Something significant has occurred in the realm of manufacturing.
Because they’re now equipped with tools that can really assist them, a slew of producers have started producing fantastic and distinctive tunes…
However, they continue to struggle to get traction with EDM bloggers, fans, and YouTube channels.
It’s not because their music is “unoriginal” or badly crafted.
It’s mostly due to the fact that their mix does not meet industry requirements.
Over 75% of the songs I get are really half good, but the mix is so bad that I can’t even listen to them all the way through.
But, to be honest, I understand…
Mixing is definitely one of the most difficult aspects of music production to master.
I’ve found methods that have allowed me to enhance my mix beyond what I believed was feasible after years of working on it.
I’ve even been able to write songs that are louder and cleaner than some of my favorite musicians.
And now I’m going to share the finest methods I’ve learnt over the last seven years of creating with you.
Some of them may seem easy, but trust me when I say that if you follow each one, you will notice an immediate improvement in your mix.
1. Less Is More
It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that the more layers and effects you add, the better the music will sound.
But this is far from the reality.
It’s the equivalent of over-decorating a Christmas tree. It’ll simply be a shambles.
Instead of spreading your attention out across a large number of components in the mix, concentrate your attention on as few as feasible.
Keep your attention on as few aspects as possible, and master those ones!
2. Make Certain There Aren’t Any Clashing Frequencies
Every sound has a certain frequency range that it fills.
If two or more sounds compete for the same frequency range (for example, a lead or stacked chords and female vocals), such sounds will “mask” each other and mix together.
The voice may be obscured by the chords in this instance.
I’ve seen producers totally drown great songs because their chords are entirely dominating a certain frequency.
So you can use the “less is more” concept here as well.
Consider the words Tall, Deep, and Wide.
- Tall : Frequency range low to high
The audible frequency range is usually considered to be 20 to 20,000 Hz.
- Deep : All of the components’ “depth/space.” Usually, time-based effects like as reverb and delay are used.
Reverb and delay are fantastic effects for giving specific parts in your music some distinct qualities. The issue is that most producers overuse these effects, resulting in their own mix being ruined.
When it comes to adding too much reverb or delay, be careful.
- Wide : From left to right, stereo imaging.
Imagine a sphere in which all of the sounds may be put.
Adjust the proportions as needed.
Make sure each element in the sphere has its own area, location, and tone, and avoid clashing or masking.
Visualizing your mix may seem odd at first, but it can be very helpful (whether you use a sphere or not.)
3. Test the mix via several systems to make sure it’s right
Have you ever spent hours working on a new song only to discover it’s terrible once you get in your car?
Don’t worry. every producer has been in this situation before!
As a producer, you must recognize that few of your listeners will be listening to your music via the same speakers.
They’ll be listening to your music on computers, vehicle stereos, iPhone headphones, and perhaps even large concert monitors.
This implies that you should double-check your mix on those platforms as well!
I recommend that you listen to your music on as many different systems as possible.
To get the greatest sounding mix across all platforms, you should also refer to other professionally mixed songs in a similar genre and style to your track.
Then, of course, return to your project and correct each piece individually.
4. Instead of boosting, try cutting
ADDITIONALLY, ADDITIONALLY, ADDITIONALLY,
When it comes to having a louder and cleaner mix, most producers think like this.
In fact, this usually results in your music sounding poorer and even quieter.
Try reducing frequencies that aren’t required instead of increasing frequencies that you want to stand out!
This enables the frequencies you intended to enhance to shine without being harmed by the boosting process.
This method will also offer your mix more headroom, allowing the rest of your song’s components to flourish.
When generating drum samples, you may wish to enhance key frequencies. When creating a snare sample, for example, you may want to enhance around 200-250hz to make the snare “pop.”
5. While mixing, look at other professional mixed tracks
Download a few songs to use as inspiration for your mix.
Add those songs to your project and use them as a continuous reference to monitor how your mix is progressing.
This is one of the most useful tools you may have when mixing. It’s a poorly known technique I’ve only seen used by higher-level producers.
When you’re taking an exam, it’s like having a cheat sheet right next to you.
It’s common to hear how a track your modeling has more bass or a louder snare. Whatever it is, it will stand out when you compare it to your own music and understand what you need to do in order to reach a comparable mix.
