Pretend The Solo Button Doesn't Exist

Today’s tip comes straight out of the “people told me this, but I didn’t believe them” vault of wisdom. When I got into recording and mixing music I kept hearing smart mix engineers say things like “you should mix in mono” and “use subtractive EQ.” Of course I ignored them because that just sounded silly. Boy was I wrong.

Another classic audio proverb I kept hearing was, “avoid the solo button, especially when EQ’ing.” I thought people who said this were crazy. How in the heck am I supposed to hear what I’m EQ’ing if I don’t solo it? There are all these other distracting tracks happening. Yup, I was wrong.

Why The Solo Button Is Your Enemy

Let’s cut to the chase people. The solo button is your enemy. It lies to you. It distracts you from your intended purpose, to deliver a great mix. The reason plugins like EQ are so important is because they allow you to carve out competing frequencies, helping tracks to sit nicely together. If you EQ in solo mode, then you have no idea what your EQ cuts/boosts mean in context in the mix. You are mixing blind!
 
If you spend a lot of time EQ’ing in solo mode then you are missing out on a chance to actually listen to how your track sits in the mix. No one will ever listen to that track by itself, so why should you? Of course, the solo button exists for a reason: to help you listen for artifacts, pops, clicks, or other noises. But really, beyond this application, you must treat the solo button as your worst enemy.

You’ll Mix Faster Without The Solo Button

Nothing is more frustrating than dialing the perfect EQ settings on your snare drum, only to realize that it doesn’t sound good with all the other instruments in the mix. You have to go back and readjust settings, fighting to make it fit. The truth is, you’d finish mixes faster if you only avoided the solo button. By EQ’ing and tweaking with the rest of the tracks you’ll know whether your settings are actually working or not. It might mean that you don’t get a great sound right away, but that means you’ll get to the great sound sooner, instead of fooling yourself into thinking it sounds great in solo.

Frustrated, But Grateful For It

And honestly guys, as frustrating as it was for me to come to this realization as a young mixer, the better it has made me. It has forced me to listen more, training my ears, and helping me to focus. And ultimately that is what makes you better. Being forced to grow and improve. Trust me on this, on your next mix simply pretend the solo button doesn’t exist when making major EQ decisions. Give it some time and watch your mixes improve.