If you spend any amount of time recording and mixing at home, you quickly realise there’s no shortage of advice out there. Tutorials, presets, plugin walkthroughs, “secret” tricks. It’s endless.
What’s much rarer is advice that comes from time spent getting things wrong, fixing them, then finally understanding why they were wrong in the first place.
The video above, “18 Mixing Secrets I Wish I Knew Before I Started,” is worth your time for exactly that reason. It isn’t selling a shortcut. It’s a collection of lessons learned the slow way, through real mixing work, frustration, and repetition.
For home recordists especially, those lessons matter.
Mixing Is About Decisions, Not Plugins
One of the strongest ideas running through the video is also one of the most misunderstood truths in home recording: mixing isn’t about tools. It’s all about decisions.
Good mixes usually come from clear choices made early. Bad mixes often come from hesitation, second-guessing, and trying to fix problems that should never have existed in the first place.
You can hear this perspective in how the creator talks about balance, arrangement, and restraint. The emphasis isn’t on what plugin to use, but on knowing why you’re making a move at all. That mindset alone can save hours of pointless tweaking.
Balance Before Processing
A recurring lesson in the video is the importance of getting levels and panning right before reaching for EQ, compression, or effects.
In home studios, it’s tempting to start “mixing” by loading plugins. But many problems disappear once the faders are set properly and the arrangement is allowed to breathe.
A solid static mix does more heavy lifting than most people realise. If your balance works, your processing becomes lighter, simpler, and more intentional.
Mix in Context, Not in Solo
Another hard-earned lesson highlighted is the danger of solo buttons.
Soloing tracks feels productive, but it can pull you away from what actually matters: how parts interact. A sound that seems odd or imperfect on its own might sit perfectly once everything is playing together.
Home recordists, especially those working alone, often fall into the trap of polishing individual tracks instead of shaping the song as a whole. The video gently pushes against that habit.
Ear Fatigue Is Real (and It Will Lie to You)
Mixing for too long without breaks is one of the fastest ways to lose perspective. The video reinforces something many of us only learn after years of frustration: tired ears make bad decisions.
Stepping away, referencing other music, and returning with fresh ears isn’t a luxury. It’s part of the process.
This matters even more in home studios, where sessions often stretch late into the night and there’s no assistant or second set of ears to call things out.
Your Room Isn’t Perfect, and That’s Okay
Another quiet strength of the video is its realism about monitoring environments.
Most home studios aren’t acoustically ideal. That doesn’t mean good mixes are impossible. It means you need awareness, consistency, and reference points.
Learning how your room lies to you, and compensating for it, is more useful than endlessly chasing upgrades. The video doesn’t dwell on gear fixes. It focuses on listening habits and judgment.
Less Processing, More Intention
Many of the lessons circle back to the same idea from different angles: doing less, but doing it on purpose.
Over-EQing, over-compressing, and stacking effects rarely lead to clarity. They often lead to smaller, flatter, more confused mixes.
The video encourages restraint, especially for those still building confidence. If a move doesn’t clearly improve the mix, it probably doesn’t belong there.
Why This Video Matters for Home Recordists
What makes this video particularly relevant for the All About Home Recording audience is that it doesn’t assume perfect conditions.
It speaks directly to people learning by doing. People recording their own music. People wearing multiple hats. People working in bedrooms, spare rooms, and small project studios.
These lessons help you work with your limitations instead of fighting them.
My Takeaway
Mixing is a long game. The same lessons come back around again and again, and each time you hear them, they tend to land a little deeper.
This video is worth watching now, worth revisiting later, and worth keeping in mind the next time you feel stuck halfway through a mix wondering why it isn’t coming together.
Good mixes don’t usually come from knowing more tricks. They come from understanding a few core ideas and applying them consistently.
That’s what this video reinforces, and that’s why it earns a place here.
