(http://edmprod.

com/) 

50 E㪘ective Tips for Improving Your

Mixdown Quality, Work퍹ow, and Mixing
Knowledge
Sam Matla / August 19, 2013 /
Mixing and Mastering (http://edmprod.com/category/mixingmastering/) /
72 Comments (http://edmprod.com/50-tips-mixdowns/#disqus_thread)

Photo Credit: NRG Recording Studios

(http://www.퍹ickr.com/photos/34202346@N05/3315082752/) via Comp㱖ght
(http://comp㱖ght.com) cc (http://www.퍹ickr.com/help/general/#147)

Want to improve your overall production work퍹ow? Check out my book

(http://edmprod.com/work퍹ow). 
Mixing down a track is just one of the many things required in music
production, though more of a ‘technical’ craft – it’s still certainly creative, and it
plays a huge part in music as a whole.

If you’re a bedroom producer, then it’s likely that you’re mixing down your own
material. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start, and often it can seem
like a chore.

Because of this, I’ve decided to compile a list of tips that I and others use. Take
these with a grain of salt, and please take the time to experiment and learn for
yourself. The purpose of this is to give you some ideas or help you improve
your work.

Feel free to share this article to anyone you think will bene㱖t from it.

Note: I’ve just 㱖nished putting together a free 3000+ word PDF called “The
Mixdown Work퍹ow,” which is all about mixing faster and more e㪘ectively.

You can get it for FREE by clicking the image below.

(https://edmprod.leadpages.co/leadbox/141f58e73f72a2%3A13634110db46dc/5736907

Preparation
The 㱖rst 10 tips are about preparation, that is – preparing your track for the
㱖nal mixdown, which leads to my 㱖rst point.

1. Do a 㱖nal mix at the end

A lot of people mixdown as they go, which is great, but it helps to do a 㱖nal
check and clean up at the end.

Separating the creative/musical and creative/technical side can be incredibly

helpful, not only in terms of work퍹ow (http://edmprod.com/work퍹owcourse)
but also production quality as a whole.
2. It all starts with sound design and sample selection
You know the saying – you can’t polish a turd. 

It applies to mixing. If you’re trying to mix down a track that has a poorly
designed bass, horrible kickdrum, and ugly hi-hat – then what’s the point?

Mixing is not something you do just at the end of your production, it’s
something that you have to think about from the moment you open your DAW.

Note: it starts at an even more fundamental level than this – composition. If

your songwriting isn’t good, using great samples isn’t going to make your track
enjoyable. Read this article for a better understanding.
(http://edmprod.com/production-pyramid/)

3. Be happy with everything else 㱖rst

Before mixing, take a listen through your track a few times and make sure
you’re happy with the arrangement and everything else (you don’t have to be
completely happy with how it sounds sonically, as you’ll be 㱖xing that in the
mixdown).

4. Label and color tracks

Labelling and coloring tracks speeds up work퍹ow big time. Our brain responds
to color faster than it does to words.

I typically color all my drums and percussion yellow, bass blue, and synths
green.

5. Using audio over MIDI has its bene㱖ts

You don’t need to bounce MIDI to audio, but there are bene㱖ts to doing so:

You can visually see where the audio starts and ends, making it easy to
clear things up (reverb tails, delay tails, etc)
It’s more CPU-friendly
It’s easier to work with in general
Read: 5 Reasons You Should Work With Audio
(https://modeaudio.com/magazine/5-reasons-you-should-work-with-
audio#.V0d1NJN95E8)

6. Group similar tracks

Grouping similar tracks can help you to achieve a more ‘uni㱖ed’ sound through
bus compression, EQ, reverb, and whatever else.

It’s also a lot easier to turn one fader down instead of 5. If your drum section is
too loud, then you can simply turn the group fader down.

7. Mix earlier in the day, if possible

As far as I’m concerned, our ears don’t perform at 100% the whole time we’re
awake. If you’re listening to music all day, or working in a place with loud
noises – then mixing down after that means you’re doing your music a
disservice.

8. Start with all the faders down

It’s a lot easier to 㱖nd balance by pulling the fader up from nothing.

