A lot of people are bashing this guy saying things like "all he did was add EQ, Compression, and Reverb" or " he has no clue what he did in the project" as if that makes him a bad engineer. News flash, the majority of mixing is EQ, Compression, and Reverb. Let me put it like this, if it was so easy that everybody could do it then EVERYBODY would be successful engineers. Mixing isn't about how many plugins are on the tracks, it's about balancing, adjusting, and overall just getting sounds to fit well together. It's like saying Michelangelo wasn't an amazing sculptor because he didn't use 50 tools to sculpt. Not everybody will be able to know which frequencies to EQ out or how much compression fits or how a certain compressor colors the sound. The reason why the "top" engineers don't tell you the "secrets" is because there ARE NONE. It's a combination of all the basics plus a good EAR. What you think sounds good and what someone else thinks sound good is different, different strokes for different folks. My point is, don't bash this guy because he doesn't mix YOUR way. Instead, be glad that he's doing something that he worked for. Musicians need to support each other instead of turning things into a damn competition. Whether you want to admit it or not, he gets paid a lot to mix for people like Rihanna. Who wouldn't want to do what they love and get paid good money for it? I give him props for making it this far, I sure the hell haven't.
KeizeShow Believe it or not a lot of producer have already compressed their kicks by the time the mixer gets them. Kanye Wests engineer Mike Dean almost never compresses any of his kick drums. The reason, most drum samples have already been compressed. Compression can kill the dynamics. The best engineers no when not to touch a sound.
People don't understand how many variables determine what type of glue is needed to bring a track together, or if maybe none at all is needed for certain parts.. I was showing a buddy of mine (a bass guitarist) this song I was making in Reason 7... I had a few different bass lines, but they didn't sit right with the rest of the song musically, so I was asking his opinion, seeing if he could come up with something... First words out his mouth "Just hit the magic button".... ME: "what?".....HIM: "The button that makes all the sounds come together right"... This is a bass player that has been on tour, been in studios, everything... The best advice he gave on here is "get your hands dirty" and the part about the original sound when he said Dr. Dre "spends days" looking for the right kick.. That's so he doesn't have to compress, EQ, add reverb, etc.. Because the sound is already right for the mix. This leaves headroom so the dynamics of the song can work properly and you don't end up with a "big block of sound", like he said..
Well, most higher level producers have already processed each sound accordingly for sonic taste. then if the mixer needs to do further compression or eqing, they can do it to their taste. Some producers even premix most of their audio tracks so that when the mixer receives the session it kind of makes sense. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule especially when dealing with bands/live drums etc... as opposed to sample based drum production. If Phil Tan had received this session from a less experienced producer, he might have to really tweak everything hard. The best engineers know when to leave things as is. Of course, I'm referring to pro level production as opposed to independent producers that may not have developed there technical side in terms of compression etc..Phil Tans track record speaks for itself, even though he is humble and low key.
Yeah it takes time, and thoughtful time. I spent a long time trying to get mixes to sound good, but after I put in a few years of dedicated study, the mixes sound a lot better. Keep going!
+Luminous B i already learnt this lesson and magically music is asking you to put some notes here and there while you listen to it, maybe it sounds weird but this is my way to compose music
Phil Tan is a Zen Master. Humble to a fault. He is saying what they don't want to hear. At the end of the day, it's all about vibes. every song is unique. There is no golden formula. He mixes with his gut, not by rote. It's why he has mixed over 50 number 1's and has 3 Grammy's..All the people commenting that he is not teaching them anything have missed the point completely
You dont know what a zen master is, so dont use this word. A zen master does not bother with songs and entertainment, he is free from need for pleasure, and inconditionally happier than anyone trough zen practice
- Dont Think of goals! Focus more on the process, make the process comfortable, and the goal you reach will be ok! Always! this way you will also be open to things that happen on the way - not the strongest survive, the most adaptible survive - When mixing, producing… dont tell the music what to be - let the music tell you where to go! - Be reliable, like you want others to be reliable for you
People are heavily criticizing this guy. I see a lot of unnecessary disrespectful remarks. I would love to hear their work, being they are so much better, yet set up a tutorial as well. He is professional and humble. Some say the most important chain in recording are the monitors. Not at all. It's the attitude of the person.
