What Makes this Mix Great? The Weeknd: "Blinding Lights"
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- Опубліковано 10 кві 2024
- What makes this mix great? Justin Colletti analyzes the mix, production and arrangement for The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights"
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The Weeknd's Abel Tesfaye is one of the biggest pop stars of the past decade, with the most streamed song in the history of Spotify with nearly 4.5 billion listens. Why has the song "Blinding Lights" and the album "After Hours" captivated so many, and what can we learn from what it gets right?
Big thanks to Soundtoys and JZ Microphones for making this episode possible.
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What are your favorite Serban Ghenea mixes? And what songs do you want me to give this treatment to next?
►🎚Mixing Breakthroughs: mixingbreakthroughs.com
►🎛Compression Breakthroughs: compressionbreakthroughs.com
►🎧 EQ Breakthroughs: EQBreakthroughs.com
►🔊Mastering Demystified: MasteringDemystified.com
►✅Become a channel member here: ua-cam.com/channels/qEKv3KIZoZrjv2LymD3iMg.htmljoin
Hey Justin ! Would be nice to take someone that has been mixed by two different mixers and compared the approach of the mixers, like John Mayer with Manny and Michael Brauer on continuum or even more recently when he went to work with Spike ! ( it’s even more accurate if we take some songs from the same period /album of course ). Bruno Mars come to my mind too, going from Manny to Serban !
Cheers - !
Girl is a gun by Halsey, I think it's mixed by him. Excellent video!!!
From a mastering perspective, I like the narrow 3.2kHz boost they used. It's noticeable, not "peaky" sounding, but it's accentuating the vocals really nicely and giving that classic "80s" sound. Tinny, but not overbearing. Really smooth. It helps the mix stand out instead of sounding flat and uninspiring. That's the main thing I noticed the first time I heard it. I always think about those kinds of EQ elements when mastering. It's much more important than people think when they start out mastering and nulling out all the narrow peaks. They give character.
maybe the peak was in the vocal mic/recording itself or by Serban, who knows. But yeah, you can definitely tell it's there
@@huberttorzewski Yeah, I thought that. It does sound like it's on some synths, too. Just has that kind of character in the mix. Really nice, though.
For sure, that increase in the 3k-5k area relative to the subdued center mids (650-1.5k) and less pushed low highs (7k-10k) is totally part of that "80s"-ish vibe.
"Clear", "Cool", "Cold", "Glassy", "Clean", "Scooped", are all words I might use to describe it if I didn't have frequencies.
I wouldn't say it's only 3.2k where the track is pronounced, as there's a lot happening on the snare in particular at more like 4k-6k, which is quite prominent. But that 3k-4k area is absolutely a big part of it!
-Justin
Can i just say I love love love this style of video! Not relying on project files or stems or specific plugins or gear just simply listening and analyzing.
Awesome to hear! I like it too. :-)
-Justin
The "big mono" is a common problem with lots of mixes I've done in the past. Now, I sometimes use a plug called Width Knob not necessarily to spread sounds, but to narrow them down...maybe as far as mono. But yeah, using a bunch of stereo sounds...which might sound fantastic soloed... can really make a mess of things. Gotta have the yin with the yang!
I love this song and the production is amazing on this one. Sounds huge and is fun to listen to
Maybe it’s just me, but it sounds like the kick is not only pumping that midrange synth pad, but also ducking the vocal effects just a tiny bit. If this is actually happening and Im not just “hearing things”, maybe it could be another clue as to how that much VoFx stays out of the way, particularly on the downbeat. It is very subtile, maybe so subtile that I’m imagining it, but it sounds like more than just delay feeding reverb to me.
Really awesome stuff here. Thanks for all you do.
Would love more videos in this style, have watched the previous ones as well
I'll keep em coming!
-Justin
great content as always!
Let’s go! I just came across this channel the other day with the tame impala less I know the better breakdown and am now excited to observe the mental model for expert mixing analysis in action.
Glad to have you back! We've got a whole bunch more in this format here: ua-cam.com/play/PL3yghKGBjggRR_iZ0K6m4qMYLYUQ6UV-e.html
Thank you for this analysis! I'd like more of these modern day pop mix breakdowns. Super useful!
You got it! We have a whole playlist full of them here:
ua-cam.com/play/PL3yghKGBjggRR_iZ0K6m4qMYLYUQ6UV-e.html
love this type of analitical videos it helps a ton for people like me to understand some things i wouldnt pay attention.. thank a ton
Awesome to hear! That's what I'm going for. Glad to have you tuning in.
-Justin
hey would be great to see mid/side in your EQ during these. a spectrogram would be great too. thanks for the content!
I meant to show the spectrogram for this one but ran out of time. Soloing the mids or sides when appropriate is a great idea.
-Justin
Hi Justin, I want more videos like this, I love it!! Will Sennheiser be the sponsor for Jason this year?
