Getting the most out of your music.
If you are reading this post, chances are you love music--even more than you love mixing or engineering or mastering music. You have listened to music for years, tried to learn the songs you love, maybe (over)analyzed the mix quite a bit. Every engineer I know has pondered and discussed what technique might have been used on their favorite mix. This is all valid, yet achieving a great tone and balance in music is not about the tricks and fancy gear. It's about using your musical instinct.
There are so many ways to approach a mix nowadays, especially since plug-ins are a' plentiful--any home producer has so many tools at their disposal. When I first started mixing, almost 15 years ago, I 1)had no plug-ins 2)had no idea what I was doing, technically speaking. I didn't know what effects were necessary when, what instruments clashed frequency-wise, what depth was needed and contrast was needed to make a mix successful.Or did I? I had been listening to music and playing music for years and years already. Essentially, my ear was already trained in the art of listening.
So how does this apply to mixing?
When you start a mix, react to the music you have in front of you. Don't sit there trying to recreate all the latest tricks you've read about or hear about. Whatever you do, DON'T think about mixing! Instead, just listen carefully to what's in front of you. Perhaps just listen through the entire song and take notes on the potential balancing issues, annoying tonalities, things that stick out like a sore thumb. Then...use your listening experience to react and do it quickly (think hot potato). Try and get a good balance in the first 15min-30min. By moving quickly you are avoiding the over-thinking phase most people go through and you are focusing on a more musical result. You will feel your way through the mix as opposed to think your way through it. When you only think of the technicalities and frequencies and fx settings, you are forgetting about what's most important--the music, the feel, the energy.
The more you subscribe to this practice on new mixes, the easier it will become. You will start developing better sounding mixes in less time and become more comfortable with the results you achieve in your short session. There will be times where you don't get that great balance in the first half hour, but keep trudging through or come back later with a fresh perspective.
So now you've reached a half hour of work and you like the balance so far. Do a....File>Save As. Version your track, mix it down and import it into your newly-versioned session. This way you can check in and reference what you felt to be good music and a good balance. A/B'ing the first mix will help you stay on the right path as your sound develops more.
Many of the great producers/engineers use this technique, from Sweiden to Puig to Pensado. See if this fits into your work flow somehow...