In preparation, pull all the faders down then start pulling them up, working in
order of importance (kick -> bass -> vocal, etc.). (in most EDM this would be the
kick drum)

9. Highpass (almost) everything
You might want to do this after the preparation stage, I like to do it during.

Filter out all the unneeded low-end information from each track. Highpass up
until the point where it a㪘ects the sound, and then pull it back a bit just to stay
on the safe side. This is a good starting point.

Note: Kick and sub-bass are an exception here. Along with anything else you
think needs frequencies under 100Hz.
10. Use reference tracks
Mixing without reference tracks is like drinking alcohol for no apparent
purpose. You feel great at the time, but in the morning when you wake up you
ask yourself, “Why the hell did I do that?”

Don’t overestimate your abilities. Use reference tracks.

Mixing in General
The next 25 tips are about mixing in general, this includes creative and
technical aspects.

11. Start with your most important element

In any given song you’ll have one element that’s the most important. In an
acoustic song it might be the vocal, in dubstep it might be the snare, and in
trance it might be the kick.

Work out what this is and start with it, use it as a reference point and build all
other elements around it.

I typically start with the kick. Any time I add an element that causes the kick to
lose punch I know I need to adjust the new element.

12. Devote time to your mixdown

It takes time! Mixing down a track does not involve slapping a limiter on top
and uploading it to Soundcloud saying “plz download,” it involves e㪘ort, hard
work, and time.

If you know that you’re heading out in 30 minutes, then it’s probably not the
best time to start a mixdown. Find a time where you can commit a couple of
hours solely to mixing.

13. Mix at low volume

Yes, cliché, I know. But it’s important that people understand this.
Mixing at a low level not only reduces the risk of ear fatigue (and permanent
hearing damage), but it’s a great way to judge your mix more accurately
because:

You have less harsh room re퍹ection

You get a more accurate balance, if you can’t hear something at a low level
then it may be too quiet
If it sounds good at a low volume, it’s generally going to sound good at a
high volume

Read: Secrets of the Mix Engineers: Chris Lord-Alge

(http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may07/articles/cla.htm)

14. Mastering won’t 㱖x anything

Don’t tell yourself that mastering (http://edmprod.com/mastering) will 㱖x the
problems you have in your mix. It simply won’t.

If the low-end is too loud, then 㱖x it! If you’ve got a harsh high-end, 㱖x it!
Don’t procrastinate and convince yourself that mastering will 㱖x it.

15. Learn to use your tools

I see a lot of new producers posing questions like, “How good is compressor
X?” Or, “Sick of Fruity Reverb, what do you recommend?”

Understand that I have no hate towards third party plugins, there’s no denying
that they do sound better – but a new plugin will not make your mixdown
sound signi㱖cantly better if you don’t know how to use the tools 㱖rst. If you’re
unaware of how a compressor works, then why would you buy (or acquire) a
di㪘erent one?

Save money and learn 㱖rst.

16. Consider using volume automation instead of

compression
Compression is a great tool, and it’s important that you understand how to use
it. But, there are often times where volume automation is more applicable.

If you’ve got some loud peaks in your song, compression can 㱖x them – but so
can placing a little dip with an automation clip. It’s a lot more 퍹exible and may
just prove bene㱖cial to you.

17. Subtle sidechaining can work wonders

I’m not talking ‘Call on Me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_fCqg92qks)‘
type sidechain compression, but rather so subtle that it’s almost inaudible.

Doing this creates a lot more room for the kick to punch through, and who
says you need to sidechain with a kick? You could use another synth, or
anything else. Be creative!

18. Spectrum analyzers are invaluable, but ultimately

rely on your ear
You’d be silly to work without them, but it’s important that you make 㱖nal calls
with your ear. Use both!

Don’t have a spectrum analyzer? Check out SPAN. 

(http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/)

19. Don’t blame your bad mix on the tools you have
Whether it’s VST’s, your DAW, or your monitoring environment – don’t make
excuses.

My studio was lo­fi by necessity; I was fourteen with no
reliable income. I was monitoring my music using $100
Logitech speakers, and I only used software. – Porter
Robinson
Good tools help a lot, but they aren’t required. The most important thing is
that you know your gear inside and out.

20. Don’t wear a beanie

Or anything else that covers your ears, for that matter.

