My guess as to why its like rocket science is that you’re trying to mix shit and have it turn out like a delicious velvet cake...

 

Besides, learn first to compose and forget about mixing for the time being. Good luck.

 

Last edited: Nov 8, 2019

Happy to help. It's easy to talk about, tough to make happen though but hopefully something in my ramble helps you out.

 

Much more important than what?

 

hmm I feel like mixing in the DAW is a relatively easier learning curve than other creative areas...

learning to do 3d graphics for me has proven to be a much much steeper learning curve... but it's still early so I'll have to re-evaluate my judgement later on... but I do feel making visual art has a much much steeper learning curve...

@Lois Lane would you agree or nah?

 

I mean that in other genre you can compose without caring much for the sound, and mix later. With electronic genre sound is much more important, as it's part of the composition so you need to have it right while composing.

 

In my opinion, mixing is sort of like additive synthesis whereby waveforms are added together and math is done one bit at a time, in rapid succession creating an illusion that is analogous to movement. Multiple sound sources, when digitized, are like a 'flipbook' of numbers which are added together until they end up being just one 'flipbook' of numbers that can be listened to if you have a digital to analog converter and some sort of amplifier and speaker system. So, mixing with a computer is just addition, it is only addition, and it is never anything except addition because computers can only add things. Rocket science is more complicated than addition because it also uses psychology and propaganda.

 

That makes me wonder about the high frequency content in the kick, too. Since small speakers can reproduce the high frequencies easier...

 

Hahah- as a hobbyist for me it is most about that, and more than basic mixing is so complicated and less "fun".
But, I wonder about using stems to practice mixing, since they are already a reference.
It seems like a way to find out what can be done that works well vs. things that don't, but without the variable of complications or something inherently wrong in the in the source tracks.
[Edit: And I did look it up and see that "Multitracks" prior to processing are really what is better.
I see them for sale and I suppose they are "quality" ones to work with, as opposed to the variables I mentioned.

 

You'll find 'some' free stems here http://www.cambridge-mt.com/ms-mtk.htm

 

I think it can be as complicated as you want to make it, I can't really speak on the topic as I'm pretty horrible at music production in general.

 

When I started it was rocket science. Then it became a science. Then fun. After a while it became joyful, a habit and easy.
Some say it's still an artform.

 

Last edited: Nov 10, 2019

im not Lois but, to me, its all the same. music, visualart, writting and so on, its a way of living LIFE.
its about how we apply ourself to whatever we do. nothing is "easy" per say. but practice anything enough and it can appear "easy" or "effortless"

 

shutup relief steeper learning curve end of story I win fight me in pms XDXDXDXD

 

There is an old Irish saying. Once you walk on the moon, mixing becomes as easy as riding a bicycle. I heard it once in a bar.

 

As science goes, "rocket science" is not that difficult. Simple mass, inertia, equal and opposite reaction, gravity/trajectory. Rockets themselves are only complicated because they have thousands of switches, valves, devices and machines to help keep the cargo safe. For complicated, try string theory and quantum mechanics...

 

I'll try and give you some quick pointers.
Great mixes usually start with great source material.
So arrange, produce, and record well.
Choose good sounds, and avoid clipping and distortion.
Track or bounce between -10 and -6db. This is good
for most plugins and let's you mix with depth and headroom.

Monitoring is half the battle.
Make sure your monitors are set in an equilateral triangle position to yourself and/or have high quality reference headphones.
Lower the levels of reference material, to match your mix.
As your yet to be mastered mix cannot fully compete,
just yet, with a mastered mix. So lower the reference -6 or -10db
to compare and stay in the sonic ball bark.

Best mixes have a good balance of warmth, clarity and depth.
Those principals are pretty core across all genres for me. Perhaps that'll work for you too.
Again, listen to well mixed references to stay in the ball bark and
pay special attention to the balance between vocals, drums and bass.
Mix with headroom for the mastering. Your average max peak should be at -6db or slightly less.
Just turn up your speakers or headphones, to compensate.
Make a great mix at these levels, and let the finalizing and mastering take your mix home.

Good luck.

PS I heard the audio clip and you're pretty much where you need to be IMO.
Just balance the hook sample with your vocals, when you finally put them in
and you'll be good. Mastering will be the final step that gets you across
the finish line.

 

Last edited: Nov 18, 2019

I 'm 6 years in to mixing... It felt like rocket sience to me and it made me feel frustrated after every atempt to mix something that turned out to be far from my expectetions...
I could notice that i was getting better but never reached the results i wanted...
But recently i felt that i have more control over my mix, that i can achive a closer result to my goal by understanding that some things i was doing were "wrong" ! Nowdays mixing is a fun procedure for me.
Still i m not in the level i would like but i have to say its getting closer and closer.
Mixing is about training your ears and keep mixing every day ! You just need a lot of practice.
A good advice i can give you that worked for me ( i hope it will work for you ) is that you need to find good referenes, i know that everyone mentioned this but its more important that you might think. If you can find great sounding multitracks it will be better.
In conclution, find good referenced, try to mix a lot and learn your gear ( plugins or hardware )

Sorry for bad english ,cheers and have fun !!! WIsh you the best results !!!

 

For me it's clear 3D grahics or even 2D animation is far more complex than music. Including the tools we have, the knowledge base,..
But this doesn't mean it's easy to make music. It just means you'll find the average computer musician does better things than the average computer 3D artist/animator.

 

I'm not reliefsan (but I aspire to be more like him), but I feel as not everyone has an affinity for all things, though through constant practice certainly helps an aspirant in any artistic sphere translate their vision to the highest level of creativity that is possible for them in particular. Not everyone is a Basquiat, Winehouse, Massenberg, Zappa or No Avenger.