304: Are You Learning From Audio Pros Or YouTubers? (The Mixing Advice That Actually Matters)

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Episode show notes:

There’s more mixing advice online than ever.

But here’s the real question:

Is it coming from people who actually make records… or people who make content?

In this episode, Benedikt and Manel react to answers from industry heavyweights Chris Galland and Joe Chiccarelli and compare them to common internet mixing advice.

The results are revealing.

Real pros barely care about many of the things you see everywhere online.

And many content creators ignore things that actual engineers call non-negotiable.

If you’re a self-recording musician trying to improve your mixes, this episode will help you separate hype from essential fundamentals.

What We Cover

• Should you high-pass everything?
• Do you really need to mix in mono?
• Are reference tracks mandatory?
• Should you always check your mix in the car?
• Is EQing to the key of the song a real thing?
• Do pros tune every vocal?
• Do you have to hard pan guitars?
• Are stereo imaging plugins essential?
• Should you always mix at low volumes?
• Does gain staging still matter in 2026?
• Is parallel compression overhyped?

And most importantly:

How do you know who to trust when learning mixing?

The Big Takeaways

• Context matters more than rules.
• The basics still win.
• You can ignore most of the fancy techniques and approaches until you've mastered the essential things.
• If advice sounds absolute, be skeptical.
• If someone never makes records, question their authority.

As Benedikt says in the episode:

Some topics are great for content. That doesn’t mean they’re great for making records.

Who This Is For

This episode is for:

• Rock, punk, indie, metal and alternative musicians recording themselves
• Producers overwhelmed by conflicting YouTube advice
• Anyone trying to get real results instead of chasing trends

If you’re serious about improving your mixes, this one will reset your priorities.

Want Real Guidance (Not Hype)?

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👉 Apply for coaching inside The Self-Recording Syndicate

https://theselfrecordingband.com/coaching

We don’t teach trends.

We teach what actually works for your music.

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For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/304

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