Ear Fatigue

IT’S A TRAP!

Today I want to talk a little bit about ear fatigue and how it can affect you and your mix.

Many times I have found myself mixing for more than 2 or 3 hours straight without a break. You may think that this is a rather productive mixing session, free of any distractions. But more often than not, if I mix for that long without taking a break, I probably wasn’t as productive as I may have thought I was. 
At around the 1.5 hour mark, I will start to hear things in my mix that I don’t like. These are usually elements of the mix that I was happy with just a few hours prior. While ear fatigue isn’t always the cause of this, it is usually the cause when I am constantly hearing new things that I don’t like. This can easily throw me into a loop of “fixing” things. Pretty soon I’ll be trying to fix almost everything without realizing whats happening. At this point, a break is really what I need, but taking one becomes nearly impossible when there are so many things to fix! Seriously, this is the best time to take a break. If you experience this, just let it go, and don’t bother trying to “fix” anything because chances are you’ll just fuck up your mix.

The worst part about ear fatigue is that it can be extremely difficult to notice or identify. Unfortunately it can happen very quickly when mixing (especially with headphones) because we are listening so intently and critically. For this reason, the best option is to know that it is going to occur and to take regular breaks about every hour or so. If you’re like me, this can be hard to remember to do, especially when you’re making good progress and getting into it! An hourly reminder that pops up on your computer screen is a simple solution to this.
While you’re taking your break, don’t listen to anything, and keep it as silent as possible. Think about your mix if you would like, but just don’t listen to it. Stretch, go for a walk or a run, eat lunch, drink water, lay down, take a nap, have a smoke, whatever you like. Just refrain from listening to music (or anything, for that matter) during your break.
Taking regular breaks to rest your ears and mind is just as important to your workflow as working is. When your ears are experiencing fatigue, it is nearly impossible to hear your mix properly, meaning you could potentially make decisions that are detrimental to your mix. Working through ear fatigue is entirely counterproductive, and you’ll get a lot more done by taking breaks during each mixing session.