Great to hear! We have a whole bunch more in this format here: ua-cam.com/play/PL3yghKGBjggRR_iZ0K6m4qMYLYUQ6UV-e.html
Still working on the 2024 lineup. Hope to have him on if we can.
-Justin
at 33:10 no matter what you boost i hear the sense of depth disappearing . The pad sounds completely shallow and the snare sounds like a fire cracker.
I think this mix lives from being listened in the morning hours with no distractions where depth matters.
A very interesting mix no doubt. Also i find it funny that everytime i hear a mix that does not hurt my ears it is a mix that does not go „louder“ peaking higher than -5, -6 rms.
Thanks for these mix series. I enjoy them very much
Great to hear! Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for sharing your take.
-Justin
@@SonicScoop I always enjoy your content Justin. Even at times where i don`t agree with some things. I always find your channel and your character very valuable
Hey Justin, where do you think that “mid scooped” sound takes place:
• In the sound selection?
• In the mixing?
• In mastering?
• All of the above?
All of the above most likely. Though it is possible for it to only happen in one. It usually doesn’t turn out quite as well that way however.
-Justin
Is it just me or when that synth lead comes in it’s really bright and makes me want to pull back? Love the track but I’m surprised every time that lead comes in just how bright it is. 😂
Been analyzing serban mixes for years and general conclusions: tonal balance is generally mid scooped with piercing highs and deep lows but not overpowered! Compression is always “radio ready sound” !!! Width goes with energy and vibe of the song which is often producer sound selection, but Serban always preserves it or makes it better! Loudness has increased over the years! Vocals are what makes him a special pop mixer!!! His vocals always sound present and never have that harsh or muddy sound you often struggle to fix!!! Let’s not forget that he receives top level production which could be still sound good if released unmixed to the general audience!!! But serban always puts his percentage on everything he touches! Not a fan of his mixes on some edm mixes released lately!!!
Serban ghenea is one of the Greatest mixer ❤
Great pop mixer.
@@BukanIbuMu absolutely right 👍
Nice breakdown! Could you possibly do Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name"? I feel like I'm always drawn to reference that mix.
A channel called audiohaze did this they actually talked to the producer
I’ll consider it, thanks!
This kind of analysis is very different than what you’d get talking to the producer of the track.
That can be very useful to. But this is a different angle that will sometimes reveal things the producer doesn’t recognize consciously, just as talking to the producer, mixer or mastering engineer may be able to relay some of the specific details of the production that I’m just not able to.
I’ve seen some Audiohaze videos. He’s grown fast! Very tight and digestible content.
I like to go a little deeper into the areas that interest me, and to explore things at length and in real time. There are different strengths and weaknesses to each approach.
For instance, he can throw a tremendous number of facts into a short watching period and make it very pretty to watch!
Props to that approach as well. It must take like, 10-40 hours per video! There’s scripting, shooting multiple camera angles, digging up suitable b-roll, extensive editing, etc.
Based on what UA-cam advertising pays, that’s an incredible labor of love.
Not my cup of tea to do or to consume, but I have incredible respect for the work ethic and video production skill involved. Clearly a talented and hardworking young dude.
-Justin
@@Durkhead yeah I saw that it’s crazy! Mostly live off the floor and massive! Still hopin he goes over what makes it soo good
I've wondered why Blinding Lights has been the top streamed song. I mean, it's good but to me there are better songs out there. Is it because he brought back an element of Michael Jackson?
Please makes Serban gheneas interview..
I’d love to! Can you ask him for me?!😆
Very hard to get that man to do a interview. He does less than one short interview per decade it seems.
-Justin
@@SonicScoop Yes I know he is not Available any Sosial media....I Noticed so many things on Serban sir Mixes Specialy Vocal De essing is Next level 🔥
@@SonicScoop I am very interested to looking Mr Serban ghenea Work philosophy
Joel Wanasuk thinks Serban needs to get a console so he can get on his level. 😂
😆
I like Joel, but that’s funny!
-Justin
The “biggest” song ever? Crazy.
I didn't like the master; it could be done better. Things were very muddy, especially in the mids, which is very important since it shows how polished the master is, but the low end was alright, and the rolled-off high end matched that 90's aesthetic they were trying to capture.
Hm, I think we have VERY different definitions of what “muddy” sounds like! This is practically the exact opposite of muddy in my book.
That’s the tricky thing about these subjective descriptors. Sone people can use the same word to mean opposite things.
For me, muddiness usually refers to an excess of low mids and lows, as well as a lack of upper mids and attack. This is not that.
Due to the extensive use of wide effects, including stereo chorusing or pitch shifting, I might call it “swimmy” or something, but far from “muddy”.
That said, because these words are totally subjective, they should probably be secondary to talking about audio-specific attributes related to time, frequency, and amplitude, which are the only actual parameters that exist in audio, and are objective.
At least, that’s what we should probably focus on first if our goal is to convey clear and consistent meaning that could be understood by anyone who takes the time to learn the concepts.
That said, I’ll still keep using words like this because they’re fun :-) But I’ll always try to explain exactly what I mean by them when I use them.
