1: Use MONO Sound Source
Some of you may be surprised to learn this - I know I was when I first told. I mean, MONO is crap right? Us to (what now?), 9-channel surround-sound or sommat stupid like that, do not we! And what about your synth? I'm sure it sounds amazing in full-width panoramic stereo spinning right?
It will not sound the same in MONO, right? I feel ya, trust. But listen up ...
First off, ask yourself: what is the sound source, in nature, is really transmitted in stereo? Aye, gets you thinking does not it!
You see, the reflected sound-waves, blown-about, and wetted etc., do not forget. We looked at the distance, direction and guidance through the space as volume, and the difference in time required to insert sound both ears. Which hit the left ear harder and faster than the right.
Drowning in Stereo
Record your voice-source stereo (or use stereo samples) can make it very difficult to find "holes" in the mixture to sit for another instrument. This can lead to excessive EQ-tweaking to make one - the battle of the sound cues.
A good source MONO sound-recording, on the other hand, can be placed with relative ease to the sound-stage, which allows you to better-handle what, and how, the effect should be applied with regard to neighboring instruments, and their positions and frequencies in the mix .
2. They break Ear
If you concentrate on the song too long, your ears become tired quickly. You will sit there, and you'll think: '... nah ', and you will convince yourself everything is fine. But what you have done in fact, is over-compensated without realizing it.
This is one of my weaknesses, I have to say - just because I'm so busy I just could not let go until I'm glad ... even if it takes 14 hours (cough - or more).
It can be a hassle when you are trying to create complex sounds on the synth, or something that includes some of the frequency spectrum. You could spend hours and hours perfecting the sound, when somehow during the process, you will concentrate on freqiencies too-low, medium or higher than voice, almost to the exclusion of all others ... basically, you lose the broader perspective.
3. Bass Attack
Of course, as with everything in the world that suggested mixing, creativity plays a part. This "rule" seems to have been touted as the gold (in the press making music). I think certain differences (which can be visited on another day), but if the face-pounding modern-dance type of music you are creating, stick with it - it makes life easier anyway (you do not really want to be fighting for space bass instrument in the proper channel for example)
4.EQ - Cut Not Improving
Another easy trap to fall into when feeling tired and lazy is a tendency to increase the instruments in the mix through the EQ, when in fact - except for creative reasons (such as accidentally changing the voice to achieve the effect or whatever) - cuts should be your preferred option. Here are a few reasons why ...
EQ is Filter: Remember, EQ is basically a filter, and thus, apply introduce resonance and phase-shift of the cut-off point.
(Hmmm. .. phase-shifting, how to explain that OK, try this: Put your hands together - as if you are clapping - so that your fingers are "perfectly" in tune Each finger represents a frequency <- poor examples! . but humor me here FFS! Now slightly rotate (or turn) your left hand so you can see 10 fingers. Stage shift!
