26-03-2024, 07:56 PM
Hey Francis, indeed how much time it should take to mix a track from top to end is an interesting discussion!
Of course there is no 'should' nor an absolute answer - everyone has their own mixing style/speed and it all depends on the quality of the production etc.
But in general I do think, that learning to mix quickly has some advantages (not only time-wise
) : It forces us to use broad strokes, not over-analyzing everything, not focusing on details that an average listener will never hear. Besides, possibly small frequency adjustments are likely to be tackled by an mastering engineer.
I've seen pro mixers mix a song within a day- I do believe that is sort of an industry standard.
That being said, I quite often spend more time on mixing a track, but I am learning to speed up - I also really like using the the multi-tracks on this forum for that!
So I often try to mix the first draft within 4 hours (assuming no editing or tuning is needed). Then I listen a few times on nearfields/ headphones /earbuds which results in making some adjustments to the V1 mix. I think these adjustments should not take too long (maybe 1 hour is too short
) , or else in my experience its often better to start mixing from scratch. Depending on the feedback of client I make a V2 or V3, which should not take a long time.
Cheers!
RJ
ps: I agree that the quality of the 'quick' mixes on this forum varies quite a lot
Of course there is no 'should' nor an absolute answer - everyone has their own mixing style/speed and it all depends on the quality of the production etc.
But in general I do think, that learning to mix quickly has some advantages (not only time-wise
) : It forces us to use broad strokes, not over-analyzing everything, not focusing on details that an average listener will never hear. Besides, possibly small frequency adjustments are likely to be tackled by an mastering engineer.I've seen pro mixers mix a song within a day- I do believe that is sort of an industry standard.
That being said, I quite often spend more time on mixing a track, but I am learning to speed up - I also really like using the the multi-tracks on this forum for that!
So I often try to mix the first draft within 4 hours (assuming no editing or tuning is needed). Then I listen a few times on nearfields/ headphones /earbuds which results in making some adjustments to the V1 mix. I think these adjustments should not take too long (maybe 1 hour is too short
) , or else in my experience its often better to start mixing from scratch. Depending on the feedback of client I make a V2 or V3, which should not take a long time.Cheers!
RJ
ps: I agree that the quality of the 'quick' mixes on this forum varies quite a lot