Here's how you can improve your music editing skills for high-quality recordings.

I get a lot of value from reference recordings that have been with me my whole life. Some albums I've been listening to since I was 15 years old! It's good to have a library of recordings with tonalities, that you are very familiar with. One album might show off the low frequencies very well and another might show dynamic range or high frequency response or other useful characteristics. Being able to define what it is you are hearing from the reference and how it relates to what you are working on is a good exercise and way to find the horizon again when you're lost at sea...

The article seems very AI-ish. In my experience, #1, #2 and sort of #3 apply to music editing. #3, 4 and 5 apply to mixing more than editing. Music editing is an art. It’s editing production music to fit the mood, scene, timing, intensity, etc. of a program, while making it sound like it was scored that way. You can improve your skills by studying musical form, composition, instrumentation/orchestration, paying attention to how music is cut on TV shows, learning techniques to create undetectable edits in your DAW, and mainly by doing it. A lot.

Mastering the basics of signal flow is fundamental to audio engineering and crucial for novice and experienced engineers. Signal flow is the path audio signals follow from the source to the output in a recording or mixing environment. Understanding this flow is essential for effective recording, mixing, and troubleshooting in any audio setup.

Keyboard shortcuts, keyboard shortcuts, keyboards shortcuts!! You have two hands and you need to be using both of them at the same time to be a fast and effective editor.

Well, the article topic itself says it all. Master the basics. If the root is vague and clueless, no matter how good you are in the technical aspect, you cannot edit music properly. So, music education is necessary. Having a good taste in music is very essential. Should have an inclination towards music which tends to help in understanding and developing a sense of musicality. Best to learn an instrument! Then slowly, once you start editing and get a hang of it, things will be much easier.

Again! An essential requirement. Ears are the most crucial part in any sound or music related work. Without this, you are nothing! So, start listening. Not just for the sake of it. But, to understand the sound of the instrument, the pitch, the scale and what not! There's no end to it. The more you crave for good sound, the better you get at it! But! Again! The importance of understanding good quality music is also essential. Stop with the bad practices. For example, start listening on Spotify and ignore YouTube. Listen to analog era recordings. You might find hiss sounds and other static noises in those recordings. Understand what those sounds are. Learn about them. All this will help you to grow.

Reducing listening is a very important skill of an audio engineer. Therefore, ear training is an important task that an audio engineer has to practice every day. For me, ear training has become a reaction rather than a skill. With a good listening, we can not only detect error in recording but also reverse engineering any song for mixing or mastering technique.

Training your ears is very important, I did since I can remember by listening very close to what was happening in the song and then when I started playing drums I would figure out the track just by ear, so that help me a lot when later I started producing and making music. Then there was ear training lessons at my music school and that just added to my skill. Just by listening to the song with detail and try to hear what every instrument is doing you will start training you ear.

Ear training is indeed very crucial, but it develops naturally over time. Instead of just focusing on exercises, dive into diverse projects. This hands-on experience hones your ability to perceive and understand audio, helping you make informed decisions. Each project improves your listening skills and overall sound editing. As a producer, it's key to develop a range of skills beyond ear training. Master choosing the right sounds, using EQ & compression effectively, and aligning the sound with your vision. In recording, maintaining harmonics & dynamics is vital. It’s not just about one skill but a blend of elements that enhances your production.

Listen to a lot of records , different genres . Identify what is it that you like the most . Also , learn how to hear an EQ move and what a compressor does . Training in a stock EQ and Compressor , is a fundamental for music production . It takes time , especially for compressors , but with everyday work you’ll get there !

Also, try using a subtractive EQ before a compressor, and then an additive EQ after the compressor. The subtractive will naturally be more pronounced running through the compressor than the additive will be after the compressor. (Still go light on the additive!!!)

I think it's important everyone has a different approach to mixing and the purpose of EQ. I once asked Eddie Kramer if he thought the parametric EQ hurt music & he seemed to think it had. So, that said, "my" approach with mixing has been to get rid of the stuff that's in the way. This results in mostly subtractive, then the use of additive is more of a tweak. I also use EQ a lot for fx purposes to add a bit of candy to the recording. If you look at recordings very popular recordings though, you'll notice that some of what makes it magical is a bit of mess. So don't subscribe to only one approach. Learn, practice, experiment and take working with eq as close to 2nd nature as you can.

Think of EQ as a painting canvas spanning from 20Hz to 20kHz, with each frequency representing a different color. Understanding how each frequency affects your overall "painting" helps you manipulate sound effectively. To master EQ, start by experimenting with it on various sounds. You'll quickly notice how different adjustments impact your mix. While there are many EQs on the market, they all operate on the same fundamental principles—just pick one and start playing around to see the effects for yourself.

EQ and compression . You can achieve anything with just these two . EQ can be additive , subtractive , mid , side , stereo , dynamic and it can influence your whole mix . Remember how they used to make those huge records back in the old days . A desk , EQ , compressor and a tape .

Not all frequencies are bad Frequencies. You need to listen to where your other instruments lie. If I'm doing a kick for example, I make sure it ties up well bass or other low frequency instruments. Cut anything below 45hz on all instruments that don't need to be that low in most cases for a cleaner sounding overall mix.

Controlling dynamics with tools like compressors and limiters is crucial for a balanced, professional sound. It’s not about copying settings from someone else’s mix; your sound needs its own unique approach. Start by understanding the basics: know what each knob does—threshold, ratio, attack, and release. Then, use a reference track to guide you, but tailor the settings to fit your own sound. Compression can blend your mix elements and add punch, but too much can kill the natural dynamics. Find the right balance to keep the energy of your tracks while maintaining control.

As I mentioned before , a compressor takes a lot of time to understand what it actually does . It can be used for many things, from dynamic control , to just color , to multiband , you name it . Train your ears . A compressor is a powerful weapon .

Think of attack / release on a compressor like gas and brakes on a car. Attack being your gas. How fast do you want the transients to be engaged by the compressor (how quick to push the gas pedal ) and release , how fast or slow do you break or want the transients to be released after the compressor kicks in ?

As I'm OCD I create my templates first before starting any projects. All my channels have default EQ and comp settings. And I have aux / fx channels for vocals , guitar , drums , bass and synths... Then I tweak as I go. I literally mix as I go .

The below is a general guidelines that in my opinion helps a lot. Proper naming Consistent colour coding Using a template that you might be derived/refined/edited to taste from a professional template Using comments and markers Using folder/group tracks Changing default processing like Eq and compression to the ones you are most confident and comfortable using Proper routing and routing naming Learning shortcuts that speed up tasks Increase software automation in non creative tasks with tools (such as scripts and softwares like soundflow and stream decks)

Yes definitely keeping everything organized will give you a better workflow and peace of mind. Knowing where everything is when you need it saves time and money, adding efficiency to your project.

Editing and sound quality are different to me. However I produce only my music, so editing in a way becomes part of the writing process. Part of arranging. I don’t use templates, because I don’t really need to speed up the workflow.