Mixing basics

What is mixing?

Mixing means balancing all of your tracks so every sound can be heard and the song feels good.

Think of it like arranging people in a photo: nobody should block anyone else.

A simple order

1. 1. Set the levels (volume)

   Start with the drums and the bass, then bring in everything else. Most of mixing is just volume. Get it right before you touch anything else.

2. 2. Pan

   Pan means left and right. Keep the kick, snare, bass, and lead vocal near the center. Spread other sounds to the sides.

3. 3. EQ

   Cut what you don't need. A common trick is a high-pass filter on tracks that don't need low frequencies, which cleans up a muddy mix.

4. 4. Compression

   Use a gentle compressor on tracks that jump in volume, like vocals or bass.

5. 5. Space (reverb and delay)

   Add reverb or delay for depth. Use a shared reverb on a send, not a separate one on every track.

6. 6. Check and rest

   Listen on different speakers: headphones, a phone, a car. Take a break and listen again with fresh ears.

Headroom: don't go into the red

Every track has a level meter. If the master meter hits the top and turns red, the sound can distort (clip).

Keep the master level peaking below 0 dB, and leave some headroom. A good habit is to keep your individual tracks well below the top, so the whole mix has room.

Sends and returns

A send lets many tracks share one effect, like one reverb.

Where do sounds live?

Sounds fill different parts of the frequency range. When two sounds fight for the same space, the mix gets muddy.

Can you…

• Set the volume of each track so nothing is buried
• Pan at least two sounds left and right
• Add one shared reverb with a send
• Keep the master from going into the red