The clock strikes midnight. You’ve haven’t gotten up for 3 days working on this mix. Or at least that’s what it feels like. You’re up to your ears in EQs and compressors and come to a startling conclusion: “I don’t know what this sounds like anymore.” Your reference for balance is skewed. You can’t tell if what you’re doing is … Read More
The Ultimate & Definitive Guide to Distortion
The Good, The Bad, and the Nasty Distortion, when unwanted, is the bane of the producer or engineer. It can destroy the way something sounds, and mask other elements by distracting the listener or introducing conflicting frequencies. When used intentionally, however, it can be a useful tool to give your mix some extra life. In this article, I’ll be touching … Read More
How To Mix Music (Part 7): Finalizing your mix (Side-Chaining, Leveling and Delay & Reverb)
Ever mixed a track where all music elements sound great individually, but when listening to them all together things just seem not to fit with each other? I’ve been there many times myself. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to create room for each element, and make your mix sound harmonious and beautiful as a whole. … Read More
How To Mix Music (Part 6): Mixing Vocals & Sound Effects
Have you ever realized this? It sometimes seems ridiculous for music-fanatics like us, but to the average listener the single most important element of music… is the vocal. Always! If you are working on a mix that includes a vocal, it is therefore very important you get it right. In this episode I explain you step by step how to … Read More
How To Mix Music (Part 5): Mixing Instruments & Synths
In this episode I explain you step by step how we go about mixing instruments and mixing synths. I understand that big mixing projects can get quite overwhelming, especially when you are not completely sure how to treat each sound, and having to choose from all your plugins. That’s how this was for me at least, when I started out 5 years ago. … Read More
How To Mix Music (Part 4): Mixing Drums & Mixing Bass
How To Mix Music is our essential guide to becoming a music mixing professional. With this series I help explain and teach music mixing to you – musicians, producers, and aspiring mixing engineers. I share our years of experience and insight on mixing and mastering. Covering the necessary preparations, tools, underlying physics and insider tips and tricks to achieve the perfect mix … Read More
How To Mix Music (Part 3): Stereo Image & Mixing Tips
How To Mix Music is our essential guide to becoming a music mixing professional. In this series I explain and teach you – musicians, producers, and aspiring mixing engineers – how to mix music. I share our years of experience and insight on mixing and mastering, our best mixing tips, mastering tricks and music production strategies. Covering the necessary preparations, tools, … Read More
How To Mix Music (Part 2): Signal Flow & Plugins
The Essential Guide to Becoming A Music Mixing Professional is a series to help explain and teach you – musicians, producers, and aspiring mixing engineers – how to mix music . I share our years of experience and insight on mixing and mastering, our best mixing tips, mastering tricks and music production strategies. Covering the necessary preparations, tools, underlying physics … Read More
How To Mix Music (Part 1): Fundamentals
Good mixing can make a good track sound great. It can create a huge difference in how a piece of music is perceived. It creates clarity in the sound. Gives it room to breathe. And creates definition that makes the individual elements stand out. Having your music mixed and mastered by a professional, or doing it yourself (with the right … Read More