/ Blogs / Mixing Your Music: A Guide On How To Mix
LEARN MUSIC AND AUDIO PRODUCTION | Wavmonopoly TIPS AND TRICKS

Mixing Your Music: A Guide On How To Mix

Mixing Audio in Daw

wavmonopoly June 25, 2022

Mixing music is the process of combining different audio tracks into one final product. The purpose of mixing is to create a cohesive and balanced sound that accurately represents the artist’s vision.

In order to mix music effectively, you need to understand the basics of sound engineering and be able to use various mixing tools and techniques. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about mixing music, from the basics of sound engineering to advanced mixing techniques. Let’s get started!

What Is Mixing in Music?

Mixing is a process of taking recorded tracks and blending them together. The various methods that are used to combine tracks include equalization, compression, and reverb.

The objective of mixing is to extract the maximum possible performance from your multi-track recording by balancing levels, panned, and time-based audio effects (echo, reverb, delay). The goal is to arrange your music in a way that makes sense of everything.

A multitrack recording is one that has more than one individual track (also known as stems). There is usually a lead vocal, background vocals, drums, guitars, and bass. Each of these tracks is recorded on its own separate channel.

The process of mixing is about finding the right balance between all of these different tracks so that they sound good together. The final mix should be cohesive and balance, with each track sitting in its own space.

It doesn’t matter how good each individual track sounds on its own, if the overall mix is terrible, then the final product will suffer. That’s why it’s so important to spend time getting the mix right.

Taking command of your musical and creative vision will take your music to new heights. It’ll make it sound better than ever before, and you’ll be more proud of your work.

What is the difference between mixing and mastering?

Mixing begins during the start of post-production, when a mixing engineer combines and balances the numerous tracks in a session to create a sense of cohesion when played simultaneously, often with the assistance of a customer and/or a reference track.

Professionals use mixing engineers to compensate for imbalances between instruments by altering equalization, compression, panning, and reverb.

The Mastering is a process of taking a final mix and preparing it for distribution. This usually involves adding EQ, compression, and limiting to balance the levels and ensure that the audio does not clip when played back on different systems.

Mastering is the last step in the audio production process, and it’s important to get it right. However, it’s not nearly as creative or artistic as mixing. Mastering is more about technicalities and getting the levels balanced correctly so that your music sounds its best when played back on different devices.

This involves making sure the sound level and tone are correct so that the quality of playback is good on all systems and formats.

Mastering engineers work to enhance each track and create a consistent listening experience across an entire album, in the event that a project comprises more than one song.

If you’re not sure whether you should be mixing or mastering, just remember that mixing is about creative choices and artistic expression, while mastering is more technical.

What do you need to start mixing music? 

A computer running a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is required to record, arrange, and mix songs. Mixers will use audio plug-ins inside a DAW to modify, strengthen, or analyze the sound in a project.

Popular DAWs used for mixing music include Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and Reaper. There are many others on the market, so find one that you’re comfortable with and suits your needs.

In terms of hardware, you’ll need a good set of speakers or headphones to listen to your mixes on. It’s important to have a reference set of speakers that you trust, so you can make sure your mixes sound good on different systems.

You might also want to invest in an audio interface, which is a piece of hardware that allows you to connect your microphones and instruments to your computer so you can record them. An audio interface is not essential, but it can make the recording process easier.

A MIDI controllers is another optional piece of hardware that can be useful for mixing music. MIDI controllers allow you to control your DAW with physical buttons and faders, which can make the mixing process easier and more intuitive.

Musicians use MIDI controllers to execute procedures like sequencing drums, producing noises, and manipulating virtual instruments, as well as speeding up their workflow.

Finally, a studio monitors, and an ideal audio environment will assist you in producing a great-sounding mix.

To make mixing even easier, vocal presets are good way to learn common vocal chains. They are pre set effect chains to get you a good starting place when mixing vocals.

The Key Elements of Mixing

Consider the following key elements before you begin mixing:

EQ:

Equalization is the process of adjusting the balance between frequencies in an audio signal. It’s used to boost or cut specific frequencies in order to achieve a desired sound.

Compression:

Compression is a tool that’s used to even out the levels of an audio signal. It reduces the dynamic range of a signal, which can make it sound louder and fuller.

Reverb:

Reverb is an effect that’s used to simulate the sonic characteristics of different environments. It can be used to make a track sound bigger, or to make it sound like it was recorded in a particular space.

If you want to create the perfect reverb, we have a reverb calculator to make you reverbs melt right in your track.

Panning:

Panning is the process of position audio within the stereo field. It’s used to spread out elements in a mix, or to place them in a specific location. The most common use of panning is to place the drums in the center, with the guitars and vocals panned to the left and right.

Level:

It’s also known as gain staging, and it appears to be straightforward—we simply adjust a fader when we wish to hear something louder. The louder components of the mix draw the listener’s attention more than the quieter ones. We adjust the mix’s levels to make it seem more connected.

Pitch Correction:

It is a process that’s used to fix out-of-tune vocals and instruments in a recording. It’s done by analyzing the audio signal and correcting the pitch of the notes that are out of tune.

Audio Dynamics:

It is the study of how sound waves interact with each other. It’s used to understand how audio signals change over time, and how these changes can be used to improve the sound quality of a recording.

