What Do You Do While Mixing?

[Charles Dye]

Do you do anything @ the same time while mixing?

[malice]

you do mean WHILE mixing. Not during pauses ?

malice

[PSN Big Al]

IF I had a lava lamp, I'd probably just stare at it the
whole time.

That's IF I had one...

[otek]

Charles,



You are talking to a guy with ZERO multitasking capabilities.



None.



I tried to chew gum once while mixing but it kept falling out and getting stuck in the faders.

[Pimp-X]

I usually stress out while I mix.

I'm not a very relaxed person. The last time I relaxed something bad happened. I ain't going to let that happen again.

Hey.

Did you guys just see something move??!

[Skwaidu]

I call aimless loop listening to the track while figuring out "what now" a part of mixing, and I might definitely surf or check email during that... :lol:

[malice]

I was smoking a lot, but I quit ...

More coffee


malice

[MacGregor]

In the early stage of a mix I do (and can't do) nothing else.
Once the general direction and groove is there I sometimes lean
back, light up a cigarette and and listen to it from a 'normal'
listeners point of view, no details, no nitpicking, just absorbing the
general mood of the song.
Gives you a much better picture of the whole thing.

And, of course, checking the panning of my lava lamps! (yep, I've
installed one for each stereo channel)

[Tim Halligan]

Just mix...

































...to pix. :lol:




We do that in Post-world.


Cheers,
Tim

[Skwaidu]

And, of course, checking the panning of my lava lamps! (yep, I've
installed one for each stereo channel)

Heheh, me too! :Razz:

[Fulcrum]

I surf, but only while I'm waiting for a track to render or an instrument to freeze.

[Empty Planet]

Surfing is problematic for me because I seem to love to go off on tangents and the pursuit of wild geese, and it doesn't really necessarily throw me out of the state of mind I'm in when I'm mixing. What I've found works for me -- when I'm not in the mood for a walk or somesuch -- is to play a completely immersive game for 5 or 10 minutes. I find if I throw myself into a completely different world for a tiny slice of time, I've found I can come back much more freshly to the project.


Cheers.

:Coolio:

[otek]

Just mix..... to pix. :lol:
We do that in Post-world.

Yeah, you have the built-in entertainment, you bastard.

For my next gig, I wanna do ADR for Jessica Alba's new feature.

Never a boring moment. And I get to watch those lips move the whole time.

[dnafe]

I will plow through a complete mix of a CD then ask myself what would Aardy do



and of course




I'd redo the whole thing




:very happy:

[Charles Dye]

I actually worked with an artist (punk/UK) who required two video monitors with different porn flicks running on each – just so he could sing his lead vocals.


days of excess; band went nowhere...



... what a surprise. :icon_eek:

[Barish]

I actually worked with an artist (punk/UK) who required two video monitors with different porn flicks running on each – just so he could sing his lead vocals.


days of excess; band went nowhere...



... what a surprise. :icon_eek:

Sounds like the guy was a wanker anyway...

B.

[MacGregor]

I actually worked with an artist (punk/UK) who required two video monitors with different porn flicks running on each – just so he could sing his lead vocals.


days of excess; band went nowhere...



... what a surprise. :icon_eek:

Besides what half of the human population (the ones with
the double X chromosome) think I think that to deliver your best
possible work you should do one and only one thing at a time
(besides the fact that even doing just one thing is actually
doing a lot of things at the same time).
This is another proof.

[Tim Halligan]

For my next gig, I wanna do ADR for Jessica Alba's new feature.


I wanna be the location guy that has to put the radio mic on her...and do a lot of adjustments.

:lol:

It's a hands-on career... :D



Cheers,
Tim

[eagan]

Well, since I didn't see "masturbate furiously" among the poll choices, I just went with "just mix".


Alright, seriously, I don't know how you can do other stuff and be mixing (and watching as you're mixing sound to picture for film or video doesn't count, because that's part of the stuff at hand you're focusing on)?

