 am

Does anyone here dislike doing this as much as I do? I can spend days mixing other peoples projects but the second it comes to mixing my own band the motivation goes out the window and it stops being fun. I need to drum up some motivation techniques.

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Gregg Juke
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Post by Gregg Juke » Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:23 am

Give yourself a hard date to get the record finished. Make it real by booking mastering time and duplication.

If that doesn't motivate you...

GJ

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slowcentury
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Post by slowcentury » Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:44 am

i did that... then the label said I had more time, because it wasn't going to get released till 2012.

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Nick Sevilla
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Post by Nick Sevilla » Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:53 am

slowcentury wrote:i did that... then the label said I had more time, because it wasn't going to get released till 2012.
Never believe the Labels deadlines.
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Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:09 pm

i love mixing my own stuff. or anyone else's for that matter. doesn't make a bit of difference to me. just gimme some stuff to mix and i will happily disappear into the studio for ages.

hhmmm, i don't really have any motivation techniques....um...you could pretend you're me and would be psyched to have a whole record to mix.

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slowcentury
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Post by slowcentury » Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:39 pm

Nick Sevilla wrote:
slowcentury wrote:i did that... then the label said I had more time, because it wasn't going to get released till 2012.
Never believe the Labels deadlines.
Amen!

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Post by wren » Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:41 pm

I actually prefer mixing my own stuff...it's just easier for me when I have a really clear vision from the get-go rather than having to quickly develop one.
"I don't need time, I need a deadline." -Duke Ellington

"I liked the holes in it as much as I liked what was in them." -Tom Waits

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Snarl 12/8
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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Mon Jan 09, 2012 5:14 pm

slowcentury wrote:i did that... then the label said I had more time, because it wasn't going to get released till 2012.
Dude, you might want to get on that. Have you checked your calendar recently?
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Post by vvv » Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:28 pm

:lol:
bandcamp;
blog.
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Post by fossiltooth » Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:58 pm

I couldn't imagine mixing my own stuff. How would you maintain perspective? How could you bear hearing yourself so much, and how could you face playing those songs again and again on the road after listening them a jillion times in the mixing process?

All I know is that when I'm done mixing a song for a client, I don't really want to hear it again for a while, even if I love the tune and the mix. I'd hate to feel that way about my own stuff, especially if I'm supposed to play it on the road.

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bannerj
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Post by bannerj » Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:25 pm

Depends on lots of things...the kind of music you are doing, your patience, what your end goal is, how much money you have.

I've been still working on a side project of my own for several years. It is almost done and I've been to hell and back again. I haven't grown tired of the songs largely because I had so many contributions...parts played by others. It is very interesting to live with a piece of art for so long.

Most would probably discourage such a time commitment, yet some novelists take ten years. Some painters repaint the same picture thirty times.

But from what it sounds like...esp if the OP is on a label, he probably should hand it over to someone else or at least get someone else to mix with, to keep some creative momentum.

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jgimbel
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Post by jgimbel » Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:14 pm

I had the benefit of starting to learn to record just a few months after starting to learning to play/write, so when I'm writing I'm generally writing with certain sounds and techniques in mind. I have in the past spent way too much time working on my own stuff picking it apart while I'm good at and love keeping perspective when recording clients. That's something I'm working on! I don't find mixing my own stuff difficult though, once the song is down you can look at it a bit more objectively and just put the musician job down, and use yours ears.
My first new personal album in four years - pay what you want - http://jessegimbel.bandcamp.com

dgrieser
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Post by dgrieser » Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:07 am

It is difficult to keep perspective on your own music, but it's also very rewarding to go from idea/concept to finished tune and I enjoy it. I use recording/mixing as part of the composition process, and I'm lucky to have someone who is willing to listen to mixes and let me know what they are hearing that I'm not (being too close to the whole thing). I do need that outside perspective--but no one else knows how I'm hearing these tunes in my head as I try to get them recorded.

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ottokbre
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Post by ottokbre » Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:53 pm

I am in the middle of this too, and I have no deadline that isnt just self imposed. My GF left on a 10 day business and I so setup my DAW and monitors in the middle of the living room in front of the sofa. If she saw that when she got back she would be very unhappy, so it's my goal to be wrapped up and living room cleaned before she gets back.

so yeah.... do something like that.
boobs are life's fountain

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T-rex
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Post by T-rex » Wed Jan 11, 2012 4:15 pm

dgrieser wrote:It is difficult to keep perspective on your own music, but it's also very rewarding to go from idea/concept to finished tune and I enjoy it. I use recording/mixing as part of the composition process, and I'm lucky to have someone who is willing to listen to mixes and let me know what they are hearing that I'm not (being too close to the whole thing). I do need that outside perspective--but no one else knows how I'm hearing these tunes in my head as I try to get them recorded.
I agree with this. I really enjoy it because I get to act like a big name mixer / producer and take a lot of liberties right off the bat that I wouldn't ordinarily do with a client. It is tough maintaining perspective, but on the other hand you know the song intimately from the beginning so if the song doesn't get to where you envision it, you only have yourself to blame. I am used to doing this from being in bands. I can see it being even tougher if I was the primary songwriter. Also, being in a band you automatically get pressure from them to finish so that helps also.

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