mixing doubt

[T.C. Elliott]

friends, now that i produce a little more myself, I find it difficult to understand how much 'bass' is bass enough. I mean if I mix with the normal small earphone I have to raise the level of bass instrument to just hear it, but if I happen to listen with the studio earphones  i hear nothing but the bass. Is there a magic formula that is a trade off between the 2 situations? how do you mix bass frequencies? thanks

tl;dr: Use reference tracks to compare to your mix and get your levels/sound closer to what you're aiming for

The longer message:  I'm assuming you don't have monitors (near-field or otherwise) or you're in a situation in which mixing off of headphones is problematic (neighbors etc.,)   You *can* mix on headphones. But just like monitors, you have to learn them. In other words, you have to know that on your headphones a little bit of bass will translate into a lot of bass on another system. And open back are usually better for mixing than closed back. Not having an open stereo field can create problems in the mix on several fronts which is why so many people have given you the advice to mix on monitors. Monitors are usually the better alternative (assuming you have decent monitors and only crap headphones.)

The difference between your two pairs of headphones is their bass response. The same song will sound different on each. A pair of small earphones simply does not have a driver/speaker big enough to reproduce much bass. Sometimes the larger headphones has an increased bass response because a lot of listeners prefer that so the maker can sell more headphones. When mixing, ideally you'll have a flat EQ response on your monitors/headphones.

The simplest solution? Use a reference track. Find a song that is in a similar style with a sound/production you like or want to emulate. Solo it and listen to the bass level. Then play your mix. Is it close? If not, then tweak your mix. You can also do this with the levels of all your instruments.. You can do it with the amount of reverb or delay on the vocal or instrument or overall track. You can really compare just about anything in the mix this way. And it's probably the single best strategy to improving your mixing skills. (At least it was for me, even though I don't use reference tracks as much as I should or as much as I used to.)

[maxit]

Thanks tc, it seems more practical to me ;-). Good hint !

[bruno]

Remember that your ears fatigue. I've often though I've got the perfect mix, and listened to it in the morning and think "what was I thinking". Its good to rest for some time when mixing
B

[chapperz66]

Remember that your ears fatigue. I've often though I've got the perfect mix, and listened to it in the morning and think "what was I thinking". Its good to rest for some time when mixing
B

I absolutely agree with this.  Never post a song straight after you have mixed it.  Sleep on it and avoid the embarrassment.

[Flash Harry]

I absolutely agree with this.  Never post a song straight after you have mixed it.  Sleep on it and avoid the embarrassment.

Post it immediately, then re-mix and modify the post the next day - that way you get some sleep.

[T.C. Elliott]

Never post a song straight after you have mixed it.  Sleep on it and avoid the embarrassment.

Even 30 minutes or an hour of quiet can make a difference when returning to the mix. Also, mixing at lower volumes (and increasing the volume for brief moments for comparison) can extend the shelf life of your ears in a mixing session.

Post it immediately, then re-mix and modify the post the next day

Too true to be funny, but I still laughed.

[WarpCanada]

Would you guys tell me when my bass is way out of whack? Too much for small speakers, for instance?

I do think I need to up my game in the area of EQ.