Mixing
Turning tracks into a record: EQ, compression, balance, and getting a mix that holds up in the car, on earbuds, and on a phone speaker.
Guides
Compression Explained Without the Jargon
An audio compressor automatically turns down any signal that rises above a set threshold, reducing the gap between loud and quiet moments.
EQ Basics: Cut First, Boost Last
Use EQ subtractively: high-pass filter low-frequency rumble from every non-bass track, sweep for and cut ugly resonances, then make broad gentle cuts in.
How to Mix Vocals: Making a Voice Sit in the Track
Mix vocals in this order: edit and comp the take, set a static fader level against the full track, cut problem frequencies with subtractive EQ (high-pass,.
Mastering Basics: Loudness, LUFS, and When You're Done
Aim for roughly -14 to -10 LUFS integrated with true peaks at or below -1 dBTP; dense genres like pop, rock, and EDM often run -10 to -8.
Why Your Mix Falls Apart Outside Your Room (Mix Translation)
Your mix sounds bad in the car because your monitoring environment misled you while mixing.
A 15-Minute Mixing Checklist for Finishing Songs
A practical mixing checklist runs eight fast checks in about 15 minutes: a hands-off full listen, a level-matched reference comparison, low-end control,.
Mixing Vocals in GarageBand: A Real-World Chain
Mix vocals in GarageBand with the stock plug-ins in this order: Noise Gate for cleanup, Channel EQ to cut low-end rumble and mud (high-pass around 80-100.
Reference Tracks: The Shortcut Professionals Actually Use
Import two to four well-mixed songs in your genre into your DAW, route them around your master bus processing, and turn them down until they match your.
- Bussing and subgroups explained
- Parallel compression, plainly
- Automation that finishes a mix