BEAT BIBLE BLOG
COMMANDMENT 4
Commandment 4 - Thou Shalt Learn the Basics of Mixing
Written by Kamil Cejmer - September 21st 2023
Next chapter ->
Commandment 4 - Thou Shalt Learn the Basics of Mixing
Welcome to commandment 4.
​
This is a useful chapter if you can't seem to understand the mixing process, as we will be showing you multiple typical mixing chains and mixing methods, and why they're so widely used.
​
Understanding the process will help you become more consistent, productive, a better listener, and more in tune with the production process.
​
Afterwards, a few extras to help you mix, and learn how mixes work in different contexts by listening.
Table of Contents
4.0 - Understanding the Mixing Process
4.1 - Staying Consistent With Your Mixes
4.2 - Becoming a Great Listener
4.3 - Becoming a Versatile Producer
Get the Book to Unlock
4.4 - Practical Listening Exercises
4.5 - Test Your Knowledge - Commandment 4
4.6 - Interactive Mixing Checklist
4.7 - Useful Sources
4.0 - Understanding the Mixing Process
Some of you may not fully grasp the concept behind mixing as a whole. It can, understandably, get quite confusing. Mixing, mastering, pre-mixing, etcetera.
Luckily we have already explained the typical music production process in commandment 1, and now we can finally get to the “juicy” stuff.
What is Mixing?
You can mix a lot of stuff (like drinks), but for now, let’s just focus on mixing music during production. Mixing is where we prepare the beat or song for the mastering phase, where final, tiny adjustments are being made to finish the track.
In mixing, we essentially edit the parameters of the beat or song in a much more significant way. Mixing is done to remove unwanted frequencies and noise, but also to apply creative effects, a fancy word for audio effects.
During mixing, we also ensure that each track within the mix is on the right level and panning (gain-staging, but we also look at non-technical things like legality (which we also discussed on the first commandment).
During production, we start mixing a little bit by adjusting the EQ, compression, and everything necessary. This is not mixing, as we are only adjusting parameters to our liking. I’d say this is closer to sound design (and production), than to mixing.
When Are You Ready to Mix?
When you feel like a track is finished and you’re not going to add anything else, it’s the perfect time to start mixing. However, it is advised to double-check if you want to make any changes. This is also a good time to check the gain on each track.
Once you’ve done that, you can go ahead and export all tracks separately. Afterwards, you can open a new project, and mix accordingly.
Typical Mixing Approaches
Let’s look at some common ways to mix a track. Those are techniques used by professionals on an everyday basis, and as I said, these are really common.
Don’t forget that mixing is done with your ears, and that there is no one-fix-all approach. It just depends on the track.
1. Top-Down Mixing
-
This approach involves starting with your master bus or 2-bus and applying EQ, compression, or other effects there first. The idea is to get a good sound quickly and then dive into individual tracks, making fewer adjustments.
2. LCR-Panning
-
In this method, instruments are panned strictly hard left, center, or hard right. This can create a wide stereo image and clear separation between elements.
3. Frequency Bracketing
-
It's a type of EQing where you cut or boost frequencies in one track and do the opposite on a competing track, creating a "bracket" for each instrument in the frequency spectrum.
4. Parallel Processing/Parallel Compression
-
This technique involves sending a signal to a bus, processing it (often with heavy compression), and then blending it back with the dry signal. It's used to retain dynamic range while adding punch.
5. Subtractive EQing
-
This approach focuses on cutting unwanted frequencies rather than boosting the desired ones, leading to a cleaner mix.
(You can combine this with additive EQing (boosting), which I do frequently. I usually put a subtractive EQ on the very start, and cut on both ends, until I reach a sound I like).
6. Mono Mixing
-
Mixing in mono ensures that all elements can be heard clearly without the benefits of stereo separation. Once the mix sounds good in mono, it will typically sound even better when switched back to stereo.
7. Anchor Mixing
-
Beginning the mix with a primary instrument (like vocals in pop or kick in electronic music) and building around it, ensuring that the anchor instrument always sits perfectly in the mix.
8. Bussing and Stem Mixing
-
Grouping instruments (like all drums or all background vocals) into a single bus or stem. This way, you can process multiple tracks simultaneously.
9. Mood-Based Mixing
-
Rather than a technical approach, this focuses on the emotion or vibe of the song. For instance, a dreamy track might have more reverb and delay, while an aggressive track might have sharper transients and more saturation.