Honestly, you’d be surprised at how often I see this. It’s completely stupid,
listen to a song with a beanie on and take it o㪘 halfway through and ask
yourself whether there’s a di㪘erence.

Wearing something over your ears blocks out a lot of high-frequencies and is
horrible for mixing and making music in general.

Are you reading this Avicii?

(http://ambiguouswords.㱖les.wordpress.com/2012/09/avicii-2-660-80.jpeg?
w=760)

21. Be creative
Mixing isn’t all technical and logical. Splash out, try new stu㪘, add random
e㪘ects.

22. Don’t over-use compression

At the end of the day, most of us are using digital instruments, meaning that
we’re not really recording anything that has high dynamic range.

Don’t use compression ‘just because’, use it if you need to or want to change

the characteristic of a sound. If you’re working with vocals then you’ll almost
de㱖nitely need to compress, but with soft synths it’s not always necessary.

Read: Stop Using So Much Compression (http://edmprod.com/stop-using-so-

much-compression/)

23. Try a new technique

If you’re focused on learning how to mix better, then try something new. It
might be parallel compression, or rhythmic delays.
On the other hand, if you’re doing a mixdown for someone – or releasing an
important track, then play it safe and make sure you don’t screw anything up
with your new technique.

24. Don’t copy other artists blindly

If Noisia boost their snares at 150Hz, it doesn’t mean you should start doing it
in every mix.

If you’re wanting to learn new techniques, you 㱖rst have to workout why the
producer did it. Was it to add more punch? Was it to clean up the mix?

Whatever it is, work out why they did it, and then adapt it to your own
productions.

25. If you don’t know what it does, don’t use it

“Ohhh, what’s a 퍹anger? Maybe I’ll stick this on my drums bus!”

Really though, if you’re not sure of what something does – why not research it?
Or listen to the actual e㪘ect it has. Why are you using a transient shaper on
your snare if you don’t know what it does? You get the idea.

Study and then use.

Note: to play devil’s advocate – creativity bene㱖ts from experimentation. I

think adding a bunch of random stu㪘 to an FX chain can result in happy
accidents, but if you truly don’t know what you’re doing and it doesn’t sound
better – then it’s probably not worth using. Remember the maxim: if it sounds
good, it is good. 

26. Recalibrate your ears

I’ll talk more about breaks in the work퍹ow section, but after mixing for long
hours at a time it’s important to take a long break (30-60 minutes or more) to
completely recalibrate your ears so you can start fresh afterwards.
It helps to actually go somewhere without too much noise. While listening to
music isn’t necessarily bad, it can be a distraction. Go outside, take a walk on
the beach, at least get out of your chair!

27. Use automation to make your mix sound great

One thing I like to do is get my mix sounding good with minimal automation,
and then leverage automation to make it sound excellent.

The reason for this is that automation can be a big distraction, it’s a time-
consuming process.

So try to automate things after your basic mixdown. You may 㱖nd that you run
into some problems after adding automation, so you’ll have to 㱖x them up at
the end.

28. If it sounds good, leave it!

This goes for everything, mixing and sound design to creating melodies. Don’t
overproduce, know when to stop.

If you EQ something, and it sounds good – just leave it! Don’t make it sound
worse by adding a plethora of e㪘ects on top. Minimalism > trying to appear
more creative.

Note: I realize a lot of people struggle with this. Try to build the habit of
consciously asking yourself whether you need to add ‘E㪘ect A’ or not.

29. There are no rules, only guidelines. Just don’t do

the opposite.
Guidelines are helpful, people shouldn’t despise them. Of course they can be
avoided, but if someone tells you that you should keep your sub-bass in mono
– don’t be a hipster and stick it in stereo.

Likewise, don’t try to stack 10 supersaws on top of 5 di㪘erent pluck sounds.

Unless you want your track to sound horrible.

In other words, use common sense.

30. Subtle white noise can make massive di㪘erence to
a mix
There’s a reason why it’s used in 90% of EDM tracks. It’s a waveform that has
no tone, and it’s great for 㱖lling out your mix.

Use it sparingly of course, there’s nothing worse than an abundance of white

noise that drowns out everything else. You can use it rhythmically, sidechain it,
whatever! Experiment.

