Mixing your own music
- slowcentury
- gettin' sounds
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Mixing your own music
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.
- Gregg Juke
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- slowcentury
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- Nick Sevilla
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- zen recordist
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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.
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.
- slowcentury
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- Snarl 12/8
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- fossiltooth
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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.
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.
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.
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.
- jgimbel
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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
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.
Hillbilly Chamber Music
http://hillbillychambermusic.bandcamp.com
http://hillbillychambermusic.bandcamp.com
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.
so yeah.... do something like that.
boobs are life's fountain
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.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.
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