Mixing at low volumes is a common practice used by professional engineers everywhere. This technique is one of the most crucial ways your mixing can improve right away!

1. You'll hear volume imbalances a lot better. At lower volumes you'll be able to hear if some instruments are too loud & what's sticking out too much. Mixing at lower volumes can really improve your overall volume balance.
2. You'll hear dynamic processing better. Lower volumes make it more apparent what a compressor is doing. At loud volumes everything sounds in your face; however, lower volumes will show us what's being too compressed & what's not being compressed enough.
3. Louder volumes can trick us! When the music is loud, everything sounds better! Things appear wider, drums knock more, bass hits harder, & vocals cut through better. When mixing at loud volumes, it can really trick us into thinking the mix is better than it actually is. Mixing at low volumes will keep our ears true to what's really going on.
4. Better EQ accuracy! You'll make better EQ decisions because not everything is blasting through the speakers. Louder volumes also make the bass sound more prominent than it really is, so a lower volume will help you balance the low end better & get all your EQing down there figured out. Louder volumes can also trick you into thinking something needs more cutting than it really needs, resulting in a hollow sounding mix.
5. Less ear fatigue. With a lower volume, you'll be able to mix for longer periods of time & you'll have more clarity while mixing. You'll also protect your ear health over time!