I do a lot of mixing and mastering other people’s music. I absolutely love pushing up the faders on a new track to see what comes out through the speakers.
I often get sent a rough mix of the song and this helps me to get an idea of the balance of instruments and voices. I do also ask for reference songs that a client might like the sound of and would like to try and emulate in their own mix.
These are helpful but in the end clients are often paying me for my experience and skill with the technical aspects as well as bringing creative ideas to the mix to enhance and draw out the sonic gold that is already there.
When someone starts working with me I often find they have Demo-istis. (Don’t bother looking it up on Web MD you won’t find it.) You can probably work it out from the name but if not, Demo-itis is where you’re so in love with the rough mix of a song that you can’t hear it any other way.
Sometimes it takes some convincing and reassurance from myself but most often I’ve found it’s when a client shows the new mix to friends and family that they can shake off the condition.
The Takeaway: It’s okay to love your demos. They ingrain themselves in your ears sonically. This can also make you a little blind to their flaws technically. It can also limit the sonic possibilities for your song. Having someone else mix and master your songs takes trust. Keeping an open mind sonically and listening to the advice of your mix engineer is important to get the best from the experience. This way you’ll walk away with a release that serves the song and sounds the best it possibly can.
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