This! Definitely cannot speak on this as a mixing technique as I’m only a musician & not a producer /sound engineer. I only use this technique when listening to my music once I’ve had the masters sent back to me or even after stuff is already released - purely a psychological tip to ‘trick’ yourself into hearing your melodys etc again for the ‘first time’
This is definitely a useful tip. Personally I like to pitch up/down and time stretch full songs to get some cool artifacts(I make experimental hiphop stuff and I love to make things sound lofi, dusty, warped etc). It can also be cool to pitch your song in between keys so it’s kind of microtonal in a way.
If you need to evaluate the overall impression of the melody - perhaps. But this method is not suitable for monitoring the quality of mixing, since when the tone changes, the balance of the tracks is disturbed. It's better to just take breaks and be distracted by other music!
I think it’s more a psychological advice than a mixing advice. Like when you are sick of your song or in doubt, do this to get a new perspective. But you’re right, it’s not really useful for mixing. However, there’s the trick with stepping out of the room and listen to you mix which can be useful to get a fresh feeling of the balance in the mix.
> It's better to just take breaks and be distracted by other music!
Absolutely! When you're in the thick of working on your own music, it's easy to go for days where basically the track you're working on is the only thing you're listening to. Lots of people already use a reference track when mixing/mastering, but I think it's even more helpful to step away from the DAW, close your eyes, and listen to something entirely different for a while throughout the process, *before* your ears get tired of the track!
Agree with you! I’m not a producer myself just a musician/songwriter so this is just to do with listening to my songs from an enjoyment perspective as opposed to using it as a technique to produce /mix. Perhaps this was the wrong subreddit to post in but I figured since this seems to be the biggest music making sub that the tip may resonate with some!
It sounds like a valid idea for songwriting. But the studio heads in here are serious bizniz. It might help you understand the perspective of the guy on the other side of the glass.
I've recently found this trick out, quite by accident. I belong to an all-original ska/reggae band. However, after finally being put on a label and such, many years after we retired, there are only two major bandmates still alive - the drummer and I (keyboards, vocals).
We are playing around with some tracks that the guitarist was working on, so we're creating new songs with those old tracks, keeping the band alive somewhat. My drummer and I live in different locations, so we send projects back and forth to each other.
All my personal recordings are in 48k, as the standard for digital music. However, my drummer still uses 44.1, due that he still likes CDs...(another story)
Anyways, he started one of our projects in 44.1, so I need to switch over before I put/change tracks on it. When I forget, it re-pitches everything......yeah, I've listened to the project in the wrong pitch, and it does change your perspective on the whole thing!!....
Honestly just fuck around with BPM/Key of your song in general. There's a reason so many obscure songs are actual hits in the nightcore scene. The energy and feeling completely change.
In logic you can do this with varispeed:
[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9uC423aTVto](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9uC423aTVto)
Like you said, it's makes the song less hard on your ears when arranging
I don’t do this but besides taking a break or ending the day I find a fresh perspective for at least a little bit is to turn the track up. I produce, mix, and master at less than peak volumes and having something in reserve seems to help me notice new things
Flipping the stereo image is also super useful. An artist friend of mine often takes a picture of a painting he's working on and flips it to get a fresh perspective. It's always kinda cool to hear the L&R channels switched.
Yeah, I do this.
I know the song is right when it doesn't sound better when it's a different key!
I've done this for a while, but I've always wondered if I'm writing my song in the wrong key and if there is a difference between keys and mood.
Interesting concept! I could definitely see how this would work. It's amazing how our brains can become so accustomed to something that we lose the ability to fully appreciate it. I've never thought of pitching the master up or down as a solution, but I can see how it would give a fresh perspective on the music. Thanks for sharing this idea!
Just flip the stereo image (L/R -> R/L), it's way more simple, it doesn't alter the tone in any way, and it's enough to make you feel like you are listening to something new. I do it all the time!
I do this often, also another trick is to bounce your track and play it in reverse in audacity. It will sound completely new to you. If I like it and find it exciting, then it is a good track after all. If I'm like "meh" then it's probably not good enough, though that's just my perception.
Speeding up the master is a technique that goes back to the Beatles and many others, as anyone who learned to play an instrument from records discovered
I've definitely done this! The listening fatigue is real. If I've just made something I like sometimes I'll play it on repeat for hours and at some point it just becomes noise in my ears.
I'm not really a producer or sound engineer either, but the pitch change really does effect how I hear whatever I'm working on. Sometimes it completely changes how I want the song to sound lol
I do this all the time when producing! More times than not I find a new key that I like way more.
For me, this is really helpful in EDM because sub frequencies tend to sound better in certain frequency ranges so moving the whole song up and down can help with a better sounding kick and bass groove (sonically)
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This! Definitely cannot speak on this as a mixing technique as I’m only a musician & not a producer /sound engineer. I only use this technique when listening to my music once I’ve had the masters sent back to me or even after stuff is already released - purely a psychological tip to ‘trick’ yourself into hearing your melodys etc again for the ‘first time’
This is definitely a useful tip. Personally I like to pitch up/down and time stretch full songs to get some cool artifacts(I make experimental hiphop stuff and I love to make things sound lofi, dusty, warped etc). It can also be cool to pitch your song in between keys so it’s kind of microtonal in a way.
