Finish the Mix

• Lets Say you have Done 70% to 80% of the Mix, i.e. General EQ / Compression / Distortion etc. is Set and the Rest is Fine Tuning Elements, Automation and Transitions

1) Lock (Focus) Your Eyes to Something Else in the Room and Listen 

• Do Not Scan for Flaws, just Sit Back and Listen Relaxed

2) As Soon as You Get Irritated by the Music, Make a Notice What Caused the Irritation

• i.e. When Something Jumps Out and Drifts Your Relaxed Focus (e.g. Snare is Too Loud)

3) Continue Listening and as Soon as You Get Irritated Again, Make a Notice What Caused the 2nd Irritation

• e.g. You lost Track of the Words by the Singer

4) Continue Listening but as Soon as You Get Irritated the 3rd Time, Stop the Music and Fix Those 3 Things

5) Go Back to the Beginning of the Song and Start Listening With the 3 Things Fixed

• Quasi Listen and Continue to Fix Things Across the Song

8) When this Process is Done, Print the Mix in Realtime but Do Not Actively Listen in Front of the Monitors

• Instead Go Somewhere Else in the Room Where the Music still can be Heard and Only React if Again Something Jumps Out

• e.g. the Kick Drum has Too Much on the 40Hz, Go to the Project and Lower the 40Hz a Little

9) If You Use this Technique to Finish the Mix, You can Ensure that at 1 Point Nothing will Cause Irritation and the Mix is Done

• the Overall Mix Finishing Process May Take 2 to 8 Hours