10. Minimalist Mixing
-
Using as few plugins or processors as necessary to achieve the desired sound. This relies heavily on the quality of the original recordings and performances.
I feel like this one is underrated, as it is hard to achieve a good mix without applying a plethora of effects. Master this, and you will be a master mixer)
Typical Mixing Chains
There are multiple ways to mix multiple instruments. Obviously, I won’t cover it all.
However, if you know the typical approach to this, you will definitely be able to understand mixing better and in the end be able to identify other approaches, and even come up with a few yourself.
1. The Classical Approach
Many of you probably already seen this approach, which is always advised on YouTube tutorials, IG infographics, etcetera.
This is logical, as it’s the most straightforward approach, which can definitely be used on any type of instrument.
The chain typically looks something like this:
-
Subtractive EQ - to clean unwanted frequencies
-
EQ - to boost wanted/important frequencies
-
Compression - To make the track levels more consistent and to give a bit of punch
-
Saturation - To give the track colour. Saturation boosts certain frequencies within a track, making them sound richer.
(Tip: saturation can work great if you’re working with bad quality vocals that sound too flat. Sounds counter-intuitive, but this will give the track a higher fidelity due to frequencies coming out which weren’t there before. From there, you will be able to achieve a much better sound after some cleaning).
2. Compression -> EQ
By using compression before EQ, you will be able to make more accurate EQ decisions in the future, due to the track being “flattened”. Do this especially if you want to shape the tone of the compressed signal.
3. Saturation -> EQ -> Compression
By using compression before EQ, you will be able to make more accurate EQ decisions in the future, due to the track being “flattened”. Do this especially if you want to shape the tone of the compressed signal.
4. EQ -> Saturation -> Compression
​Do this if you want to clean the track first, as a lot of frequencies
5. Dynamic EQ -> Compression
Do this if you want to clean the track first, as a lot of frequencies get boosted when using saturation. EQ out the harmonics you want to avoid, and then use saturation and compression to finish the sound.
6. Compression -> Saturation
Do this if you want to clean the track first, as a lot of frequencies get boosted when using saturation. EQ out the harmonics you want to avoid, and then use saturation and compression to finish the sound.
7. Multiband Compression -> EQ
Multiband compression lets you compress multiple bands of frequencies. After this, you can EQ the signal to shape the tone.
8. EQ -> Reverb/delay -> Compression
By EQing the signal, adding reverb/delay, and then sending the wet signal to another channel, you can compress the wet channel only, which makes the reverb/delay much more pronounced.
4.1 - Staying Consistent With Your Mixes
Now that you know some of the basics of the mixing chain, and some mixing techniques, I will share some tips on how to stay consistent.
​
The first step in staying consistent is simply knowing how mixing works, and how you can use the mixing chain to your best potential. Now, we will be looking at the meta for consistency.
Staying Consistent Is Key
Now that you know some of the basics of the mixing chain, and some mixing techniques, I will share some tips on how to stay consistent.
​
The first step in staying consistent is simply knowing how mixing works, and how you can use the mixing chain to your best potential. Now, we will be looking at the meta for consistency.
By staying consistent with your mixing, you unlock a bunch of benefits:
-
Your mixes are slightly similar across all of your tracks, meaning people will not be thrown off because of a completely different track. After a while, you will develop your own mixing personality and might get recognized for it.
-
You get much more productive because you already know what to do in your mixes. The more consistent you become, the more efficient you will become over time.
-
You will have an easier overview of your progress, which means you will be able to note down on improvements much quicker and easier.
-
You will be able to tweak your mixing process slightly, making little changes, so in the future, you will have an almost perfect mixing process.
-
You will be able to plan tracks much easier, simply because you have the insight in your process.
How do we achieve this?
-
Write down how you mix your tracks, and compare that to the information you see in here. Are you making mistakes, are you doing something well? Decide what to leave out and what to keep in your process.
-
Create a mixing preset, to be able to open it quickly each time it’s time to mix.
-
After you’re done with mixing, write down your experiences, and what you can do to improve next time.
-
If needed, adjust your preset and mixing process accordingly.
Mixing rules to stay consistent
Before I go into this, I HAVE to remind you that mixing is really subjective, and that most rules can be overwritten or neglected if the situation calls for it.