Mr. Tan said one of the smartest things I have ever heard anyone say on RU-vid. At 57:52, He advised the students to get in the habit of continously learning new skills during the course of their career because continously learning new skils makes them more adaptable, and to the extent a new entrant is able to adaptable to change in their field will increase the likelihood of having a very long and rewarding career.
k roninson It depends what you're looking for. He told the other guy to forget about engineering and random skills and just produce. Learning skills is good, but you also need to specialize.
k roninson I think music production and engineering is an iterative process: you need to be put on track, getting the basics and then go out and practice. You'll end up having questions real soon. You should be able to take these questions to an old rat in the business. And then back to practice. I think that's the only way to really learn. Because let's admit it, with all the plug-ins etc, the rule is that there are no rules. If you had dared placing 3 compressors after each other in the 60's, someone would have probably kicked your ass. Now it's common practice because it's cool etc. There really are no limits. There is only 1 rule: if it sounds great and cool, just do it. Period. And then exchange the tricks.
+purpleblueunicorn Don't EVER put all your eggs in one basket. You'll learn more being assistant than trying to be a full on producer at the beginning of your career.
+Deefex Synth I was just repeating what the guy in the video (Phil Tan) said. He said, if you really know what you want to do, specialize, don't waste time being an assistant.
Phill is, like other Pro mixers, great at what he does, but you'll never learn how to mix from these guys by listening to a few hours of Q&A?! Even though he's being honest in his answers, the real truth is that great mixes are based on DECISION MAKING! It's not just knowing how to compress a Bass Guitar, but it's more about deciding how to compress that bass within the texture of the particular song you're working on. These mixers have seasoned ears, from years of working alongside other great mixers, who took these guys under their wings and passed down the insider secrets that help to mold hit records! U can't learn this stuff even at FULL SAIL! It's like writing a hit song. When u mix, u are basically freestyling, except it's a technical freestyle! When I mix, I'm grabbing plugins based on what I'm hearing, feeling, and envisioning! Not just because I know this needs EQ or compressing. I'm vibing. It's like I'm making this song all over again, by adding my "flavor" to it. That's why Phill said that if he was to mix a song on a different day, it would come out completely different. He's just mixing as he goes along, grabbing whatever plug-in or piece of gear that he feels is necessary to get the vibe across, that he's hearing in his mind! That's artistry in itself! And even though he didn't mention it, these mixes are anywhere from 10, 15 or more hours long! Sometimes across days! Not 2 or 3 hour mixes.
spcexodus If he mixes in 2 hours, I assure you most of these mixer including Phil have assistants that do all of the dirty work which might take 1 to 2 days. The average mixer at the top level spends 1 to 3 or somtimes 5 days to mix a song with assistants helping.
fledsup he told us he don´t get too much dirty work to mix, all comes recorded at it´s best, but the rest is true, this guys was born to do that, cause as you said it, they passed they life learning from other great masters, and his way of making decisions is the key... poor guy! he can´t explain us what he have learn in 20 years in one hour ;-) anyway thanks to him for sharing some of his process and philosophy, which by the way is quite good too
holy crab. this is very very first video ever on youtube that I'm watching 1 shot from start to end almost 1.5 hours. great video Full Sail. thankyou very much Phil! awesome person!
I got more wisdom from this guy than from everyone I have studied so far. Humble and unpretentious, with every word being meaningful. He explained what is really important in achieving success and it turns out it's not the plugins...
I really appreciate phil sharing his knowledge on the business and how he mixes the diamond song. The point he is really trying to make is that, don't get caught up in rules of music and every single guidelines, be creative try new things and mostly do what works for u, what sounds good even if u break the rules to get that sound.
