UPDATE: We have updated the title of this article to better reflect the intent of the author.
A few weeks ago, I moved my entire mix room 90 degrees. It was originally firing sideways and had been like that for three years. However, on the advice of a few people who suggested my speakers weren't designed to work in the configuration I was using them in, I decided to move. I have a pair of Kii Three speakers and to be frank, they would sound good if you used them in a garden shed or the boot of a small car.
I'd had many trusted ears (and their owners) through my studio, all of them stood their open-mouthed as they heard just how good my room sounded. Julian reviewed them in that position for this very web site and declared "They sound jaw-droppingly amazing." At least two people bought a pair after hearing them in my studio. Even more, I had not had a single mix sent back to me for changes since I had installed them. So I ignored those who told me they weren't designed to be used like this.
However, partly because I fancied a change, I'm told it's as good as a rest, and partly to shut up the constant whining from those who told me I should install them correctly, I moved them.
"What happened next will shock you. By moving the speakers and getting them to sound even more accurate, my mixes immediately improved. I've got more clients than ever before, and I'm now able to charge double for the work I was doing before for the same clients"
On doing so, I checked and lo and behold there was a small improvement in the low end, so by moving them they sounded better. A note of caution for those who like to think in binary terms that doesn't mean they sounded bad before, it means they sound better now.
What happened next will shock you. By moving the speakers and getting them to sound even more accurate, my mixes immediately improved. I've got more clients than ever before, and I'm now able to charge double for the work I was doing before for the same clients.
If you believe that then you are an idiot.
Nothing changed. That marginal improvement made no change to the quality of my work, the number of clients I have or how much I'm paid. So why do I spend all day seeing people in forums and on social media asking for help on getting rid of the 1dB hump at 3kHz or the low rumble in their mix room? In the hope of getting better sounding tracks. Don't get me wrong I'm a huge fan of acoustic treatment in a room, Sonarworks and other room correction software and of course having invested the price of a small car, in good studio monitors. However, there comes a point where we end up chasing such irrelevant audio gains, like some Holy Grail to do better work and get better clients - this is of course partly fuelled by unrealistic promises in gear advertising.
People have been mixing in bad rooms for years and often on NS10s! So how do they do it? Several things; firstly they learn the sound of the room. Secondly, they listen to reference mixes. Thirdly they reference it on different systems and finally, they often take the advice of mastering engineers... yes there's a reason for mastering engineers, and it's something plugins can't do.
I recall visiting Grammy-winning producer Kipper's studio in Surrey. Kipper has worked with top names like Sting and Mary J Blige. His studio is beautiful, it's an old barn, and he sits in the middle of it with no sound treatment. It would send most forum keyboard warriors into a spin as they told you numerous reasons why it shouldn't sound any good. You know what, I don't know if it does 'sound any good', but it doesn't stop Kipper making Grammy-winning music.
"While you’re busy trying to get the perfect set-up someone else is making a living with an imperfect one."
I also recall a BBC documentary on producer Jeff Lynn. In one scene he records vocals in his office, a small room that would bring an 'acoustic expert' to tears. Surely he uses a reflection filter, nope, a mic on a stand and hit record.
I got my last publishing contract working in a temporary studio in a bedroom with a pair of £300 studio monitors. I would have hated to have seen the curve on any measurement of that room. However, I had a deal to get so how the room sounded was not top of my list of priorities.
You see for every 'rule' you find cited online for getting a better sounding mix room, someone will go and break that rule to great success. People make hits in all sorts of places from world class studios to bedrooms on a pair of headphones.
Whilst writing this article I called my buddy and mix master Andy Bradfield and asked what he thought. Andy has mixed in the control rooms of some of the most iconic studios.
“Unless you have a fortune to spend on acoustic treatment then your gains are marginal. People are chasing something that’s not possible, there’s no such thing as the perfect room.”
With that said Andy thinks there are some things that can make a difference;
“Treating the corners is a good place to start and some panel absorption to deal with reverberation in the room can be purchased for a few hundred pounds. You can make a big difference without spending huge amounts of money.”
Strive to be the best you can, invest in quality gear, take advantage of some of the amazing technology that is around now such as Sonarworks or the Slate VSX, and seek advice from trusted sources. But please don't get so obsessed with perfection (there's no such thing) it will distract you from getting the work done, and it's a curse, not a blessing. While you’re busy trying to get the perfect set-up someone else is making a living with an imperfect one.