Now, like Mac, I might beat my head and ears on something for a while, and then try to walk away a bit, and come back in "casual listener" mode and have something else happening, but that's a slightly different thing. Even then, if you get into something like web browsing or going through email, I think it can be a bit too distracting; you get to something and maybe you find yourself posting on a message board and.....



.....wait, is that guitar part a little buried?

JLE

[Brendo]

I wanna be the location guy that has to put the radio mic on her...and do a lot of adjustments.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jess, I can still hear your top rubbing against the mic. You'll just have to take it off..."

[malice]

I actually know a true story about some producer in Belgium giving orders to his AE about the mix (like, more bass, less snare...) While attending to some "romantic" business behind the SSL.

But it was the 80', of course nobody would do that now :D

Don't start to PM to ask who, I won't kiss and tell

malice

[MacGregor]

I actually know a true story about some producer in Belgium giving orders to his AE about the mix (like, more bass, less snare...) While attending to some "romantic" business behind the SSL.


"Oh my darling, I [more bass please] love you . I swear I'm never
gonna [can I have 2 db more snare?] leave you.
I think of you [compress the shit out of that vocals and bring'em
more up front] all the time, you are the sunshine [hey, make that
synth darker, we're talking gothic here, not some romantic shit or stuff]
of my live, the air I breathe [apropos air, put some more verb on the
guit], the only thing that's [LOUDER, make it LOUDER!!] important
to me."

[Zoesch]

I mix of course! :lol:

Some times I ponder...

But rarely I listen...

[bunnerabb]

I just fly that moherfucker until I have to land and then switch it on th enext day and see if that was the airport on the flight plan.

sometimes I just throw my hands in the air and say "these tracks suck" and make new ones.

I always ignore it for a bit while it plays to see if anything grabs my attention.

[Charles Dye]

So, here's the deal with all the watching TV choices...

I've found, while visiting other mixing engineers, that a lot of them seem to want to have a TV on while they work. Often movies, sometimes sports, or music videos, rarely news.

Now, I can't do it. I'd find it way too distracting. But I thought there must be a lot of people who do like watching something on TV while they work. So, that's the deal with all the options in the poll.

Nobody here (so far) seems to watch TV @ all while they mix.

[Skwaidu]

Nobody here (so far) seems to watch TV @ all while they mix.

I know just one guy who does that... (Older school, you actually met him here in Hell)

Most folks I know actually try to *minimize* any and all distractions... (My web surfing too is actually more of break thing anyway... Mostly for this place. :P )

[juergen]

Usually just mix, and on a lot of occasions surf the web although it seems to clutter my mind too much...

...when i need a hardcore sort of break, doing dishes or watering the lawn has been surprisingly great for temporarily prying off the feeling of these invisible monitors positioned triangularly in equilateral fasion in front of me...maybe it has to do with putting my hands to work on something.

[Comte de St Germain]

I work fast, take breaks and then work some more.


People, things, cathode rays, telephones and the smell of food just gets in the way.


Occasionally I'll have a beer at the end of the session but not one of those Michelob Ultras that Chaz drinks.

[pounce]

i remember reading the chuck ainley does that. keeps sports programs on without the volume so that he can give his brain some breaks from the music and then come back to it more like the average listener. it obviously works for him. i haven't gotten to where i work that way, but i'm not averse to surfing the web a bit which is really the same thing. even in my little home space i have three computers in the studio, so one is always for surfing and the other two are always for work.

[JimFarley]

I must be "that" guy... the TV is always on, but the sound is seldom turned up. It's usually on a news channel... just in case the world is coming to an end, I want to know about it! Since I'm already in my basement bunker/dog house/studio/ham shack I really don't need much of anything else!

[Starfucker]

I usually have the TV on. Sometimes Music video's, sometimes news, movies in the evening. It gives your brain a short break sometimes, but more importantly: it distracts the band when they're in the room. So I don't have 5 bored guys watching over my shoulder, pointing out every little detail.

[volthause]

I'm asking a lot of my brain just to mix. Anything else and I'm sure I'd reach the cranial equivalent of BSD.

[Uu-Aa]

I usually have a TV on (volume off) while mixing. If something more interesting than the mix I´m working on comes up, I´ll watch that.