I see all you talking negatives things about this guys are probably still recording in your bedroom, and probably using cracked pluggins, and and have no respect for people. He may not be the right person to give out a lecture on production or mixing, but he is where you all will never be. Just be humble, and anything you can learn appreciate it because we all wish to be in his shoes.
Tal cual... Mucho imbécil por aqui... Lo de siempre en este mundo. Gente comentando en calzoncillos desde su portátil el trabajo que hacemos los demás. Por que claro, es muy cómodo criticar desde el ordenador...(se que el comentario tiene 6 años, pero no habia visto el video hasta ahora jaja) Si dedicaran a trabajar la mitad de esfuerzo de la que dedican a buscar plugins con presets milagrosos, a lo mejor llegarian a algo y apreciarían un poco el trabajo de los que llevamos trabajando más tiempo del que hace que ellos saben siquiera lo que es una mezcla.
That's freaking awesome! Even the sound quality is not good. So great to hear a separate parts of a track that is not really recognizible in the mix. Thanks Phil Tan, so inspiring!!!
It's amazing how insightful he is on one question, then immediately misses the next by a mile. Not saying anything he said was BS. He just didn't understand a good amount of the questions apparently.
the people who hit dislike on this will never make it in this business. knowledge from someone who's where you wanna be is vital in learning the do's and donts of the game. but I'm sure they are all major in their own minds lol
The vocals at 20:45, they're titled "COMP" - does that mean they were comped down / rendered from somewhere else, where the real processing was done? That would explain why there's only 3 effects on his chain here I guess
Ehm why does a sound-focused university ask an audio engineer to give a lecture and then they give him the worst ear-mic ever made and then they sit a 5year old at the mixing console. Is it some kind of a weird joke that I dont understand? That guy cant even move his head how scared he is of the feedback. Oh dear.
omg! that noise + feedback is really annoying and distract my attention... i can't focus on what he is saying and i have listened only 3:39 minutes!.. im agree with you.. why they don't give him a wired microphone at least?...
We all have to remember that Tam mixes in a console, so that said we have to understand that things like panning, gate, compression and Gain staging is mostly done jn the console. That's why if you double check the session that he presented, there is no panning, sidechain compression and so on.
+archstudioRAM well they are really good; i go there and have graduated there.. for the most part they're in the auditorium ...quick set up type stuff but i agree, they've had better sounding setups though
This conversation with Mr. Tan was amazing to listen to and experience; priceless. It was so much fun. But, one question: what was the sampling rate and bit depth?
@@fullsailuniversity well, thanks haha. Spent many years trying to mix my way out of a bad song / track lol. The hardest part is actually writing a song. Still havent written "the one" yet but I'll keep trying
I've been mixing a song for 10 straight hours already(first time ever doing it with no experience) and I just can't mind the sound of a mic or a rock being dragged back and forth on a table and the reverb, echo, and gain changes on the mic. You know for a school who produced a very successful sound engineer you'd think they'd have a live mic mix down.
seems like engineer is either screwing the music or refining the music, good engineer has to be able really understand the music so that he/she knows what to emphasize or diminish. not a easy job, that is also why he is so humble
For a lecture about sound from a bunch of sound engineers, you think they would have managed to not record the sound of the chair creeking/line buzz/distortion/random feedback.... Someone there should major in front of house
Hear, hear. This is just unbelievable. That's beyond irritating, that constant rubbing/dragging noise in the background - and what CRETIN was CAUSING the noise in the first place?
OMG its unbearable for such a talk and then the weird panning of his voice from right to left every now and again. I just want to slap the computer. Great talk otherwise.
What I like about Phil is that he tries not to give you concrete answers knowing that there is no such thing as a universal method... The Students are looking for an absolute resolve but the reality is, that in mixing, this does not exist! What you should take from this video is, that you should trust the process, and go with your intuition ( let the tracks tell you how it wants to be expressed) ...!
Pretty sure I'm not the only one that seen it but...Why did he not want to answer the question of what the bit depth & sample rate of the track was? It's not that big of a secret or well it shouldn't be...i noticed that is why he has the water..if he drinks its the Q to let the staff know he does not want to answer a question. But thats an odd one not to want to answer...???