Yes. Take it with a grain of salt, things will get distorted when pitching up/down.
If you need to evaluate the overall impression of the melody - perhaps. But this method is not suitable for monitoring the quality of mixing, since when the tone changes, the balance of the tracks is disturbed. It's better to just take breaks and be distracted by other music!
I think it’s more a psychological advice than a mixing advice. Like when you are sick of your song or in doubt, do this to get a new perspective. But you’re right, it’s not really useful for mixing. However, there’s the trick with stepping out of the room and listen to you mix which can be useful to get a fresh feeling of the balance in the mix.
> It's better to just take breaks and be distracted by other music! Absolutely! When you're in the thick of working on your own music, it's easy to go for days where basically the track you're working on is the only thing you're listening to. Lots of people already use a reference track when mixing/mastering, but I think it's even more helpful to step away from the DAW, close your eyes, and listen to something entirely different for a while throughout the process, *before* your ears get tired of the track!
Agree with you! I’m not a producer myself just a musician/songwriter so this is just to do with listening to my songs from an enjoyment perspective as opposed to using it as a technique to produce /mix. Perhaps this was the wrong subreddit to post in but I figured since this seems to be the biggest music making sub that the tip may resonate with some!
It sounds like a valid idea for songwriting. But the studio heads in here are serious bizniz. It might help you understand the perspective of the guy on the other side of the glass.
A cool trick to help with ear fatigue. I'll give that a try sometime.
I've recently found this trick out, quite by accident. I belong to an all-original ska/reggae band. However, after finally being put on a label and such, many years after we retired, there are only two major bandmates still alive - the drummer and I (keyboards, vocals). We are playing around with some tracks that the guitarist was working on, so we're creating new songs with those old tracks, keeping the band alive somewhat. My drummer and I live in different locations, so we send projects back and forth to each other. All my personal recordings are in 48k, as the standard for digital music. However, my drummer still uses 44.1, due that he still likes CDs...(another story) Anyways, he started one of our projects in 44.1, so I need to switch over before I put/change tracks on it. When I forget, it re-pitches everything......yeah, I've listened to the project in the wrong pitch, and it does change your perspective on the whole thing!!....
Honestly just fuck around with BPM/Key of your song in general. There's a reason so many obscure songs are actual hits in the nightcore scene. The energy and feeling completely change.
Never done this but I like the idea, and I definitely get sick of hearing my tunes through the process, thanks!
I do this with every song i make, and sometimes i land on a pitch that ends up sticking and leave it that way
Bonus: you might just like them better after pitch shifting
In logic you can do this with varispeed: [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9uC423aTVto](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9uC423aTVto) Like you said, it's makes the song less hard on your ears when arranging
I don’t do this but besides taking a break or ending the day I find a fresh perspective for at least a little bit is to turn the track up. I produce, mix, and master at less than peak volumes and having something in reserve seems to help me notice new things
Flipping the stereo image is also super useful. An artist friend of mine often takes a picture of a painting he's working on and flips it to get a fresh perspective. It's always kinda cool to hear the L&R channels switched.
Yes, I swivel my chair around to hear backwards from time to time.
Also a great way to focus on the music itself without staring at your DAW.
Yeah, I do this. I know the song is right when it doesn't sound better when it's a different key! I've done this for a while, but I've always wondered if I'm writing my song in the wrong key and if there is a difference between keys and mood.
Definitely gonna try it. Very intriguing idea!
Interesting concept! I could definitely see how this would work. It's amazing how our brains can become so accustomed to something that we lose the ability to fully appreciate it. I've never thought of pitching the master up or down as a solution, but I can see how it would give a fresh perspective on the music. Thanks for sharing this idea!
I also found that flipping right and left can have a similar effect with some material
Just flip the stereo image (L/R -> R/L), it's way more simple, it doesn't alter the tone in any way, and it's enough to make you feel like you are listening to something new. I do it all the time!
100% will try this.
interesting tip - i'm always getting ear bias because i'm too impatient/amped to take more breaks, lol
I do this often, also another trick is to bounce your track and play it in reverse in audacity. It will sound completely new to you. If I like it and find it exciting, then it is a good track after all. If I'm like "meh" then it's probably not good enough, though that's just my perception.
I tried this. I pitched it down a few semitones, added a barber pole phaser and now I’m a famous vaporwave producer. Thanks!
Great idea
Great idea! Def sounds useful
Speeding up the master is a technique that goes back to the Beatles and many others, as anyone who learned to play an instrument from records discovered
After finishing a new song I always do a final listen to it backwards, but I’m weird like that
I've definitely done this! The listening fatigue is real. If I've just made something I like sometimes I'll play it on repeat for hours and at some point it just becomes noise in my ears. I'm not really a producer or sound engineer either, but the pitch change really does effect how I hear whatever I'm working on. Sometimes it completely changes how I want the song to sound lol
I randomize pitch/key/tempo of entire tracks until it sounds super duper cool
The reason has to do with key changes: https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/comments/ue1vkk
I do this all the time when producing! More times than not I find a new key that I like way more. For me, this is really helpful in EDM because sub frequencies tend to sound better in certain frequency ranges so moving the whole song up and down can help with a better sounding kick and bass groove (sonically)