31. Mix your drums and bass 㱖rst

This might be a little contradictory to tip #11, and it is quite genre-dependent.

A lot of electronic dance music relies on the drums

(http://edmprod.com/drums-guide/) and bass as foundation elements. After
all, that’s what makes people dance. Starting with these elements in your mix
can provide a much easier template to work o㪘 compared to going backwards
from something like the synths and FX.

It’s also arguably the hardest part to get right in the mix, so if you sort it out
㱖rst then it’s less of a mission to do the rest.

32. The less detailed your low-end is, the better

The low-end is the hardest part to mix. Some people don’t realize that and
crowd a lot of stu㪘 down there.

K.I.S.S

Keep It Super Simple.

Above the 200Hz range you can be a little less careful, but anything below that
is going to cause issues when it overlaps too much.

33. Always sleep on it

You’ve got your mixdown 㱖nished, it’s 2am in the morning. “Great!” You shout
out loud, “Time to send it o㪘 to some labels.”
Hold up buddy.

You’ve just been mixing for the last 6 hours, there’s no way that what you’re
hearing is completely accurate.

If you 㱖nish a mixdown, wait until the morning and listen to it with a pair of
fresh ears. I know this is hard, as we all want to share our art with the world –
but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

34. Clean up delay and reverb tails

If you want a one-way ticket to mud-land then don’t pay any attention to your
reverb, delays, and spatial e㪘ects.

Reverb and delay tails are hard to overlook, and unfortunately they can add a
lot of unwanted and unnecessary muddiness to the mix. I’d recommend
bouncing down to audio as you can see where the tails end visually.

35. Use the bypass function

Sometimes we can be adding an e㪘ect, take compression for example – and
think we’re making the sound better when in reality we’re not.

Most DAWs allow you to bypass an e㪘ect with a single mouse click. Do this
while using a mixing plugin to hear the di㪘erence.

Some more expensive e㪘ects, such as plugins from the Waves Renaissance
Bundle (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00318HE4S?
ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B00318HE4S&linkCode=xm2&tag=minimalblogne-
20) allow you to switch between two presets within the same VST/AU shell.

Work퍹ow and Productivity

This section contains a few tips regarding studio productivity and working
e뼚ciently.

For more advice on work퍹ow and productivity, check out my book

(http://getwork퍹owbook.com).
36. Be open to compromise
There are always going to be things in your mix that just don’t work out. You
gotta let them come to an agreement, and sometimes that means eliminating
an element regardless of how emotionally painful it is to do so.

Embracing the fact that some things aren’t going to work, and knowing how to
deal with them will increase your work퍹ow tenfold. If you know that two
elements just aren’t going to work together no matter what, then deleting one
can save you hours of hassle and stress.

37. Do things in a logical order

Some high pro㱖le mix engineers know exactly what they’re doing and when, so
it can seem like organized chaos.

But if you’re not someone who’s been doing it for 10+ years, then it makes
more sense to work in a logical order. For example: Finding balance with
faders and EQ, then adding compression, spatial e㪘ects, and automation.

Organizing your mixdown in sections like this is a great way to speed up

work퍹ow and stay motivated.

38. If you feel like you can’t be bothered, then don’t do

it
Unless you’re making a living o㪘 mixing (and you probably wouldn’t be reading
this if you were), then you shouldn’t think of mixing as something you ‘have to
do’ right now.

If you’re not feeling it at the time, then wait until you do. If you go into a
mixdown with a negative mindset, then you’re just going to half-ass it.

39. Work in bursts

Breaks are the best thing known to man. I like to work in 45 minute bursts
when I’m mixing, and then take a 10-15 minute break.

Two reasons for this:

 You reduce the likelihood of ear fatigue
You stay inspired and motivated

If you work constantly without taking breaks, you’ll probably get burnt out and
also experience some degree of ear fatigue. Figure out what works best for
you!

40. Learn your keyboard shortcuts

I know it’s horrendously boring to do so, but knowing your shortcuts will save
you A LOT of time.

The most important ones are those that help you move around your playlist
quickly, some DAWs allow you to set up custom key macros also. Read the
manual to 㱖nd out your DAW’s keyboard shortcuts.