Usually when I haven´t had interest to watch the TV at all, I know I´ve came out with a good mix.:grin:

[PSN Big Al]

I must be "that" guy...

Jim? Is this my favorite garbage can man?! :icon_eek:

[slabrock]

I tried the tv after i saw a guy i respect a lot doing that, watching CNN or something while mixing, but i couldn't do that.

I've found out that if i try to do anything at the same time, i have to do everything all over again. So i just smoke a lot, drink coffee a lot and stare occasionally at the lava lights (everybody's got 'em, right?).

I'm the kind of person who has difficulty trying to drive and listen the car radio, since i feel the driving disturbs my listening, and it just doesn't feel right to pull the car to roadside and stop whenever there's a good sound, good bridge or a catchy riff i want to enjoy in peace. So it's canned music in car, please, and no new experiences there.

I can see how the tv helps if you work the studio alone, though. At least you know the world still turns, there's still life outside. And that can be a very needed and comforting thought.

[pauly]

I play video golf.

[FajitaTone]

I watch what I'm mixing... but I do post.


I used to have a TV with FashionTV on when I worked on South Beach. That channel doesn't need sound.


:Coolio:

[Charles Dye]

Dontcha luv how the 5 who voted "watch porn" don't actually post? :Roll eyes:

[PSN Big Al]

Dontcha luv how the 5 who voted "watch porn" don't actually post? :Roll eyes:

Well, since they all said "sound on", I suppose between
mixing and ??? ... they're pretty preoccupied; no time
for posting. :Uh oh:

[FajitaTone]

Well, since they all said "sound on", I suppose between
mixing and ??? ... they're pretty preoccupied; no time
for posting. :Uh oh:

Got one hand on the "master fader"

:lol:

[Charles Dye]

Got one hand on the "master fader"

:lol:
FT, now that's very funny. :lol:

[Cheech]

I couldnt imagine trying to Surf, or Watch TV while mixing!
Too much for my poor brain. Then again, usually when I start thinking about a mix too much I just screw it all up. So maybe I should try HMMMMM

[Mixerpuppet]

Mainly I sweat...



Then I count the number of seconds it takes for the first bead to find its way though my back hair to my buttcrack and do that unconfortable tickling thing...



After that I begin to wonder when the band will find out Im a fraud attached to some silly pieces of dental floss...


If there is enough time left I usually drink a little water to keep myself hydrated...


Then repeat....

[lebouche]

I think you mean try to mix...
sometimes I cry, sometimes I quit.
Sometimes I think it sounds really good...then I wonder if I'm even slightly sane, then finally I blame the musicians and the song. ' always thought it was shit' and they say you cant polish a turd:) but I'm looking to make some shiney mutherfucin shit!:lol: in fact my friend I work with sometimes told me I'm trying to make my records sound like big label/studio releases but I should be happy with how they are.......that I dont get. Why bother if you are going to accept stuff that doesnt sound good?

[clicktrack]

During a live gig?

Trying to unpucker my ass while wondering "what did we forget to do before the show that I'm going to regret a millisecond from now..."


...all the while trying to stay a step ahead of the performer...


During a mix session?

Just mix...maybe the occasional pull of the pud.

If it was the '80s in Malice's facility, I'd have a groupie do that for me, but cutbacks, ya know...

:lol:

[rockdart]

I just mix. And then look up at the clock when done and go - "Holy CRAP".

[PSN John Davidson]

When I mix.....I put my fingers in my ears and bang my head against the console, then I drink a little, watch TV, then forget what I was doing and put mixing off until tomorrow.

But seriously, I do watch movies and some TV, when working on a project...not so much final mixing. I do like to have a beer or 2. Helps me loosen up. :P

[lebouche]

So, here's the deal with all the watching TV choices...

I've found, while visiting other mixing engineers, that a lot of them seem to want to have a TV on while they work. Often movies, sometimes sports, or music videos, rarely news.



Nobody here (so far) seems to watch TV @ all while they mix.

My tv at home and many tv's are really noisy....even when muted they give off a really tireing high frequency.
I find that with some strip lights as well....surely that cant be good for mixing.? Maybe most people have lcd's nowdays.

