How do you know what to do at every given point when there seems to be an unlimited amount of mixing techniques to try out?
How do you know when to add EQ or compression?
How much?
When is enough enough?
What frequencies should you focus on?
Should you use this plug-in or that plug-in?
Information overload and choice paralysis is a huge issue when you're trying to finish your mixes because we have so many things at our disposal.
I'll admit it, I have way too many plug-ins than I need.
That's the curse of these plug-in subscriptions actually. Even if you only want a few, it's cheaper to get the
subscription so you end up with too many.
Some of them are fun to play with.
Some of them don't do anything your stock plug-ins can't do.
And some of them are so complicated in honor of accurately modeling vintage gear that they're counterproductive to creativity.
Most of them go unused because my goal isn't to play. It's to finish my work.
I only let my daughter play with her food for so long before I sternly tell her to finish her plate. I treat myself the same way when I'm mixing a song for a client.
But when you're working on your own songs, you can take all the time in the world because nobody's waiting on you.
And THAT'S the problem. It lets you off the hook.
So my goal with the upcoming Step By Step Mixing Challenge is to help you do ONLY what's necessary to move your mix forward so that you end up with a releasable record.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
You can play with your food another time, but if you want to actually finish your mixes and share your music with the world, you'll join the Step By Step Mixing Challenge once it opens.
Looking forward to sharing it with you real
soon,
Björgvin
P.S.
If you haven't read the Step By Step Mixing book already, I'd recommend checking it out before the challenge opens. It's not required reading to succeed with the challenge, but it will be a pretty handy reference guide for you throughout the mixing process.
