8 tips for better a mixdown

1

REFERENCE!

Remember those reference tracks we compiled into a playlist in week 1? Drag those into your DAW to use as reference tracks as you mix and master. Use a spectrum analyser to compare the frequency content and dynamic range of these professionally mixed tracks and your own work.

2

GAIN STRUCTURE

Before you begin your mix session, it’s worth considering gain structure. With classic mixing desks, the gain dial could act as a ‘sensitivity control’ for the potential level of each channel. In a DAW, we don’t tend to have a dedicated gain control and, worse still, one of the ways manufacturers of third-party plugins attempt to impress us is by making presets sound loud. These factors can combine to create an overloaded mix output, even before you’ve add the rest of your instruments. Either insert a gain plugin at the top of each channel or build headroom into your mixes by dropping the level of all plugins by 6-8dB before you make any other mix considerations.

3

MIXING VS MASTERING

Slapping an ‘output chain’ on your master track as your ears grow tired is often hard to resist. But we’d encourage you to think of the process of mixing your track and mastering it as two separate projects.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to check how your mix ‘might’ sound at the mastering stage as you go, but if your mix sounds very different and hugely unbalanced when you remove this chain, get rid of it and get the mix right first. The mastering stage isn’t there to save a bad mix; it’s there to enhance it. If your mix sounds good without anything on the master chain, that’s half the battle won.

4

PAN AND WIDTH

Of all of the tools most ignored by DAW-based producers, the pan dial is too often overlooked. Place each sound in its own space and your mixes will benefit enormously. Similarly, adding subtle width with effects like delays or autopan can instantly make your mix sound a bit more ‘pro’.

5

HIGH-PASS FOR

BASS CONTROL

High-pass filters can be an extremely useful tool beyond the more showy DJ-style effects they’re often known for. This is particularly true if you have a number of parts contributing to the bottom end of a mix and you’re looking to do some sculpting. Let’s suppose you’ve got a synth part with lots of low-frequency content. Adding in a high-pass filter with a 6dB/octave slope below 250Hz will just ease out unwanted content a little bit. This can help avoid bloat without audibly weakening the synth sound. Increasing the slope to 12dB/octave and raising the cutoff point will create a more overt effect.

6

EQ AFTER EFFECTS

Insert an EQ after every auxiliary effect you add. It’s too much of a gamble to hope or assume the frequency response of a reverb will be a perfect match for your track. Be ready to scoop out unnecessary content from effects channels as well as instruments and audio tracks.

7

SATURATE

YOUR DRUMS Subtle saturation is the secret sauce that can help gel percussive elements and make beats feel ‘warm’ and full bodied. Trust us!

8

DYNAMIC EQ

Using an EQ to rein in troublesome frequencies is a standard technique, but what if these ‘problem frequencies’ change in volume through your track? This is where Dynamic EQs come in. These can apply frequency-specific compression to a sound that adjusts the attenuation ‘dynamically’. Working with a synth line that gets a little too unruly as you crank the resonance? Set your EQ to match the spikes and set a threshold so that the volume only ducks when the input level gets too hot.

“HIGH-PASS FILTERS CAN BE AN EXTREMELY USEFUL TOOL BEYOND THE MORE SHOWY DJ-STYLE EFFECTS THEY’RE KNOWN FOR”