[nobby]

More coffee



That's about it. Even that's too much for me. I try to take a sip, and wind up pouring it down my shirt.

Fuck it, I'm bringing back my old sig.

[jord]

The only thing I do while I mix is start searching the forums. :Razz:

jord

[Shortler]

I think about new gear....:Thumbsup:

[Shortler]

Well, since they all said "sound on", I suppose between
mixing and ??? ... they're pretty preoccupied; no time
for posting. :Uh oh:

Got one hand on the "master fader"

:lol:

I wonder if there is a plug-in involved?

[jord]

I wonder if there is a plug-in involved?

I guess it depends if they're trying to reach saturation. :icon_eek:

jord

[CHANCE]

The method to my madness is to just mix. Once I am in the ballpark, I will play the mix loud, leave the CR and shut the door and listen to the muffled mix in the hall or lounge. Sometimes I will run off a rough mix and listen to it in other systems (car, home, etc.) to see how my mix is translating to the outside world. I like to let my ears rest a lot too to prevent getting too used to the sound. Once I can repeatedly come back to the CR and can not improve on the mix, I burn it and it gets sent to the ME.

[lofi studios]

nothing but mix, when i used to use the console for summing i would turn the computer screens off and do it all by ear, now i just close my eyes.

i've tried to do other things when at it, but i am easily distracted.

iain

[6x2]

And, of course, checking the panning of my lava lamps! (yep, I've
installed one for each stereo channel)

<Not intending to twist your words, but:>

Gives you a much better picture of the whole thing.



Indeed... I've done the same. First we started out with just one, but my mixes were all leaning towards the direction of the lava lamp so I had to get another one to balance it out.

:P

Oh yes, during breaks surf a bit / read forums.

While mixing, I mix, but IMHO most of the actual mixing is done on breaks, if this makes sense to you. I often hear the song in my head almost literally and it's best when I'm not actually between the speakers, physically listening to the song... Go figure.

6x2

[Tim Halligan]

While mixing, I mix, but IMHO most of the actual mixing is done on breaks, if this makes sense to you. I often hear the song in my head almost literally and it's best when I'm not actually between the speakers, physically listening to the song... Go figure.



Yep. I hear you brudder. :lol:

Likewise.


Cheers,
Tim

[juergen]

most of the actual mixing is done on breaks, if this makes sense to you. I often hear the song in my head almost literally and it's best when I'm not actually between the speakers, physically listening to the song... Go figure.

Yep. I hear you brudder. :lol:

Likewise.


Cheers,
Tim

Interesting!
Likewise!

[Stick]

Golf Channel! Especially on Thurs/Fri now that they're broadcasting the first two rounds of the PGA Tour's tournament for the week.

Other than that, I usually leave the TV off though.

[micguy]

I used to think I was watching TV, but then recently I heard someone call it "video reinforcement". So that's why the people on TV always looked kinda like the people on stage.

[D.Michaels]

O.K so I voted,

But I must confess I didn't realize Lava Lamps were so essential to a good mix!

My first reaction was to run out and buy the latest lava lamp version I could find... I was hoping to find something like Lava Lamp 7.1 surround for that really cool in the middle of the mix vibe.... still looking. :lol:

[PSN Big Al]

I was hoping to find something like Lava Lamp 7.1 surround for that really cool in the middle of the mix vibe.... still looking. :lol:

No, no NO! Don't go towards the light! :Cry:


.

[robmacki]

Unless I have clients with me...well, I take that back, even when I have clients in the room I'll sneak a peek at a forum. It's my vice. I also work at home and my wife knows the skins of DUC and GearSlutz but lately when I've been on The Womb, she's had a puzzled look on her face. Usually I'll just work in spurts then space out and follow some ridiculous thread for an hour and wonder why I just wasted an hour of my day. I haven't figured a way to make that a billable hour yet.
The problem is I need to be working, you know, like right now.
:lol:

[Stick]

But I must confess I didn't realize Lava Lamps were so essential to a good mix!