Overall, keyboard shortcuts allow you to move around a lot quicker.

41. Don’t stress yourself out

Do one thing at a time and just keep on pushing through, mixing isn’t always
fun – but it’s something that needs to be done with close attention. Don’t work
on 5 things at once and you’ll 㱖nd it’s much easier to keep on pushin’.

If you’re mentally stressed from something else, then it might not be the best
time to start your mixdown.

42. Embrace Commitment

I’ve basically already said this, but do something and then leave it. Commit. A
mixdown should not take two months!

43. Always save as new

Make the habit of saving as a new version every time. FL Studio has this
feature (Ctrl + N), in other DAWs you might want to increment each
time: Trackname_1, Trackname_2, etc.
Also, save frequently. I like to save after spending a bit of time on an e㪘ect or
section of the song. There’s nothing worse that your PC or DAW crashing and
losing everything you’ve done.

44. Make yourself comfortable

Like I said earlier in the article – you should devote time to this. Not heaps, but
enough. Because of this, it helps to be comfortable.

If you don’t have a comfortable chair, then get one. If you have to constantly
stare upwards at a screen that’s way above your head, then 㱖x it. Making small
adjustments like this will pay o㪘 in the end.

45. Don’t Rush It

Despite all this work퍹ow and productivity advice, I must recommend not to
rush the mixdown – which can be easy. I can’t give any tips for this, because
it’s up to YOU to 㱖nd the perfect balance.

Treat your music like it’s your own baby.

Learning and Becoming a Better Mixer

The last 5 tips include what I’ve personally done, and what I recommend to
take your mixing to the next level. Whether you’re a beginner or intermediate,
this should help you out.

46. Seek out negative feedback

Read that again.

And again.

Seeking out negative feedback is painful, but it’s tremendously helpful if you
want to improve at your craft. If you’re showing some friends a song, ask them
this question:

What DON’T you like about it?

This might sting a bit, but it’s far better than someone saying, “Yeah it sounds
nice bro.” Because that’s not going to help you improve.

Read: 5 Tips for Gathering Feedback the Right Way (http://edmprod.com/5-

tips-gathering-feedback/)

47. Collaborate with others

If you’re a solo-producer then you’ll know that it’s easy to get stuck in your
ways. You might have a lot of bad habits that haven’t come to light because
you haven’t seen anyone else work.

Collaborating with other producers is a great way to pick their brains and 㱖nd
out some of their techniques. Whether it’s in person or over the internet, it’s
something that I recommend everyone does!

48. Visit Pensado’s Place

Though this website is more aimed at the mix engineers compared to
producers, it doesn’t mean you won’t get anything out of it. In fact, you’ll get
loads out of it – there are interviews with highly regarded mix engineers, ‘in the
studio’ type videos with Dave Pensado, and a lot more.

Visit Pensado’s Place (http://www.pensadosplace.tv/)

49. Read & Watch

There are a tonne of good books out there that can help you with your mixing,
I’ve listed a few below:

Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio

(http://edmprod.com/mixingsecretsbook)
The Mix Engineer’s Handbook (http://edmprod.com/mixhandbook)
Mixing Audio: Concepts, Practices, and Tools
(http://edmprod.com/mixingaudio)

Not much of a reader? Check out a video course instead:

 Mixing EDM by Matthew Weiss (http://edmprod.com/mixingedm)
Mixing Hip-Hop by Matthew Weiss (http://edmprod.com/mixinghiphop)
Mixing with Compression by Matthew Weiss
(http://edmprod.com/learncompression)

50. Practice
Haha, you thought you’d avoided that word, didn’t you?

Nope, practice is the vital ingredient in all of this. Mix, mix, and mix again.

I mean, I can’t tell you how to practice… You’ve gotta go do it!

A Final Word
There you have it. 50 tips on mixing.

If you enjoyed this article, or it helped you in any way – I’d love it if you could
leave a comment with your thoughts and share it around!

New Producer?
EDM Foundations (http://edmfoundations.com) is the course for you.

It’s simple, to-the-point, and action-oriented. You won’t spend hours trawling
through dry theory videos, you’ll be learning as you go.