Time-based effects:

The sensation of depth and space can be created by time-based effects such as reverb and delay. These effects add artificial echo and reverberation to a sound, making it seem like it’s coming from a larger space. It can also be used to create a sense of movement in a track.

How to Mix Music

Now that we’ve gone over some of the key elements of mixing, let’s get into how to mix music. There are a few important steps you need to take in order to produce a great mix.

Step 1: Calibrate your ears

The first step to mixing music is to calibrate your ears. This means training your ears to hear the subtle differences in sound that you’ll be dealing with when mixing.

There are a few different ways you can go about doing this. One way is to find a reference track that you know sounds good, and then compare your mix to that track. Another way is to use frequency-specific training exercises to train your ears to hear the different frequencies in a mix.

Once you’ve calibrated your ears, you’ll be able to better identify the elements in a mix that need to be adjusted.

Step 2: Listen to the rough mix

The next step is to listen to the rough mix of the song you’re working on. It is a version of the song that has all of the tracks recorded, but hasn’t been mixed yet.

Listening to the mix will give you a good idea of what needs to be done in order to improve the sound of the mix. You’ll be able to identify which tracks need to be EQ’d, compressed, or panned in order to achieve the desired sound.

Step 3: Start the mixing process

Once you’ve listened to the rough mix and identified the elements that need to be adjusted, it’s time to start the mixing.

The first thing you need to do is load all of the tracks into your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Once the tracks are loaded, you’ll need to adjust the levels so that they are all sitting at a comfortable starting point.

Next, you’ll need to start adjusting the EQ of each track. The goal here is to create clarity and separation between each instrument. You don’t want the instruments to sound muddy or cluttered.

After the EQ is dialed in, you can start adjusting the levels of each track. This is where you’ll really start to shape the sound of the mix.

As you adjust the levels, you’ll also want to pay attention to the panning of each track. Panning is how you determine where a track will sit in the stereo field.

For example, if you pan a track to the left, it will sound like it’s coming from the left speaker. If you pan it to the right, it will sound like it’s coming from the right speaker.

You can use panning to create a sense of space in your mix. For example, you might pan the drums to the center and pan the guitars to the left and right.

After the levels and panning are dialed in, you can start adding effects to each track. Effects can include reverb, delay, and chorus.

The goal here is to add depth and texture to the mix. You don’t want to overdo it with the effects, but a little can go a long way.

As you add effects, you’ll also want to pay attention to the overall volume of the mix. You don’t want the mix to sound too loud or too quiet.

A good rule of thumb is to keep the overall volume of the mix at a comfortable listening level.

Step 4: Mixing within the song structure

Now that you’ve got a basic understanding of how to mix, it’s time to start mixing within the song structure.

The first thing you need to do is identify the different sections of the song. For example, the verse, chorus, and bridge.

When listening to a song, you’ll notice shifts in energy from one part to the next. Have you ever noticed how the energy in a song shifts from a verse to a chorus?

What you’re hearing (particularly in a good mix) is how the transition is enhanced by the mix. It’s all about taking the song in a new direction that best complements and displays it.

The most essential thing we have at our disposal in music is that, unlike a painting or a piece of art, a song evolves over time. It isn’t fixed; it’s dynamic, and our mix should pay homage to this fact.

One way to achieve this is by using different EQ settings for each section. For example, you may want to boost the highs in the chorus to make it sound more anthemic. Or, you may want to cut the lows in the verse to make it sound more intimate.

It’s all about creating contrast and interest within the song. By EQing each section differently, you can help create this contrast and keep the listener engaged.

Step 5: Incorporate Automation

Automation is a powerful tool that can be used to make small or large changes to the mix. For example, you can use automation to make a vocal sound louder during the chorus or make the guitar sound softer during the verse.

You can also use automation to create effects like reverb or delay. Automation gives you complete control over the sound of the mix and allows you to make changes that would be difficult to do by hand.

Automation is used in many mixes. For instance, to achieve the maximum emotional impact, an automated lead vocal might keep the vocal on top of the mix and emphasize key phrases and words in a song.

Another excellent use of automation is to put emphasis on a particular instrument to make the portion feel more dramatic. It’s also useful for changing the track level from section to section throughout a song, as well as for other mix automation tasks. Many mix automation needs are addressed by plug-ins such as Neutron.

The key to using automation effectively is to make small, subtle changes that have a big impact on the sound of the mix. For example, you might want to automate the level of a lead vocal so that it’s slightly louder during the chorus.

Mixing Audio Automation

Step 6: Finishing the mix

After you’ve mixed the song, it’s time to finish the mix. This includes adding any final touches and making sure that the mix sounds good on all playback devices.

To do this, you’ll need to export the mix and then listen to it on different devices. This will help you identify any problems with the mix and make sure that it sounds good on all systems.

When you’re happy with the mix, you can then export it as a final file. This is usually done in a WAV or MP3 format.

Bottom Line

It’s important to remember that mixing is an art and there are no hard and fast rules. The best way to learn how to mix is to practice and experiment with different techniques. With time and experience, you’ll develop your own mixing style and learn what works best for you.

We hope this guide has given you a good overview of the mixing process and some helpful tips on how to mix music. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Blogs

Browse releted blogs and articles. .

wavmonopoly June 25, 2022

Mixing Your Music: A Guide On How To Mix

Ambient music is full of lush, sonic landscapes that have a ton of atmosphere. In this tutorial, learn how to create

read more