Yeah, clearly they are. I like to go into the LL directly out of ProTools via AES. Then use the analog output of the lamp to drive the side-chain of the 2-buss compressor. The sound can get a little waxy, so be careful. Oh, and the different colors make a huge difference in the sound... you know all those clients that say "I need it a little more green"?

:grin:

[D.Michaels]

Yeah, clearly they are. I like to go into the LL directly out of ProTools via AES. Then use the analog output of the lamp to drive the side-chain of the 2-buss compressor. The sound can get a little waxy, so be careful. Oh, and the different colors make a huge difference in the sound... you know all those clients that say "I need it a little more green"?

:grin:

LOL... clearly I have much to learn... you guys are just to nutz :lol:

[mattian]

usually i watch the milar dvd.. i've see it i don't know.. 50 times.. but not in multitasking.. but i leave it open and when i'm going crazy i watch a part, if i'm making the bass and i want to hear some plug ins bypass and some explanation, or with effects, i think now is more something like an encouragement "yes is possible making thing sound good":)

[Pancho Ballard]

One of the main perils of only being able to have one computer in the house is that my Pro Tools PC is also my internet PC. While the song is actually playing and working on a particular section/instrument etc. I do nothing else.

However, I might EQ something to my satisfaction and then get very distracted by either this forum, my local forum or the BBC website (ahem... amongst others). If I could afford a seperate studio I'd deliberately not have any access to the internet in it as it seriously eats up time that could be spent recording and mixing.

I used to enjoy watching football whilst recording though but I don't think a porn film would help me concentrate - have you heard the horrible fusion they play on those things? It's like masturbating whilst watching someone masturbate whilst listening to someone masturbate.

[Pancho Ballard]

I actually worked with an artist (punk/UK) who required two video monitors with different porn flicks running on each – just so he could sing his lead vocals.


days of excess; band went nowhere...



... what a surprise. :icon_eek:

Any clues? :Wink:

[Charles Dye]

It was so long ago + I quite honestly can't even remember their name. Pretty talentless + forgettable (evidently:)) band that got a major label excited enuf to spend money on them.

Standard stoopid corporate crap.

[FEEDBACK711]

I know this is off the conversation but I usually do a pre mix(all of the tedious shit) then check emails and forums. Smoke a ciggettte.(by the window of course) Go back to mixing untill my ADHD kicks in and i start to drift. Then i usually take a break , watch some tv, clear my mind, eat. Then i get back to mixing.

No porn. Thats how keys get stuck on your keyboard :Roll eyes: . I am afraid i have a production partner over alot that wouldn't enjoy mixing next to a man with a boner. lol

I find my self distracted by alot so not much is going on while i mix. My goal is to get lost in the work. If i fatigue my ears I PLAY SALSA. it always works.

Lately i have been watching tutorials while mixing or preparing tracks.
ohh and charles...... mix it like a record is far better than mixing with the pros. not to ride you or anything but at least you take the time to describe the reasons why you do what you do.
insted of do it and move on only saying" i add compression to the drums" leaving the watcher to pause and zoom in....thanks

[Pancho Ballard]

I am afraid i have a production partner over alot that wouldn't enjoy mixing next to a man with a boner. lol

Come on, we've all done it! You just have to exercise some self-control when you build up to that last big chorus.

[FEEDBACK711]

Come on, we've all done it! You just have to exercise some self-control when you build up to that last big chorus.

LAST CHORUS!!!!!! Shit i couldnt even make it past riding the faders:icon_eek:

[AxeSlash]

During mix I eat crap (chocolate, muffins, cakes, crisps, stuff that is bad for you), and drink quantities of irn-bru that would kill a mortal.

Every so often I take a 5/10 min break, during which I usually syphon the python and tidy up the shithole of a studio I have, then get back to the mix.

I try and make sure the room is as silent as it can be during the breaks to let my ears reset.

Pretty boring really.






I need a lava lamp.

[mmaustralia]

Does chatting on MSN count? :grin:

[C_F_H_13]

The studio I work out of has all the cinemax/hbo channels so I like to have any movie on while I'm working. It actually has the pleasing effect of me not staring at PT while I work...I think it actually helps.

