Learning from one's mistakes

[Squaysh]

Do you ever find that only AFTER you are finished with a mix and are in no position to alter it that you begin to find flaws you would have undoubtedly changed? I find that although my recordings and mixes are progressively gaining in quality, there are somemtimes things i hear only AFTER i am in any position to change them. (i.e. already sent to mastering) I have found this to be the case throughout my whole experience in audio recording/mixing. Is this common among other practicing sound technicians? Does it ever really eat at you? Do you just shrug it off? Do you just sit yourself behind a pair of monitors and start mixing a new or existing song and forget about it? Please feel free to share any thoughts and experiences... they are much appreciated. Take care.

[inLoco]

that's why i always backup the recorded tracks! i keep the originals intact and in copies i do the compressions, eqs and stuff...
i've had to go back in times...

[kinetic]

Yes, that's been my experience all the time. But there comes a time where you need to move on - the question I try to answer is, is it worth while spending more and more time on one track, trying to get it perfect, or move on to something new and learn from the experience? I've always said that I could spend my whole life on one track! I do try to keep all my source material in case I need to remix or whatever, but after a while that becomes impractical, especially when you buy and sell gear as much as most of us.

[Johnjm22]

I find that I never truly finish a mix. Everytime I listen to one of my mixes I hear something I think I could have changed.

[EricK]

I think what you are experiencing is quite common. I would be surprised if there were mixers out there who claimed this doesn't happen to them. It's not any different than performing an instrument. I can't imagine that even the best of players ever finish a performance and then think to themselves: "That was the very best performance possible. Neither I, nor anyone else could have done that better." Of course not, there is always something that could be better, or done differently. It's what makes mixing an art, not a science.

[dymaxian]

An acquaintance of mine, who is currently in film school, said to me that movies are very rarely really finished... they're just abandoned at an acceptable point. This analogy fits with recording as well.

Kase
www.minemusic.net

[J-MADD]

Sometimes when you go back and listen to projects you did month's or years ago, you find out that it wasn't as bad as you thought originally. Most often you are your toughest critic.

[soundlevelz]

Do you ever find that only AFTER you are finished with a mix and are in no position to alter it that you begin to find flaws you would have undoubtedly changed?

Damn right I do! That's why I record my racks dry and save my mixer and EQ settings seperately (Cubase SX). When it gets to that point I leave the room, go for a walk or something then come back to it with fresh ears. I also ask the opnions of others as sometimes you get so 'involved' with the mix you lose the ability to sit back and listen to the mixdown objectively and dispassionately.

I find is that the mastering boys always seem to be able to rescue my mixdowns. They are quite simply awesome, wish I knew how they do it... My golden rule? I never master my own mixes!!!

[tofumusic]

Happens with me alot also. . Also, not sure if this relates but it reminds me of sometimes when I'm seeing a movie for the second or third time I notice things that I didn't notice the time before.. lol well the same with mixes, if that makes sense..

[maintiger]

you have eventually let them go....