Low Angle View of Lighting Equipment on Shelf

Mixing a Song

Mixing a song involves balancing all the recorded tracks (vocals, instruments, etc.) into a cohesive, polished piece of music. Here’s a step-by-step guide to mixing a song:

1. Session Preparation

  • Organize Tracks: Label all tracks clearly (e.g., “Lead Vocal,” “Snare,” “Guitar”), group similar tracks (like drums or backing vocals), and color-code for clarity.
  • Gain Staging: Make sure the levels of individual tracks are not peaking. Aim for about -6dB of headroom on each track to allow room for processing.
  • Remove Unwanted Noise: Use noise reduction, gating, or manual editing to eliminate background noise or unwanted sounds from the recording.

2. Start with a Rough Mix

  • Balance Volume Levels: Adjust the faders so that all tracks are audible and roughly balanced. You want a basic feel for how the song should sound.
  • Set Panning: Place instruments in the stereo field (left or right) to create space in the mix. Keep bass, kick, and lead vocals centered, but pan guitars, backing vocals, etc., to widen the sound.

3. Equalization (EQ)

  • Clean Up Low End: Use a high-pass filter to remove unnecessary low frequencies (e.g., cut below 100Hz for vocals and other non-bass instruments).
  • Balance Frequencies: Boost or cut frequencies to fit each element into its own space. For instance:
    • Boost the low-end for warmth in bass.
    • Cut muddy frequencies (200Hz-500Hz) in vocals or instruments.
    • Add presence to vocals around 2-5kHz.
  • Carve Space: Use subtractive EQ to remove frequencies from instruments that clash with the vocal or main element of the song.

4. Compression

  • Control Dynamics: Apply compression to control the dynamic range of each track. Common settings include:
    • Ratio of 2:1 to 4:1 for most instruments and vocals.
    • Slow attack for retaining the transient of drums, faster attack for tightening up vocals.
  • Bus Compression: Use gentle compression on groups of instruments (like drums or backing vocals) to glue the elements together.
  • Sidechain Compression (Optional): Use sidechain compression to make certain elements “duck” (lower in volume) when another element plays. A common use is sidechaining the bass to the kick drum.

5. Reverb and Delay

  • Create Depth: Add reverb to give your mix a sense of space and depth. Use different types of reverb for different instruments (e.g., plate reverb for vocals, room reverb for drums).
  • Use Delay for Width: Use delay (echo) to add dimension to vocals or instruments, making them sound wider or more interesting.
  • Avoid Overuse: Be careful not to drown the mix in reverb or delay. Use auxiliary sends for more control over the wet/dry balance.

6. Automation

  • Dynamic Adjustments: Automate volume, panning, and effects throughout the song to create movement and variation. For example, make a vocal slightly louder in a chorus or automate reverb levels to intensify during a bridge.
  • Smooth Transitions: Use automation to ensure smooth transitions between song sections (e.g., fading instruments out for breakdowns).

7. Vocal Processing

  • Vocal EQ: Ensure clarity in vocals by cutting unnecessary low frequencies, boosting presence (around 2-5kHz), and cutting any harsh high-mids.
  • De-essing: Use a de-esser to reduce harsh “s” and “t” sounds in vocals.
  • Vocal Compression: Apply light compression to smooth out dynamic differences, making the vocal sit consistently in the mix.
  • Add Effects: Add subtle reverb or delay to vocals, using auxiliary sends to blend effects without overwhelming the vocals.

8. Saturation & Distortion (Optional)

  • Add Character: Subtle saturation or harmonic distortion can add warmth and character to instruments or vocals. Be sparing to avoid muddying the mix.
  • Parallel Processing: Use parallel compression or distortion to blend a processed sound with the original, retaining clarity while adding thickness.

9. Final Balancing

  • Fine-Tune Levels: After applying effects and processing, go back and make fine adjustments to volume levels, ensuring every element is heard clearly without clashing.
  • Check Panning and Stereo Width: Ensure the stereo image is balanced and wide enough without sounding unnatural.
  • Use Reference Tracks: Compare your mix to professionally mixed songs in the same genre to check for tonal balance and overall sound.

10. Mix Bus Processing

  • Light Compression: Apply gentle bus compression to glue the entire mix together, usually with low ratios (e.g., 1.5:1 or 2:1).
  • EQ on the Master Bus (Optional): Use subtle EQ to fine-tune the overall tonal balance (e.g., a slight boost in the highs for brightness).
  • Limiter (Optional): If preparing for mastering, don’t apply too much limiting at this stage. You want to leave headroom for the mastering process. Keep in -3db or -6db.

11. Listen and Adjust

  • Check on Multiple Systems: Test your mix on different playback systems (headphones, car speakers, monitors) to ensure it sounds good across various platforms.
  • Take Breaks: Give your ears rest and come back with fresh ears to spot issues you might have missed.
  • Fix Any Issues: Adjust levels, EQ, or effects based on your listening tests.

12. Bounce the Final Mix

  • Export: Once satisfied, export the mix in the highest quality possible (WAV, 24-bit, 44.1kHz or higher).