Picture this: You’ve immersed yourself in your mix—hours upon hours of tweaking, refining, and sculpting. Every detail is etched into your brain—the crispy highs, the bumping lows, the intricate layers of tracks and effects. You’ve poured heart and soul into making your music the best it can be. But there's an unfortunate catch to spending hours and hours on a track: ‘Demoitis.’
It’s that affectionate attachment to your initial creation—the mix you’ve grown accustomed to. It’s like a favorite old sweater—you know its every stitch, its warmth, its quirks. And therein lies the challenge...
As musicians and producers, we become blind to the final adjustments needed to elevate our track from good to extraordinary. Our ears, well-versed in what we have been hearing for days, weeks or months, struggle to discern any subtle imperfections we've become too familiar with. The magic of our original mix can, unfortunately, cloud our judgment.
What are the signs that a musician is dealing with "Demoitis"?
Reluctance to get it mixed or mastered by a professional
Resistance to making significant adjustments to their mix, such as re-recording, sample replacement, etc... even when objective improvements are needed
Distrust or dismissal of feedback of collaborators or other professionals
Fear of losing the original magic of the track by altering it too much
Nostalgia for earlier versions of the mix
Holding onto a mix for months without working towards a release date
Turning to AI solutions for mixing/mastering but not trusting a professional
The Solution:
Fresh Ears and Objective Perspective from a Professional
To break free from ‘demoitis,’ we need an intervention—a fresh perspective. It's extremely hard to let a mix go into the hands of another person who has never heard your track before... but in many ways, that's exactly what is needed.
A seasoned professional with unbiased ears, industry-standard gear, and a treated listening environment is exactly the unbiased and objective perspective necessary to finish your project. They’ve spent years fine-tuning compression, balancing frequencies, enhancing the spatial canvas, and breathing life into their clients mixes with saturation and drive.
Recognizing “demoitis” is crucial for achieving a polished, professional mix. Seeking fresh ears and professional guidance can break this attachment and elevate the music to its full potential. If you feel yourself getting all caught up on a track you've created and have felt this happening to you, let this article be the advice you needed to convince yourself to take your track to a professional.
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