Help; my mix is driving me nuts!
I got this message a few days ago from our friend Susan:
I am hating my mixes the past couple of weeks. They are worse not better. So frustrating. But I keep plugging away because I have so many songs I have to do something with them.
ARGH
First: HOW RELATABLE. You’re not alone, Susan! We all feel like this sometimes.
Second: KEEP GOING! You're probably on the cusp of a breakthrough.
It can be helpful in moments like this to drill down very specifically on what about your mixes is bothering you. This can take the problem from “monsters under the bed” territory into a much more well-defined and manageable space. Here's how I would do it:
Listen to some music that you know and love, on the same speakers you mix on. Listen to a few different songs in a row, to get your ears in a "This is what well-mixed music sounds like" sort of space
Put on your mix
Listen to your mix all the way through, and write down on paper with a pencil everything that you notice that bothers you about it
Now you have a to-do list; how empowering!
Pragmatically — jamie