Because the guy asked one of the most stupid questions. You're in full sail and you don't know what regular cds & commercial mp3s sample rate and bit depth are? Even I know that and I didn't go to any school. That also has to do with the recording and producing process, not further down the chain into the mixing aspect.
Thanks very much for this... what do you really like to do? Follow what is most important to you and you will be ok... that is a very very very meaningful line...
Whenever I see these videos, I'm genuinely surprised by the amount of stock plugins these engineers use...it must be because on most of the other youtube mix tutorial vids with the "big name" engineers, they almost ALL have products to sell and endorsements and friends' products to promote...so those videos are always FULL of 3rd party expensive plugins that I bet they don't even really use that much in day to day work. But if you get a video from a school that only is trying to promote itself, then it seems we get the true picture, perhaps?
+JBarber3d I also guess most of the stock plugins just to the job right. Imagine a DAW with a shitty stock delay or filter. That would be fatal and every producer magazine would rate this DAW lower.
When you know how something works and you have good monitors + acoustics. You can use many stock plugins from the DAWs of today. They all have developed well beyond expectation. Plus, alot of commercial producers who make how to videos on RU-vid. Have contacts with a lot of these plug-in companies. Just like 10 out of all the waves plug-ins are really worth buying them. The only companies (besides waves) who really have good plugins are bx, Izotope and UAD. The rest you can do without. The reason why some producers use them is merely a matter of preference. Also, ALL producers if they could, would all use hardware FX processors instead of plugins. They mostly use stock and others because they send the mix to numerous studios. So if a producer wants something with hardware fx. They usually put it on as it gets recorded, then tell the people down the chain not to touch that channel, unless, it's just for Eq or sitting nicer in the mix, after the mixing engineer does his stuff.
+JBarber3d Most of these producers are not mixing with plug-ins and ITB, Trust me they are going in on 10,000 SSL consoles and 5,000 eqs and hardware....
What really surprised me in the session is the total absence of high pass filter ;0 I really would like to know if those tracks are high pass during tracking or not
why is the sound comming from his session clipping that much?? cant you set a video-recording with the right gain?? and that from a audio engineering lecture... priceless...
***** thanks for your constructive contribution to the discussion and to the humanity in general... the world would be a sad place without intelligent and well-mannered people like you!
just because i care for quality? especially on a video comming from a audioengineering-school? If you will pardon my expression, then i bet in reverse you're a little happy simple-minded dunce ;)
Great points in here. Don't be mindlessly chained to "-6dB", etc etc, as some rock hard standard. It's all about what your ears and your room are saying. Learn the reference points, but the reference points come from what the music tells your ears when things start clipping. Know the basic "101" reference point, yes. But trust your ears more than your meters! It's ALL about what you hear or don't hear and how to make the difference happen. Great guy, too. Honesty. Yeah.
I do think your success in music is way more about being in the right place & moment than your talent, expertise etc. Far more. And even more so if we're talking about commercial success.
he doesn't use any of UAD plugin here from which he produces unbelievably beautiful mixing results... He knows exactly what he's doing with that soundtoy and stock plugin damn... I respect that so much..
he put a limiter on the delay bus before the delay, is that to compress the vocals that way the delay has a tamed dynamic so some parts of the delay arent distracting
I heard that some producers make some sort of a premix themselves, so that the mixing engineer can refer to it while mixing the track professionally. I think it's a crucial part of mixing, because say if i tweak a sound so much that you won't even understand what the original sound sounded like, i don't have to necessarily bounce the original audio track, i can bounce and send him the sound which I got after using some plugins, right. Does anybody agree with me?
you can send both one as reference to what you need it to sound like and the other raw so he can then bring it to life his own way while using your ear with his otherwise there is no need to hire a mixing engineer.
I just can't get over the terrible mic placement and feedback on his microphone for a school that brags about their audio program let alone for a lecture based on that very thing