Although the big drawback is when Dexter/The Wire/Californication/any major series I find myself working a little less and watching alot more!

[Extreme Mixing]

I used to watch the tv, with the sound off, while mixing. It made me feel less alone, somehow. I loved the E-Channel. They had lots of shows about models shopping, or girls volleyball teams--the kind of stuff where you didn't really have to know what was going on. I could just look up every now and again, and think umm, that looks good, and remember why music should sound good to young girls.

I stopped after 9-11. That took all the fun out of it. Then I started going on line during bounces and while making stems. That's getting old now, so I'm learning to play piano.

Steve

[Charles Dye]

I used to watch the tv, with the sound off, while mixing. It made me feel less alone, somehow. I loved the E-Channel. They had lots of shows about models shopping, or girls volleyball teams--the kind of stuff where you didn't really have to know what was going on. I could just look up every now and again, and think umm, that looks good, and remember why music should sound good to young girls.

I stopped after 9-11. That took all the fun out of it. Then I started going on line during bounces and while making stems. That's getting old now, so I'm learning to play piano.

Steve

Great post, Steve.

Nice to have you around. :) :Thumbsup:

[danbee]

Has anybody done listening tests with the various brands of Lava Lamp to see which ones exhibit the best 'Vibe'?

Perhaps I should check GearSlutz... :grin:

[Charles Dye]

Nope, you've definitely come to the right place.

The Project Studio Network (http://projectstudionetwork.com/) is in the midst of one of the most extensive Lava Lamp shootouts ever commissioned.

And our own Big Al is the man to ask for the details.

[PSN Big Al]

Ooohhhhh . . . don't get me started! :Mad:

[HOOK]

just a thought....


Why not connect a lava lamp to a optoresistor circuit thingy and run your music through it?

Make that two lamps for stereo!!

Split stereo that is, not interleaved!! :Razz:




HOOK

[FEEDBACK711]

just a thought....


Why not connect a lava lamp to a optoresistor circuit thingy and run your music through it?

Make that two lamps for stereo!!

Split stereo that is, not interleaved!! :Razz:




HOOK

You know what i think you are on to something. Throw a hand wound transistor in the mix. Maybe a tube here or there. Hit the lights and make a hit.

[knightsy]

Currency trading.

[YZ!]

While mixing I normally smoke a lot (tobacco) and drink coca-cola.

But I do like to listen to the mix from outside the CR with the door ajar from time to time to get a feel of what the mix will sound under less focused situations; on longer mix sessions I like (when the client allows) to take 10-minute breaks, usually whenever I feel that I've reached a mixing "landmark"; I prefer such breaks to be silent, so I lock myself into the bathroom, wash my face and hands and do some stretching exercises and when I get back to the CR, before I hit play I turn the monitors down a couple of notches from the previous setting.

[6x2]

While mixing I normally smoke a lot (tobacco) and drink coca-cola.

That's healthy for you and your gear.

But I do like to listen to the mix from outside the CR with the door ajar from time to time to get a feel of what the mix will sound under less focused situations; on longer mix sessions I like (when the client allows) to take 10-minute breaks...

Did you actually write that?

Ding fucking dong.

If your client doesn't allow you to have breaks, you'd better change clients or careers.

NOBODY will deny a break from me when I'm mixing. Not the producer, not the artist, not the mook. Nobody. I take my break when I choose to. Firstly, that's my right and secondly that's one of the ways I can guarantee my client to get what they want: a great mix.

While recording, it's a different matter. I try to keep the momentum going at all costs and sometimes that requires not taking breaks for extended periods of time. Even if I have to pee in my pants. Which I've not done. So far.

and when I get back to the CR, before I hit play I turn the monitors down a couple of notches from the previous setting.

Turning down after a break is a very good idea.

6x2

[Colinmiller]

Actually mixing to something on the TV can be very inspiring. There are many songs which I never cared for until I saw them in a movie or had some kind of visual context. After hearing them in a movie or on TV to a plot, I really liked the song. So listening to a mix playing over a movie or show or something can help me a lot. I guess maybe it helps me focus on the song more so than the engineering aspects of it. I used to put MTV on have videos to watch to it, but now a days it's really hard to find videos on TV.

