It means you are probably playing it safe.
Don't be afraid to take risks when mixing.
When we sit down to mix, especially for a client, it's easy to hold back and not try anything "too crazy." We do the normal polishing and make sure everything is nice and smooth sounding. Basically, we ensure that we have a good sounding mix. But does it really stand out? Is it really a great sounding mix? Probably not.
If you want to start surprising yourself and your clients with how awesome your mixes are, you need to take risks. This means pushing the boundaries and trying things. This means adding creativity and doing something nobody has done before. Now I will warn you. This isn't always going to end up with everybody liking it. That's kind of the point. A lot of people won't like it. They may think it's too different or too aggressive or whatever. But some people will like it. In fact, they will love it! Let's look at some ways we can take risks when mixing.
Be more creative.
One very easy way to start getting more risky with your mixes is to be creative. Add your individuality to the mix. I talk about this all the time. If you want to stand out as a recording, mixing, whatever engineer, you need to add your own individual taste and creativity to your projects. This means getting creative. Try crazy side chaining or plugin orders. Use distortion on things you wouldn't normally use distortion on. Go wild with panning. You get the point. Come up with your own additions and take a risk.
Be great at something, not good at everything.
Taking risks when mixing may also mean finding your area of expertise. Far too often people try to be great at everything. In most cases, you just can't. You don't have the time or the passion to be great at everything. So you end up being decent at everything but nothing ever really pushes the boundaries and just sounds amazing. Instead of trying to be great everything, just focus on one area. Maybe you want to make aggressive rock sounding mixes. This means huge drums and punchy guitars. Then focus on that area and push the boundaries within that field. Or maybe you want to be known for your cut through vocals and delay effects. Then focus on that and become amazing at it!
The point is, we need to start taking risks. This will help you to stand out as an engineer and get better mixes and recordings than you ever thought possible. It's a risk, yes. Some times it won't turn out so well and not everyone will like it. Always keep in the mind that you can't please everyone, especially in a subjective field like music. Make music that you love and are proud of above all else.
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