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Author Topic: staying focused on a mix  (Read 5475 times)

Stephen Swaffer

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Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #10 on: October 24, 2019, 12:56:11 PM »

I used to mix at our church all the time-and fairly often pastor would fuss at me-"I can't hear so and so"-even when I thought I had a good mix (no band typically piano + vocals).  It would frustrate me at times-and I think some of it was subjective listening.  But, now that I usually run media with some of the same people singing, I find it easier to pick out the voice that's not where it should be in the mix.  Or is it just that I want to hear something different than the guy mixing??
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Steve Swaffer

Debbie Dunkley

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Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #11 on: October 24, 2019, 01:48:37 PM »

Half the problem is our minds 'fill in the gaps' so much and sometimes if I am familiar with the song - which is most times - I think I can hear something even if it's not there. If vocal harmonies are missing for example, I'm already singing them in my head - so they are there - right?
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A young child says to his mother, "Mom, when I grow up I'm going to be a musician." She replies, "Well honey, you know you can't do both."

David Sturzenbecher

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Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2019, 11:41:15 PM »

I will often cover my ears for 5-10 seconds.  Try to figuratively step away for a quick bit, and maybe even try to listen discretely with my ears covered.  Then really focus for the next 5-10 seconds after you take your hands off your ears.   I have found this incredibly helpful for loud shows.
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John Sulek

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Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #13 on: October 26, 2019, 07:59:36 PM »

Heres a question for you all .
when I listen to a mix I hear everything and wonder why the FOH engineer is missing it.
When I mix I loose sight of my own mix and longer hear my own mix and get "lost" in my mix.
has anyone travelled down this path and or know how to re focus?

thanking you in advance.
Russell
Best advice I ever got from an older mixer when I was a new guy...
After the first song or two, when you think things are good.
Put your hands in your pockets, take two steps back and ask this question...if I paid to hear this show, would I be happy?
Then think first and adjust second.
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John P. Farrell

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Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2019, 09:59:29 AM »

I mix basically in the dark.  No console lights, screens etc as dim as possible.  I find it helps me focus more on the band and less on the "stuff" I have surrounding me.  Usually if something needs adjusting I will hear it before I see it (too much compression, weird eq, whatever).  I like the experience to come from my ears as much as possible.  Kinda hard these days and definitely easier said than done!

JF
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Jonathan Hole

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Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #15 on: October 29, 2019, 11:24:38 AM »

Heres a question for you all .
when I listen to a mix I hear everything and wonder why the FOH engineer is missing it.
When I mix I loose sight of my own mix and longer hear my own mix and get "lost" in my mix.
has anyone travelled down this path and or know how to re focus?

thanking you in advance.
Russell

I've mixed literally several thousand church services over the years and to this day I still have to remind myself to keep my head / eyes up as I have a tendency to start tweaking on the desk and mixing heads down for a good bit of a song.  When my head is up, I'm hearing a bit more clearly and associating the mix I'm hearing with what I'm seeing, which for me seems to gel things together. So once major problems are solved, especially in a festival or short sound check situation, I try to listen as an audience member and just find that it increases my own enjoyment and I can follow the audience's response and vocalist energy and direction better as a result. 
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #16 on: October 29, 2019, 11:36:55 AM »

One of the bad habits I started when I first started mixing on an iPad was to not watch the band enough - the lack of physical faders was tough to get used to. Once I realized what I was doing I tried to force myself to look up more which I now do.
I agree that watching the band whilst mixing is helpful.  Quite a few times I have been able to 'find' something with my eyes that I couldn't tell was missing with my ears.
Then again, it is a blend of the 2 because I have seen too many BE's mix by eye TOO much.
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A young child says to his mother, "Mom, when I grow up I'm going to be a musician." She replies, "Well honey, you know you can't do both."

john lutz

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Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #17 on: October 29, 2019, 01:26:46 PM »

I have noticed that having a friend or guest come up to me to chat for a moment seems to reset my ears to a more neutral state – also pulls me out of being hyper focused on the mix.
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Geert Friedhof

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Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #18 on: October 29, 2019, 09:14:31 PM »

^ This
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Jordan Wolf

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Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #19 on: November 01, 2019, 01:27:01 PM »

I think that mixing music is much easier to stay “involved” with than mixing speech, playback, etc. (corpy audio).

Depending on the subject matter, i’s hard enough just staying awake sometimes, haha. But seriously, I have learned what works for me is to step away from the room for a moment or two without looking back to pay attention to any production upfront. I try to come back in with no expectations of MY mix, but how it SHOULD ideally sound.

I also will listen to my headphones at a similar perceived SPL to where I am in the room as a tonality reference. This helps change up what my ears are exposed to and lets me recalibrate in-situ.
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Jordan Wolf
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"We want our sound to go into the soul of the audience, and see if it can awaken some little thing in their minds... Cause there are so many sleeping people." - Jimi Hendrix

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: staying focused on a mix
« Reply #19 on: November 01, 2019, 01:27:01 PM »


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