📑 Sections (7)

Quick guide: mix the song

The mixing session from start to finish: prepare, balance, process, add space, automate and check.

A mix goes from the big picture to the small details. Most problems get solved with the fader and with EQ cuts, before any flashy plugin. The values are starting points: what you hear with the whole band playing always rules.

The order
Preparelevels and buses
Balancefaders and panning only
Processby group
Spaceon sends
Automatepart by part
Checkanother day

1. Prepare the session

  • Render: drums, guitars and bass to audio. Keep the DIs and MIDI deactivated in case you need to go back.
  • Buffer: raise it to 512 or more.
  • Names and colors: by instrument, with one color per group.
  • Levels: lower each event’s gain so peaks sit between −12 and −10 dBFS. That way plugins work comfortably and the master doesn’t saturate when everything adds up.
  • Buses: drums, bass, guitars and vocals, all to the master. One fader moves a whole group.
  • Reference: import a professional song in the style onto a track that doesn’t go through the master, and lower it to match your mix’s volume.

2. Balance and panning

With all plugins off and the faders down:

  1. Raise the kick and snare to peaks of about −10 dBFS on the master.
  2. Add the rest of the drums, the bass, the guitars and finally the vocal.
  3. Leave margin: master peaks shouldn’t exceed −6 dBFS.

Starting panning:

  • Center: kick, snare, bass and lead vocal.
  • Open stereo: overheads and room, as they come out of SD3.
  • By kit perspective: toms and hi-hat. Choose drummer or audience and stick to it.
  • 100% to each side: doubled rhythm guitars, which must be two different takes.
  • Center or slightly off: lead guitar.
  • Spread to the sides: harmonies and vocal doubles.
🔴 Set this NOW· in mixing

If it doesn't sound like a song with faders and panning, no plugin will fix it. It's the decision that carries the most weight in the whole mix.

3. Process by group

In this order, each with its quick guide:

  1. Drums
  2. Bass
  3. Guitars
  4. Vocals

4. Space: reverb and delay

They go on effects (FX) channels that each track sends a portion to, not as inserts. That way everyone shares the same room and you control how much each one gets.

  • Short reverb: 0.6 to 1 s, with Room Reverb, to give drums and guitars cohesion without pushing them back.
  • Long reverb: 1.5 to 2.5 s, with a pre-delay of 20 to 40 ms, with OpenAIRstock or Room Reverb, for vocals and solos.
  • Delay in tempo: 1/4 or 1/8, with 2 to 4 repeats, with Analog Delay or Groove Delay, for vocals and solos.
  • On each FX channel: a Pro EQstock after the effect, with a high-pass at 200–300 Hz and a low-pass at 6–8 kHz.

Raise the send until you notice the effect, then lower it a bit. In metal it’s less: drums and rhythm guitars almost dry, and delay on the vocal to give space without pushing it back.

5. Automation

A static mix sounds flat:

  • Raise guitars or drums by 1 to 2 dB in the choruses.
  • Adjust the vocal phrase by phrase, so no word gets lost.
  • Add delay or reverb at the end of a phrase or on a solo.
  • Lower elements in the verses, so the choruses have somewhere to grow.

6. The master bus

  • Optional: glue compression with the Compressorstock, ratio 2:1, slow attack, 1 to 2 dB of reduction at most.
  • To deliver for mastering: peaks around −6 dBFS and no limiter. The final volume gets decided in mastering.

7. The mistakes that steal the most time

  • EQing in solo. An instrument can sound perfect alone and get lost in the mix.
  • Turning everything up. If something can’t be heard, first try lowering what’s covering it.
  • Judging with more volume. Louder always seems better: compare at the same level.
  • Mixing loud and for hours. Your ears tire quickly: moderate volume and breaks.
  • Too much reverb and too many lows. Check both against the reference.

Checklist

Before calling the mix done

  1. Listened to in mono: vocal, kick, snare and bass stay firm.
  2. Listened to on headphones, monitors, phone and car.
  3. Compared with the reference at the same volume.
  4. Listened to at low volume: if the balance works quietly, it works everywhere.
  5. Listened to the next day, with rested ears.
  6. Master peaks near −6 dBFS, no limiter.

Expected result

Expected result

A mix where the vocal can be understood, the kick and snare cut through the guitars and the bass can be heard even on a phone. It won’t be perfect, and it doesn’t need to be. If it passes the list above, export it and move on to mastering. To understand each step, continue with the balance and the sections that follow.