By the end of the course, you’ll have 㱖nished 4 songs, including one original
that you can share with family, friends, and the world.
(http://edmfoundations.com)

Tags:mega-post (http://edmprod.com/tag/mega-post/), mixdown

(http://edmprod.com/tag/mixdown/), slider
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72 Comments EDMProd 
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Join the discussion…
Camilo Bernheim Pasos • 2 years ago
I have to say that this is one of the best articles I've read in my entire life about mixing down
productions. 100 thumbs up mate. There is no such thing as ''How To Do It'' ­ There is just
''How I Do It and These are My Tips''. Props for the humilty since there is A LOT of so called
producers posting videos and writing articles about ''The Proper Way Of Mastering And/Or
Mixing''. It's annoying. I'm sharing this article with all the producers I know because I know it's
very helpful. I like the way you basically cover (if not everything) almost everything about the
final mix down. Thank you for posting this. There are a lot of young producers who think
''LOUDER IS BETTER'' and NEED to start STUDYING instead of making what they call
''music''. Great article mate. Now, acccording to Tip # 4, I'll just leave this here because I'm
starting to mix down a tune a just finished. Cheers!

⛺
6 △   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sam Matla  Mod   > Camilo Bernheim Pasos  •  2 years ago

Sorry for the late reply, Camilo. Really appreciate the kind words, and agree with you
regarding the "blanket" advice that's spewed out so often. Yes, there are certain rules
in music production that should be followed, but there are very few of them. Thanks
again mate!
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

BlueMockingBird • 2 years ago
thanks so much!!
4 △   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Anis • 2 years ago
Well that a was a really well written article...thanks for that, you really motivated me to keep on
mixing my works and not to get stuck always with the same workflow..thanks also for the links
!!
2 △   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sam Matla  Mod   > Anis  •  2 years ago

No problem!
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Dot Kom • 2 years ago
*Thumbs up*
2 △   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Tyler Lewis • 2 years ago
Great article and links..! For some reason over my 10 yrs + of producing and releasing music,
I've aways been reluctant to use a reference track. I'm going to finally give in and use a track
of mine that was mixed out by a pro audio engineer. I think that's a good compromise.
2 △   ▽ • Reply • Share ›
 Sam Matla > Tyler Lewis  • 2 years ago
Good idea Tyler! Hope it goes well.
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

DJ One Way • 3 years ago
Hey Sam thanks for taking the time to post this . You have some real good tips and tricks in
there about procedure that helped me and a whole lot of them that i got a good laugh out of
because I've been writing off and on for about ten years and I know where your coming from
because I learned a lot of those things the hard way !!!! Ouch !!! It still hurts thinking about it .
In the end It's all about the music and having fun with it . The best thing I've learned in my
years of writing is to do you . Don't listen to tracks that are produced by a twenty year vet and
compare your work to theres and get discouraged because yours arent on that level .This is a
journey and I can garuntee you that they too were on your level at one time . Gotta crawl
before you can walk !! Keep banging !!!! 
Thanks again man !!!
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China David • a month ago
This is Great help all round. Mixing isn't easy especially if you learn everything by yourself. It
helps to read this article. I still need to confirm the muddy area "kick n bass" coz truly this is
where everything goes wrong. Putting them in separate frequencies helped a lot. My friend
said if I work on my mix I should put my bass n kick the least lowest coz when mastering it will
be eqd back and will sit pretty. Unlike if it's muddy or thumping hard it's hard to reduce or
control. He said also if I mix I shud produce the thinnest mixed wave for mastering coz it's
easier for the engineer to work it up to 0­ +12 high
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Ben Harris­Hayes • 5 months ago
Hi Sam,

Thank you for the great read.

I will be seriously rethinking some things when I go back to sit at my current mix session
later…which, I’ll admit, sounds good currently…but it’s not “100% SUPER SHINY MEGA
GOOD”!

It’s almost like I know most of what was written above, as it’s all logical…but needed that
prompt/nudge to remind of it…and the sense it makes is spot on!
(I almost hit myself upside the head as the penny dropped at some points!)

This is my first read of one of your posts, as I’m fairly new to producing ‘electronic music’
(always been a rock guy!), but this will help me no end in my remix for a competition.