When I need to focus on the mix, I don't get distracted at all. In fact I often completely forget about the TV being on. One time during a session I forgot about the TV as usual while I got focused, and the singer (female walked in) and started looking up at the screen. I turned around to see why, only to find out that the HBO channel which originally had something funny on had now turned into a soft porn movie, and I hadn't been paying attention. Without wanting to make a big issue of it to embarrass myself further, I motioned to the remote and said that she can put on what she wants (or something to that nature). Her response was along the lines of "Heck no, this is great!".

If I need to focus, nothing else exists. If you have a conversation with me while I am focusing, I will not remember a single word you said. So anything that doesn't make the slightest of noise is fine with me.

[YZ!]

When the client allows
Did you actually write that?

Ding fucking dong.

If your client doesn't allow you to have breaks, you'd better change clients or careers.

Yes, I did write that.
Yes, it used to happen, but I was exaggerating when I wrote that.
Yes, I did change careers. sort of.

But for a while I made some good $ mixing whole albums in one sitting until I got fed up with the biz.


NOBODY will deny a break from me when I'm mixing. Not the producer, not the artist, not the mook. Nobody. I take my break when I choose to. Firstly, that's my right and secondly that's one of the ways I can guarantee my client to get what they want: a great mix.

I agree with you in the conclusion.

But while tracking, it is always as you said below:


While recording, it's a different matter. I try to keep the momentum going at all costs and sometimes that requires not taking breaks for extended periods of time. Even if I have to pee in my pants. Which I've not done. So far.

Turning down after a break is a very good idea.

6x2

[weedywet]

Most of the latest research suggests that humans CAN'T really "multi-task".

the most our brains can do is perform tasks serially, although at high speed enough to APPEAR to be doing several things at once
(sort of like the other thread on midi timing)

with this in (serial) mind, I try to mostly just LISTEN and do the thing i am doing (riding the fader, a-b-ing the EQ, etc.)

and nothing else.

oh, I try to remember to breathe.

[Bob Olhsson]

The challenge is that a huge percentage of everybody's hearing perception is imaginary and the more we think about one detail or another the less we tend to actually hear.

We always have to trick our mind into being objective. One way is by working really fast. Another is checking things out in the lounge, while reading or both.

[assemblyworker]

I used to smoke a lot and I used to enjoy listening from outside, just round the corner from the control room door. Helped me get perspective.

Now I'll often have my laptop next to me and have little looks on forums to see whats up, although I think it is more a distraction than an aid.

I still go for a little wander around the building, with the control room door open, when I think I'm losing it a bit.

Someone needs to develop a 'safe' smoke. I've smoked all manor of substances to date, none of them did me any good but I feel my mixing, no life, needs that shit lol.

[weedywet]

Keep a scuba tank and regulator in the room, and breathe that instead of smoking.

plus, it makes that cool Darth Vader noise... keeps the band in line.


smoke is a suspension of particulate matter in gas (air)
your lungs are designed to process gas, only. Not solids.
there can be no 'safe' smoke.

[elborgan]

oh, I try to remember to breathe.

I only breath on my breaks. It's a sure fire way to remember to take one :)

The rest of my time and effort is spent trying to stop my 'phantom' hand reaching for the volume knob when the mix isn't feeling right.

[weedywet]

The rest of my time and effort is spent trying to stop my 'phantom' hand reaching for the volume knob when the mix isn't feeling right.


well as I probably already have the speakers nearly all the way up, that isn't usually a problem for me.

[GeeWhoLeeo]

the more i mix the more i find that i can't really do anything else at the same time, for me it needs total concentration...

[6x2]

Yes, I did write that.
Yes, it used to happen, but I was exaggerating when I wrote that.

Phew, you had me scared for a bit there earlier.

And on the subject of smoking... One of the rare things I regret about quitting smoking is that I have less reason to take frequent breaks. The other one is the fact I was a nervous wreck for over 6 months, but that's another story.

