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,…
How to Use Reverb in a Mix: Depth Without the Mud
Set reverb up as a send effect on an aux bus, not an insert: one shared reverb (100% wet) that every track feeds by its own send level.
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…
How to Use Reverb on Vocals Without Washing Them Out
To use reverb on vocals without washing them out, put the reverb on an aux send rather than an insert, set enough pre-delay that each word's attack…
- Bussing and subgroups explained
- Parallel compression, plainly
- Automation that finishes a mix