HI there, So the MORE compressed sound in Dr. Compressor is the most raw sounding sound. Counter intuitive, but all my answers were correct with that strategy. Not that I understand it, but it will. In time.
So, I guess it depends on what you mean by raw. So compression is obviously a form of processing so yes, the less processed it sounds, the less likely it is to have compression on it. Raw drum are just that: raw.
On Dr. Compressor, specifically, what I'm usually listening for is how much the transients on the snare jump out at me. The more they seem in my face, the more likely they are to not be compressed. The more pushed into the background, the more compressed they likely are.
Another thing I tend to listen for is the wash and sustain from the ride cymbals and crashes. The more the initial hit jumps out, usually that indicates less compression. The more the cymbals ring and the louder the wash, the more likely it is to be compressed.
I get what you mean but I think of it opposite from you. To me the more 'raw' sound is the one that sounds more like a fresh recording with no effects. So I generally see the 'raw' sounding one being the uncompressed one.
🎚️ Is there such a thing as a perfect mix, or is perfection all in the ear of the beholder? Some say mixing has clear rules and standards, others believe it’s pure subjectivity and vibe.
What do you think? Drop your take and let’s start the debate!
in short different cultures prefer different music. There's a difference why Ugandan music is purposely not polished, specifically in the drums, that's the hook, in Electronic/fonk the hook is the ugly distorted rhythm, classical piano is 'perfect emotion'. People who are depressed like depressing music, there's a reason for re-mixes. Our perception of good is based on our current dopamine level, and what usually cheered us up earlier in our lives and/or made us sad. Depending on what genre of music you professionalize in entirely depends on your taste/income need, there's a reason why hip-hop artists like Jay-Z have transferred to hip-hop/pop. You can base a title 'best song' for it stirring the average populations dopamine receptors the most, or base 'best song' a song you go crazy for no one else likes.
There is also the fact how we conform our views into the average populations, the average person who got handed the speaker once a barbecue started wouldn't play their favorite song if it had got them weird looks, or a penalty of, not being able to pick the music of the speaker next time. So we base our likability on the general population, slightly fading away from something less 'likable'. This ties into the plot, what's best. It comes down to who/what you're making a song for, if our world suddenly flipped and no one liked pop, rather HATED it, and that is exactly what you made, there is no income, no Oxytocin you get from social likability, rather a hindrance as your now disliked, and ultimately only bad emotions will tie in with the song. Trends come from the ability of having a mass population feel a new emotion that rivets their insides at a perfect moment when older music was becoming 'boring'. That is how we change overtime. One need we all have inside us we cannot get rid of is the want to create. We as humans cannot escape from this, even improving your mindset is creating, destroying who you were severing attachments for new growth etc, all creation. Money equaling, limitless action, is the biggest driving force allowing us to endlessly create and feel the highest of emotion. Since this is our highest need, above even basic survival, food and water, without dopamine one cannot move, this was shown in studies, that is why severe depression is extremely unhealthy. So creating a song that allows us to activate this need the most, i would say gives out the highest level of emotion and purpose in oneself, with this, making the most popular song makes the most sense, sticking to the highest of trends to activate our inner needs, and eventually becoming the creator of trends, yields the highest output and with the lowest risk ratio, yes you can try to be different, but your playing against statistics.
Be the best, and then change what 'best' is to your own wants.
I want to thank everyone that contributed with their point of views in the comments regarding this topic (Mixing Philosophy), it makes me want to share my thoughts as well.
I truly believe you will never be completely satisfied with a mix you're working on, especially if it's your own song. What you can get better at though is to know when to cut the chord and move on. It's like no matter how many correct moves you make even more issues appear. That's why I need to work in short bursts with breaks in between when mixing. There's a very potent feeling you get when you lose perspective. You have to get out of the studio. Because if you don't, you are literally just bashing your head against a wall and it will get you nowhere productive. How do you know when you have regained perspective? Well, that's intuition. Sometimes it takes just an hour but sometimes it can take several days.
Improving workflow certainly helps, this is something that comes with experience and time as you need to know for some extent what you're doing first and what improving your workflow even means. If I look back on productions and mixes I were happy with 3 years ago I simply can not believe how I could be satisfied with that with today's perspective. That's progress. I still catch myself being very frustrated when I find myself in a situation where I know for sure what's missing and what needs to be done, yet I simply don't have the knowledge yet how to do it. This is where reaching out to other engineers is a great idea and that's something I'm extremely bad at to be completely honest.
At the end of the day you can only do your best, whatever that sounds like for you and for others, and try to claw your way forward one step at a time.
It is somewhat embarrassing admitting this but it took me about 4 years before I STARTED using a single saturator in my own productions (which has obviously improved my mixes drastically). Why you might ask? I never reached out to more seasoned folks and that led me to believe that saturation had less of an impact than it actually has.
If you read all of this, thank you and good luck with your own journey towards the stars.
My teacher says: The perfect mix is the one your customer likes. or -...- is the one you like. That's pretty need, whoever wants the mix is deciding what sounds best. And to everyone thinking there is only one style to mix: nope. Every song is different. Some songs need being super dry, some super wet and so on.
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