Where can I learn to mix/master?

[Joshua]

So, I've been recording for a while, but not so well. I honestly have no idea what the different bands on EQ's do, what a compressor does, all of the filters, nothing. Where can I start learning all this?

 

[Vanzeplica]

There are many places where you can learn about the parameters of recording. Try your local college or do what i do and consult google/youtube to answer something quickly. Good Luck! Working with recording software can be tedious.

 

[brutalwizard]

Mixing Audio: Concepts, Practices and Tools by Roey Izhaki
Mastering audio by Bob Katz

I enjoy ermz take for metal and rock in his book,The systematic mixing guide

 

[G-Ray]

The Art of Mixing by David Gibson really helped me a lot. Not really a modern approach since the old school guys use mostly outboard gear but it helps with compression and eq fundamentals.
Youtube is a goldmine!

 

[Joshua]

Thank you guys, I'll definitely try these out

 

[shnizzle]

got lots of tuts in here:
ED - YouTube

 

[callankirk]

There is a guy on YouTube named Graham Cochrane, he's got a great set of videos called "5 Minutes to a Better Mix," and a lot of them cover exactly what you seem to be looking for. Check it out here The Recording Revolution - YouTube Yamaha also makes a book called "The Sound Reinforcement Handbook," and that thing will teach you more about the logistics of sound than anything else that I've encountered in 10 years of doing this!

 

[nojyeloot]

Spend the $20

SYSTEMATIC PRODUCTIONS - Official Website - Mixing Guide

 

[TaylorMacPhail]

Also, knowing the ins and outs (literally and figuratively) of your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) ex. Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Garage Band, etc. will definitely help. Read the manual even though a) you're a male b) they are usually quite boring in general

 

[Metalhead77479]

You can do what I've done with a combination of trial and error and also all of the resources that everyone has already mentioned

 

[Sam MJ]

Take the time to familiarize yourself with all the different effects and use youtube and google to help if you get stuck on something

Best of luck!

 

[MF_Kitten]

Everything that Ermz and Nolly and Ola Englund has had to say about mixing is really good stuff. They have written a little here and a little there though, so it's not that easy to just FIND it all. They are different approaches though, and none of them are "right". I have taken little ideas from those three, and many other little tidbits here and there from other sources, and have ended up with my own approach. Doing what Nolly would do to shape and tame the high end, but tone it down, do what Englund would have done with the mids and low end, but then do it a little more extreme, etc. You pick up on ideas, try them out, then fine-tune how you use them until it's at a place that works for you.

So look into Ermz's book: SYSTEMATIC PRODUCTIONS - Official Website - Mixing Guide

He really has some good stuff to say about a whole lot of things about mixing metal and rock, and it opens your eyes to new ways of thinking about certain things.

I'd also add that you should look around online to see what people are saying about mixing music, how different people do it, and don't mind the genres they do. It's always relevant, because you learn something about how things interact every time. Youtube is a great source for stuff like this as well.

 

[KRKrazy]

You learn through-out tedious amounts of failure... trial and error lads, trial and error.

 

[Drew]

You learn through-out tedious amounts of failure... trial and error lads, trial and error.

This. Go download Reaper and get cracking.

Two observations -

1.) "Mixing" and "mastering" are two totally different processes and need to be understood as such. I'd start with mixing for now, and expect it to take you a couple years to get good. Don't worry about mastering for now.

2.) There's literally a TON of information on the net. Try google. Also, I've picked up a lot at Home Recording Forums