So…is ear training actually important for recording studio newbies?
Well…as musicians, we’re used to making a lot of ridiculous investments in our craft.
We buy all the latest equipment, like fancy studio monitors and condenser mics.
Yet we somehow neglect the one thing that is arguably more important than your entire studio combined.
And that is, your EARS.
When your mixes don’t sound like the pros, it’s probably not because your gear isn’t good enough. It’s most likely because you’re ears aren’t.
Not to worry though, because that’s why we have ear training. And we’ll learn all about it in this post.
First up…
The Typical Story of Frustration…
You’ve had your studio for a few months or years now, but every time you work on a mix, it feels like you’re just make one random change after another…
And you really can’t tell if those changes are making things better or worse.
And on the rare occasion that it actually does sound better, you have no clue why, and no idea how to do it again the next time.
So here’s why this happens:
What the Pros Hear That You DON’T
High-level sound engineers possess a unique “6th sense” that the rest of us don’t have.
While we as musicans are accustomed to hearing notes, and judging their relationships to each other, these people hear music a bit differently.
Whether listening to a single instrument, or an entire mix…they can mentally separate the sound into individual frequency bands, and know almost instinctively which bands are too loud or soft compared to the others.
As a result, their mixing decisions are deliberate and purposeful…because they know exactly what’s wrong, and how to fix it.
Which is why, you can put a world-class engineer in your simple home studio, and put yourself in his $10 million pro studio…
And he’ll STILL create a better mix than you…EVERY TIME.
Can this Ability be Learned Through Ear Training?
When you first realize your ears are the problem behind your crappy mixes…it’s depressing as hell.
If it’s your gear’s fault…at least you knew how to solve the problem. Just get better gear.
But ugrading your ears seems a bit more challenging.
Most pros did it by spending countless hours in the studio working under a mentor, slowly absorbing the skill through years of experience.
The problem is…99% of us will never have that option. But there is another way…
The Ear Training Solution for Everyday Musicians
When I first heard about this new software by Train Your Ears, it was extremely exciting.
Using their patented software for sound engineers, you could literally train your ears to hear frequency bands, just as easily as you hear notes and chords today.
As I eventually discovered, the software is based around the standard proven teaching method that has been used in studios for decades.
So Here’s How It Works…
The process behind the technique is simple:
- You hear a sound (either noise, music, or an instrument).
- You hear it AGAIN, with random EQ changes applied.
- You guess what changes were made.
- You check the answer to see if you were right.
It almost sounds too easy, right?
But when you really stop and think about it, in order for our brains to develop the ability to instantly recognize the sound of different frequencies, there is really NO better way to learn it, than this simple 4 step process.
But natural next question is…
Why THIS Ear Training Software?
My first thought when I learned of this technique was:
Why do I need software for that? Couldn’t I just practice it with a partner?
And that’s true…you could.
But then I realized, the reason so few people possess this skill…is because so few people have a buddy willing to sit there, hour after hour in the studio, and practice long enough to actually learn it.
And THAT’S why the software is so brilliant.
Not only does it allow you to practice by yourself whenever you want, the features within the software allow you to practice at a rate 20X faster than you ever could with a partner.
To see exactly what it can do, watch the video below: