To finish a mix, get distracted
To finish a mix, get distracted
Tell me if you’ve had this experience: you’re right at the tail end of finishing a mix, and you’re burned out, and you’re right at the edge of losing your focus … and you realize at a certain point that you should have stopped about an hour ago, and you have a nagging feeling that something you did in the last hour made the song worse, not better. Like maybe you went over the line and overworked it.
I’m extremely susceptible to this. And, for this reason, when I'm in the very last stages of finishing a mix, I also make sure that I'm distracted. Otherwise I focus too much on things that don't need it, and miss things that I've taken for granted!
Here’s my tried-and-true method for finishing a mix; give it a shot and see whether it helps!
Put the song on loop, at low volume.
If possible, stream it live from your DAW through your laptop or phone; there is software available to do this, and it’s one of the best investments you’ll ever make.
Do something else for a while, while the song is quietly looping. Get immersed in a game you enjoy playing. Check emails. Hang out on Mastodon.
Any time something in the song draws you out of what you’re doing, take note of it. Is it because it was awesome? Or is it because it needs a little more attention?
Our subconscious is powerful; intentionally engaging it is smart.
Not really thinking about it — jamie