About The Discussion Zone

This Discussion Zone is a response to the most common question I get from users of the 'Mixing Secrets' Free Multitrack Download Library:

"Where can I listen to other people's mixes and get feedback on my own?"

Obviously there are loads of general music-tech forums where you can post a mix link and ask for feedback (SOS, Recording.Org, Gearslutz, Mixoff.Org, etc, etc...), but I honestly don't think any of them are particularly well suited to library users. For instance, it's often difficult to find mixes/discussion about the specific multitrack project you're interested in -- even once you've weeded through all the non-mixing threads. Then there are situations where mixdown files can't easily be auditioned without downloading, or (even more frustratingly) are simply dead links that render any discussion useless for learning purposes. Plus, with typical multi-page 'mix-off' threads it can be a nightmare to disentangle which comments refer to which mix files.

So I finally decided to bite the bullet and set up a dedicated forum-style 'Discussion Zone' for the multitrack library. Here's the concept, which (as usual) I've tried to keep as simple as possible:

  • Within the Discussion Zone, each multitrack project has its own sub-forum.
  • Within each sub-forum, each mix has its own thread.
  • Users can comment on any mix by replying to its thread.
It should therefore be easy to find mixes of any given multitrack, and to see which feedback comments apply to which mix. In addition, there are three other important features of the Discussion Zone:
  1. To minimise dead links, MP3 and M4A (iTunes) audio files can be uploaded directly to the Discussion Zone as post attachments. Once attached, they'll automatically become playable directly within the browser, and can also be downloaded for off-line listening. I've put no limit on the number of mixes each user can upload, and individual mix files can be up to 40MB in size, which equates to more than 15 minutes of audio at the maximum 320kbps resolution! (You can still post links to Soundcloud or wherever if you insist, but please be aware that I'll immediately remove any threads based on dead links.)

  2. Please post any updated versions of your mix in the same thread as the original version, so that all your feedback stays together and other users can easy follow your progress.

  3. I'll personally be creating sticky threads at the top of many of the sub-forums to provide additional information and mixing advice specific to each multitrack project. Any general comments/questions about the multitrack project can be posted as replies to that thread.
And that's all. No extraneous bells and whistles -- just a streamlined facility for learning from each other's mixes.

For an example of how it feels in practice, check out the Arise 'Run Run Run' sub-forum, which already includes my 'project info' sticky and a few different mix threads. Please have a quick glance at the 'Three Commandments' before posting. If you encounter any problems, feel free to PM me in the Discussion Zone or contact me direct so I can try to sort them out.