I really want to achieve that super­production that you hear from artists and hopefully these
tips will assist me on that path!

All the best,
Ben
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Miki Bundgård • 6 months ago
Amazing article! Thanks! :)
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

SiboVG • 7 months ago
Dude, this is suuuuuper helpful, not even kidding, thank you so much!!!!
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Naveh Halperin • 7 months ago
You are awesome!
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Vctr81 • 8 months ago
great tips! I would also add an important one: Pay attention to acoustics and your room.
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Maverick • 8 months ago
Something random. Something i just can't figure out, would be great if i can have answers
from here. I'm looking to remix some old trance tracks but acapellas are no where to be
found. I tried researching and mostly lead me to using audacity but it doesn't really work, and
even if it does, the quality is terrible. Any pointers?
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Don van der Hopf • a year ago
Just great tips!

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Chris Corrado • a year ago
thank you, bro. although i come from the post­rock/ambient guys these tips were really
helpful. it sums up what relly helps to getting better in the art of mixing!. "be critical to what you
do!!". that´s the mindset i like! thanx again and again for this!
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

fojeba • a year ago
Thank you so much for so many relevant and helpful tips. That prompt me to research "reverb
tail", "white noise", "automation" . I have a quick question. Is it better when the mixing is done
to record it (print it) or just export it ?
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Toni T • a year ago
Lots of good advice. Some I'm happy to say I figured out on my own :­) other ideas I had been
over looking. Thanks!
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Lorea Alexander Daniel • a year ago
One of the best articles. Thank you!
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Emma Shaw • a year ago
I'm a little late to the party on this one, but I wanted to say thanks for such a detailed and easy­
to­read article. I'm just getting into producing and am often overwhelmed by how much there
to­read article. I'm just getting into producing and am often overwhelmed by how much there
is to learn ­ even in this article I'm going to have to look up half the terms ­ but reading this has
been energising rather than defeating. Thanks for writing it and for throwing out some tips and
encouragement on how to make the mix process more productive and creative. Really
appreciate your help from afar
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Sam Matla  Mod   > Emma Shaw  •  a year ago

No problem! I understand it can be overwhelming. Feel free to ask me any questions :)
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Emma Shaw > Sam Matla • a year ago
Very very kind of you given your busy schedule. I am sure I'll trespass on that in
the future as I keep reading and learning. Thank you again and best wishes in
all your many projects!
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Daniel36 • a year ago
So I just sent you an email yesterday asking you to take a listen to my terribly mixed down
work in progress, asking you what, in your opinion, is wrong with it. Today I decide to read this
article again, and I see SO MANY golden tips on things that I have just been doing WRONG! I
read this article when I was just starting, so I wasn't yet at the point I am now, but now
everything you describe here is something I can relate to because I went through it during the
process. It's great that I can pick up new things from an article I had read earlier on.
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Daniel36 • 2 years ago
Just wanted to say thank you for this. Already got some of the links booted up and ready to go
to next. Some of your tips may seem like open doors, but it's also good to read I am already
doing some things right. Other things I still need to learn about and you are sending me
towards the right places. Thank you!
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Urmas Rebane • 2 years ago
Thanks, real good information here. I initially came here since I bought and read some of
"Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio". I got confused about mixdown phase and was looking
for some information about really what phases are there. Your article cleared some of those
things up nicely.

Basically the big picture is something like:
1. produce/mix
2. prepare for mixdown
3. mixdown
4. master

And between those are all those details and searching feedback etc.
Good job on the article!
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Johnny • 2 years ago
Thank you for this tiplist. I use Protools, Reason, and FL, and with the exception of a few
engineer and hobbiest friends to ask advice, I've learned through practice and online
engineer and hobbiest friends to ask advice, I've learned through practice and online
resources. It would've been nice to have these guidelines starting out, the tip about hi­passing
everything makes perfect sense and I can't wait to implement it. Its good of you to mention
things like tired ears and ones mood, amongst the other technical stuff. I appreciate your
common sense approach to teaching and genuinely look forward to learning what I can about
sound design and music production from this site.
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sam Matla  Mod   > Johnny •  2 years ago

