The Most Encouraging Thing I Could Tell You About Recording And Mixing

Are you frustrated with how your recordings and mixes are sounding? Are you overwhelmed with the amount of advice and gear options being presented to you?

Today I want to cut through the hype and give you some good news.

No matter your experience level, home studio setup, or available budget – if you simply commit to doing as much recording and mixing as possible, you will inevitably get better!

Steve’s Mixing Breakthrough

It’s paramount that you do not over complicate the art of recording and mixing. Like anything you had to learn, the more you do it – the better you become.

Recently I polled hundreds of our Dueling Mixes members to see what some of their mixing breakthrough moments were. The answers were diverse, but one that stood out was from Steve D.

Click here to read Steve’s full response

My breakthrough was simply the honest realization that as long as I kept mixing and listening critically, my mixes would keep improving… – Steve D. (Dueling Mixes Member)

Steve went on to say that although there are many techniques he’s learned over the years, the actual “meat and potatoes of mixing, the actual DOING” is what has made him better.

And the same is true for you and me.

There are only but so many tricks you can learn, but there’s an unlimited amount of experience you can gain by simply “putting in the reps” as Jon Acuff says.

Commit To The Long Game

And it makes sense if you think about it. The more you record and mix, the more you discover what works and what doesn’t.

The more wins you get, the more that reinforces what you’re doing well. The more mix bombs you create, the more that gives you something to work on and tackle next time.

But no matter the outcome of your recording or mix, you have gained something that can never be taken away – experience.

And it takes time to gain enough experience to be truly great at something. You can’t rush experience.

That’s why filmmaker Adam Wesbrook pointed out so well that we as a culture have become blind to the long game – the many long years of disappointment, difficulty, and struggle that most of the world’s greats went through.

Leonardo Da Vinci being a great example.

Everyone assumes if someone is great at something it’s because they know something we don’t know. When in reality it’s more than likely that they’ve simply but in more hours than you or I have.

Why This Is So Encouraging

If you want to be good at this craft of recording and mixing the recipe is simple – commit to the long game. Don’t stop doing it.

That’s the most encouraging thing I could tell you – why? Because it means that you have an equal shot at greatness in your craft as the next person.

Gear, budget, opportunity, knowledge, and age have nothing to do with it. Instead, your willingness to put in the time necessary to get good at this craft is all that’s required.

It’s not even about how much training you’ve had or how many tutorial videos you’ve watched.

Like Steve said in his post above:

You’re way better off mixing for 10 hours than watching 10 hours of tutorials. – Steve D. (Dueling Mixes Member)

Remember this my friend – nothing will push your skill down the field further than simply doing lots of it. And that is encouraging news indeed.