How To Tell When Your Mix Is Finished
- You Can Hear Each Instrument Clearly.
- You Can Understand Every Word of the Lyrics.
- The Mix Is Glued Together.
- There Are No Technical Issues with the Mix.
- It Grows and Changes Over Time.
- It Sounds Good Compared to Other Songs.
- It Sounds Good on Multiple Sound Systems.
- What makes a mix good?
- How long does it take to get good at mixing?
- How do you know when your mix is ready for mastering?
What makes a mix good?
Balance: The mix should offer a good balance of the levels of each instrument, vocal, etc. while preserving the musicality and emotion of the song. ... Separation: Each instrument and part should be easily discernable. A great mix will well-defined enough for the listener to pick out individual sounds.
How long does it take to get good at mixing?
On average, it takes 5 years to learn mixing and mastering to a highly proficient level. Basics can be learned in a few weeks, but more experience will be needed to produce satisfactory mixes. You can be producing respectable demos within 6 months, but these will not be of professional standard.
How do you know when your mix is ready for mastering?
For a mix-ready track, your master fader should have plenty of dynamic range between its peaks and at least a bit of headroom for mastering to work with should they need to make the whole thing a bit louder.