No problem, Johnny! Appreciate the great comment.
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Ashu Bharmaik • 2 years ago
Awesome stuff...many thanks for these precious words..
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sam Matla  Mod   > Ashu Bharmaik •  2 years ago

My pleasure!
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Shannon McDowell • 2 years ago
Thank you for this great article! I've seen many of these tips before but mostly scattered over
the web. This is an excellent and comprehensive list of these tips, and they are organized in a
logical manner. Thank you again! Best, Shan :­)
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sam Matla  Mod   > Shannon McDowell  •  2 years ago

No worries Shannon! Thanks for the comment.
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Anth Rax • 2 years ago
awesome... As i was reading this i was thinking it was written for me only... Haha loads of
thanks btw ;)
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sam Matla  Mod   > Anth Rax •  2 years ago

Glad it helped!
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Peder Ude • 2 years ago
I love this <3
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sam Matla > Peder Ude • 2 years ago
Thank you! Glad it's helpful.
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Umut Temelli • 2 years ago
It was really informative for me Sam. I really appreciate it :)
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Zander • 2 years ago
Also, forgot to mention... Definitely bookmarking your website and coming back a lot to read!
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Zander • 2 years ago
Loved this so much. Just barely started mixing. I've read a few stuff already...but this has been
the best. My one question is that the Compression link doesn't work for me?
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Namblas • 2 years ago
Good tips Sam , i just lost my motivation just because my overthinking habit.After read this
article its really inspiring me and make me more relief.Its really make me understand what
should i start first and what should i do next.sorry for my bad english , btw keep writing , your
article is brilliant.
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Rob • 2 years ago
Great article, a lot of the tips are really useful (especially now that I'm learning how to use
things properly). If someone ever asks for mixing tips i'll be sure to send them here :)
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sam Matla > Rob • 2 years ago
Cheers Rob!
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

jordan sears • 2 years ago
Hey Sam! Really appreciated this write up. I agree with it all. Was wondering if you have any
sources for production information? More so filling out a mix, considering ranges of stackable
instruments, and achieving separation and fullness. That kinda thing? Cheers
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sam Matla > jordan sears  • 2 years ago
Hi Jordan,

I don't know of many at the moment, but I am in fact working on a layering course at
the moment which will be up for free on the Freshly Squeezed Samples' YouTube
channel. That may be of interest to you, so keep an eye out for it.
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Ehsan • 3 years ago
Awesome Article (y)
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sam Matla > Ehsan • 2 years ago
Thanks Ehsan!
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

samuel • 3 years ago
Hey as a producer , ive been producing for 9 months now im learning how to mix better your
Hey as a producer , ive been producing for 9 months now im learning how to mix better your
article was fuckin helpful and awesome i wanna thank you so much :) your great bro. id like to
add you on facebook :)
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

James • 3 years ago
Hey Sam,

Really awesome stuff here. Thanks so much for taking the time to write all of this out!!! One
note that I think is worth mentioning has to do with #13 (Mixing low). While mixing low is great,
it can be beneficial to jump up to 85dBSPL every once in a while for a more "accurate"
reference.

To anyone not familiar with the Fletcher­Munson curve, it basically shows that our ears
perceive high and low frequencies quieter at low amplitudes and louder at higher amplitudes.
The "sweet spot" where our ears perceive frequencies the most evenly (and accurately) is
right at 85dBSPL.

I agree with you wholeheartedly that mixing louder is a quick way to promote ear fatigue. It's
definitely better to mix low enough to where you could still have a conversation with someone
sitting next to you and just jump up to 85dB for a quick reference. People have also debated
that 85dB for prolonged periods is a fast track to hearing loss. This is only halfway true. To the
average human, constant exposure to 85dB should be ok up to 8 hours (for those interested
that time is cut in half for every 3dB that exceeds 85dB).

Like I said, man. BIG thanks for taking the time to write all of this out. People giving back to the
audio community, sharing knowledge, and creating discussions is really important.

Cheers,
­James (1/2 of Four3Four)
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Sam Matla > James  • 3 years ago
Hi James,

Thanks for the comment mate!

I agree with you there. I've heard about mixing at 85dB and how optimal it is. I'll do
some more research on it too, as you've sparked interest!

Cheers!
△   ▽ • Reply • Share ›

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