How we describe a sound by way of textural analogy is subjective. What is actually happening in that sound is not.
I hope some of that makes sense!
-Justin
@@SonicScoop Sorry for the confusion. When I say muddy, I meant the low mids; also, in the high mids, there was too much harshness.
Serban Ghenea mixes always sound like a heavily Gullfossed mix.
Quite the opposite actually - has the edges and the contrast in the sound which gullfoss takes away. His mixes are more scooped and that's making them sound more modern. Probably he's using some multiband comp on the mix bus lightly (3-4 bands) but I don't hear gullfoss on his mixes
I’m not aware of Serban using Gullfoss. It hasn’t come up in the list of regular plugins in the interviews with him or his assistant where they talk about what they regularly use and how.
Plus, he’s been churning out hit mixes, sometimes scooped sounding ones, long before Gullfoss existed.
Not saying he doesn’t use it, but you do not need it to get this kind of sound. And if it is present, it may not be something he is adding at the mixing stage.
-Justin
@@SonicScoop I think you're right. It might be added at the mastering stage.
I have a pretty strong art background and I’ve been at constant odds with how music mixing and production are taught - as an artist learning mixing, I feel I’m with mathematicians quoting herz frequencies. It’s so strange!
Imagine taking a painting class at a university and bring obsessed with measuring paints to the gram to find “the perfect purple”.
A violet by itself means nothing - how is it in the context of the painting? What works as a purple in one painting may be too dirty or too bright in another painting.
If you’re teaching mixing, please don’t focus on ranges and frequencies- how about TASTE???
Yes, please keep showing these “exceptions” to your rules - because there really aren’t any rules!
All these famous mixers have taste and vision. So far, I feel the amateur mixers I’ve met believe they can replace taste and artistry with math! As if by knowing what to do with frequencies not by feel but by gross calculation, they are good mixers.
All their stuff sounds the same and they break the only real rule: don’t be boring!!!
Wouldn’t you rather have an ugly but alive mix over a safe, boring mix?
You can’t teach that - you need artistic taste, and a vocabulary of great songs from 1962 to 2023.
Sorry, had to rant!
No worries! It's actually rare for me to lead with talking about frequencies. I usually lead with talking about the arrangement on these.
However: if we were talking about visual art, and one of the notable things about a painting is how saturated the reds are, and the specifically that the artist is using a shade of Vermilion that's very rare in contemporary art, it's worth mentioning that.
....regardless of whether or not the average new painting enthusiast has heard of "Vermilion" before.
These often end up being more about the music side of things than the frequency balance side of things, and some people complain about that! They say I'm supposed to be talking about the mix, not the music :-)
So I think you may enjoy some of the others in this series even more.
Very best,
Justin
PS: Near the end, I play some audio examples to help you hear exactly what I'm talking about around the frequency balance.
@@SonicScoop Thanks for your reply, and it's not a criticism against you, it's just that, well, here's the first thing I thought: if that same mix weren't famous, and you brought it into one of these online mixing teaching forums, what would happen? I know what would happen: they'd say it had too much air, too much high end. I would LOVE to have a famous producer using a fake name submit stems for review / feedback to one of these groups, because from what I've experienced, they just recite the same thing over and over: kick and bass need more separation, too much distortion, and, oh, vocals are A. too harsh, B. buried in the mix. When you think in a formulaic way, guess what - your mix will be formulaic. As an artist, if I were teaching art, I'd rather have someone bold, breaking all the rules, but bringing forth a unique energy, than a bean counter measuring paints - because you can tame the wild energy, but it's very hard to get a "safe" person to let go and really put their ass on the line - and that's what I want to do in my mixing (paint AND music, ha ha!) Thanks for the great thought-provoking video! I am a subscriber, getting a lot out of your work - thanks, mate! (Now, how do I get customers, ha ha!?) :)
People like the song because of the song. Not the mix. It’s not the most streamed mix. It’s the most streamed song. By the way the song is boring, but that’s another story.
The mix clearly didn’t get in the way of all those people streaming the song. So it must be doing something right? Perhaps that’s worth studying.
-Justin
It's not a great song, just "within". It is a hype because he made a deal with the Devil as I heard he did... It is a lukewarm song in all regards.
Am i the only one who absolutely hates that song
I really like it. It brought me back to the days when my dad got a cd player and my parents would play 80s songs on it.
Everything is just all fuced up now
Any famous song in the world is going to have people who hate it. Your own favorites included!
Tastes vary. The world would be kind of lame if they didn’t.
Regardless, I think you can still learn about mixing and production from mixes that have done well and found a large audience.
-Justin
No lol
Well, the amount of clicks does not obviously talk quality. Even Modern Talking songs from the 80s had better melodies. There is nothing to analyse: the mix might be great, the song is cr.....
i really dislike this song. it's sad that it's so popular
What a blatant aha rip off
What a terrible take. First time here and last.
BUH-Bye!