6. Apply Effects to Returns and Sends
Rather of using a separate reverb or delay on each track, place your “space” effects on returns and sends.
There are many advantages to this, including:
- The original audio signal is preserved, resulting in less “noise” in the mix.
- Because you’re sending all of your sounds to the same return, your reverb/delay will sound the same across most of them, making your components sound more in harmony with each other.
- For a clearer signal, EQ/compress your reverb. Low frequencies should not be left in your reverb since they will conflict with your kick and sub bass. Compressing your reverb signal may also help it sit better in the mix and remain “even” throughout the song.
- You may utilize a custom sidechain on your reverb to clean up your mix significantly. To let my synthesizers shine before the reverb signal comes in, I occasionally employ a little deeper/longer sidechain on the return track.
7. By default, don’t highpass every element in your track
One of the most frequent errors I see novice producers make is this.
Using a highpass on every track in your song except the kick and sub isn’t always a smart idea since it may make your mix seem thin and harsh.
Because all of the low frequencies have been removed, the higher frequencies have become considerably more powerful and present.
I understand that this seems to contradict advice number ten, however there are exceptions.
If you’re one of those individuals that highpasses everything, use this simple technique and your mix will instantly become more complete.
Please note that I am not saying that highpasses aren’t necessary; rather, I recommend that you consider the impact on your mix before slapping a highpass on your synth bus.
8. When you’re mixing, try not to get into the habit of soloing
People don’t simply listen to the synth at the drop of your music; they listen to the whole drop.
When anything is soloed, it may sound one way yet sound totally another in the overall mix.
AND…IT’S ALL ABOUT HOW IT SOUNDS IN THE MIX.
What does it matter if your kick is the greatest in the world if it sounds distorted and awful in a song?
This is something I had to learn the hard way, so believe me when I say it’s crucial!
Make sure you’re mixing when all of the sounds are playing, and break the habit of soloing each sound while you’re mixing.
In general, it’s critical to be conscious of your production practices. Some may be beneficial, while others may be holding you back! It may be difficult to break, much like smoking or eating bad foods.
9. Allow Yourself to Take a Break From Hearing The Music
If you’ve been working on a track for a long, you’ve probably heard it over a hundred times and are familiar with how it sounds.
You don’t have the perspective you need to correct problems in the music at this stage.
If you give your brain enough time, it will accept whatever you say as “ok.”
Try not listening to it for a few days and then returning with fresh ears and a new perspective on the mixdown.
One of the greatest methods to wake up with new ears is to listen to your music the following morning after a good night’s sleep.
10. Outside of the studio, take notes
Sit down with a pen and paper, put on your favorite music, and jot down things you hear that you need to work on.
Consider and write down practical actions you can do to improve!
Do you have a main synth in your song that clashes with the vocals?
Make a list of any solutions you have.
Sit down with a pen and paper, put on your favorite music, and jot down things you hear that you need to work on.
Consider and write down practical actions you can do to improve!
Do you have a main synth in your song that clashes with the vocals?
Make a list of any solutions you have.
This way, the next time you go down to mix your music, you won’t be tinkering with a hundred different things… You’ve got a checklist to go through now.
This will also help you to speed up your process and make the most of your studio time.
The best thing about this one is that it can be done anywhere!
11. Choosing the right samples is important
It’s a widespread fallacy that you can make anything sound nice with enough processing.
This is where many producers get themselves into trouble.
Mixing becomes an uphill fight when you start with low-quality samples and sounds.
This used to be one of my major issues.
I used to attempt to take random drum kits and hope to create a Skrillex or Flume-level mix.
This way of thinking couldn’t possibly be true…
You can’t polish a turd, as the saying goes.
The good news is that I spent years studying drum design in order to create really high-quality drums for my tunes, and the difference was incredible!
After I began making my own drums, you can clearly hear a huge change in how much louder my mix sounded.
Find additional appropriate samples if the correct samples aren’t selected immediately in the start of writing a tune.
Go through as many samples as you can for each element until you discover one that fits the track’s style and tone.
Never attempt to improve the sound of a crappy sample by putting it through an infinite processing chain.
Before you start writing a song, I recommend spending up to two hours gathering all of the finest samples you can.
When you’re in songwriting mode, you won’t be moving around your DAW searching for a random kick that may or might not suit your tune.