6x2

[weedywet]

... One of the rare things I regret about quitting smoking is that I have less reason to take frequent breaks.



the answer, as to so MANY things, dear boy, is TEA

[6x2]

the answer, as to so MANY things, dear boy, is TEA

Ah, you are SO right, mate.

I have recently re-discovered drinking tea at work. It's brilliant.

[HOOK]

so, guys, do you have tea boys then??? :Razz:



HOOK

[GeeWhoLeeo]

the answer, as to so MANY things, dear boy, is TEA


i agree!
i quit smoking 2 months ago, i needed an excuse to leave the room every 2 or 3 hours so i switched to tea and i'm never goin back.
english tea with milk is the best, and unlike the coffee, it has a relaxing effect.

[GeeWhoLeeo]

While recording, it's a different matter. I try to keep the momentum going at all costs and sometimes that requires not taking breaks for extended periods of time. Even if I have to pee in my pants. Which I've not done. So far.


funny you mention that.. i found a cool way for toilet emergencies: i switch off all the lights in the control room, officially it's for the 'vibe'... then i hit record, the song starts and i can leave the room whenever i want without being seen.
of course this works only when a whole band is recording at the same time and nobody else is in the control room :Razz:
i was also thinking to extend the talkback system with a cable long enough to reach the toilet, too.:lol:

[Anduin]

i was also thinking to extend the talkback system with a cable long enough to reach the toilet, too.

So you can say "Doooodes! That take was the shit!" and actually mean it?

[GeeWhoLeeo]

So you can say "Doooodes! That take was the shit!" and actually mean it?


:lol: exactly

[zenpool1]

Couldn't watch TV, but I understand the need to
look away from the monitor(s).

I like to put Sonar on loop, turn the monitor off
after the mix is getting there.

I grew up w/ a sightless person in the home.
Trust me, you can't be quiet enough to get
a cookie jar lid off unnoticed.

The visual's distracting, takes the attention away
from the sound...imo, of course.

Kirk

[6x2]

i agree!
i quit smoking 2 months ago, i needed an excuse to leave the room every 2 or 3 hours so i switched to tea and i'm never goin back.
english tea with milk is the best, and unlike the coffee, it has a relaxing effect.

Russian Earl Grey is my choice of weapon. Twinings Earl Grey is another one.

6x2

[6x2]

The visual's distracting, takes the attention away
from the sound...imo, of course.

No shit.

Ever tried Massey's "Listen" plugin?

http://www.smassey.com/plugin.html

:grin:

6x2

[otek]

Twinings Earl Grey


6x2, you're a man of distinction.

Truly the best "stock" tea out there.


otek

[lebouche]

6x2, you're a man of distinction.

Truly the best "stock" tea out there.


otek
I dunno man... if you mean Twinings I agree....but Lady Grey wins over Earl Grey....and English Breakfast has to be up there.

[weedywet]

No

Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Earl Grey
or Yorkshire Gold

or just PG Tips.

[Fulcrum]

I'm more of a fan of Twinings' Irish Breakfast these days. I guess I'm just accustomed to their Earl Grey now, like Henry Higgins got accustomed to Eliza Doolittle's face.

I sprung for a box of Bewlays, for when the Twinings runs out.

[weedywet]

I was serenely independent and content before we met, surely I could always feel that way again... and yet...

Pg Tips

[6x2]

I prefer Tetley over PG tips, but I can't get it here in Finland!

Whittard of Chelsea makes excellent tea, but same thing. Can't get it over here.

So Twinings Earl Grey it is. The best stock tea available here at least. Sometimes I really miss the UK.

6x2

[weedywet]

Tetley in the UK is ENTIRELY different from Tetley in the US (which is crap)

just FYI

[6x2]

I never had the US Tetley.

[CasB]

I usually just mix. Sometimes I wander around in my CR (aka my bedroom), just to get my eyes of the screen and hear it from another perspective.

I can't mix and do something else, cause I'll get distracted... But I do eat/drink when mixing. And when it's getting later I might just drink a beer (or 2).