Remember that every song is different, and that mixing rules are only there to act as a guideline rather than a hard rule.
​
Please keep this in mind, each and every time you see some sort of mixing tutorial, infographic on IG, or something else.
​
So, very first rule: use your ears first of all.
Overall Rules
Apply the following rules across all of your instruments/tracks unless intended.
1. No clipping
Ensure that your mix doesn’t clip on individual tracks, and also on the master.
Clipping is when a signal surpasses 0 dBFS (decibels full scale). This leads to unwanted distortion. Clipping is sometimes done deliberately to generate distortion, but please keep in mind that your song will also need to be mastered, which usually means that the gain will get boosted significantly.
Usually, mixing engineers have a cap of -3.5dBFS to -12dBFS, and sometimes even lower depending on the project. Remember that decibel ranges are not always the same, but rather a reference to the maximum audio level of the system used to play sound (your headphones, studio monitors, or speakers).
2. Don’t overcompress
Overcompression takes away the dynamic range of your track, which means that it will simply sound too flat.
What I do personally to avoid this, is to turn down the mix of the compressor in order to achieve parallel compression.
By doing this, you still let through the original signal, thus getting a nice blend of the compressed signal and uncompressed signal.
3. When cleaning frequencies, use a narrow band
Only if you are cleaning out frequencies! You are still allowed to use wide bands if you, say want to cut out frequencies that are clashing with other instruments. However, only use very narrow bands if you want to cut out specific sounds.
4. Make minor adjustments
Always start small. The sooner you start becoming impatient and going crazy on your mix, the sooner you will find yourself in an unfixable mess, unable to have an overview of your mixing process.
5. Stick to your plan
If you had a specific plan or goal for your mix, then stick to it. However, remember that mixing is a creative process where it is possible that you’ll deviate from the original plan.
6. Keep taking breaks
Regular breaks simply help to avoid long-term ear damage and help you gain a fresh perspective each time you get back to work.
7. Use a reference tracks
You’re penalizing yourself if you don’t do this. Simply listen to a track in a similar genre and achieve greater results in an instant.
8. Use panning/stereo imaging to your advantage
I included this one because I tend to forget this myself a lot. Don’t ever hesitate with panning and stereo-imaging. Make the mix more interesting by adjusting the position and space of each instrument.
9. Use mono on low frequencies
Using mono on bassy instruments like the kick, bass and 808 will not only help it sit better in the mix (sounds much more prominent this way), but it also helps to avoid phasing issues, which can be hard to hear especially for beginners.
10. Monitor your mix on a range of different systems
Take this literally, as your music will, on average, most likely be heard on average or mediocre systems. Not everyone in this world has the money to afford high-end studio monitors that can reach all the way up to 192kHz.
Check your mix on all sorts of devices. Phones, MP3 players, laptops, $5 earbuds, old Nokia phones, you get it.
11. Listen on normal volumes, rather than high volumes
This, because you need to protect your ears as a producer, but also because of a phenomenon called “TTS”, or “Temporary Threshold Shift”.
This makes your tolerance to high frequencies higher, because of the fact that you’re suffering from temporary hearing loss.
By mixing on normal volumes, you avoid the need for excessive breaks, and you will be much more consistent, because of the fact that you aren’t shifting your hearing perception every time.
Do not underestimate this rule.
Rules For Drums
1. Use sidechaining for a greater creative effect
By using sidechaining on your drums, you can do a lot. One popular application is obviously the “kick-duck”, where each kick activates an automation which ducks either the clashing frequencies on a bass, or the gain. This makes the kick stand out more.
You can however sidechain to anything you want, and go completely ham. Drums are most often sidechained because of their sharp transients and clear characteristics, which makes the sidechain sound more prominent.
2. Use a drum bus (auxiliary channel)
Route all drum tracks to a bus in order to apply effects to all of your drums at once.
I like to do this after I edited all of the tracks separately, before I apply effects on the drum bus in order to reach a final polished version.
3. Don’t over-EQ the bus
That being said, do not apply equalization on a heavy scale. Most of the time, you would already have equalized most individual tracks within the bus, so applying EQ on the bus should be kept at a minimum, as too much equalization results in a non-organic, over-processed drum sound.
4. No need to compress every single drum
Not all drum elements require you to compress them. It’s important to keep listening to your mix, and then making decisions based on that, rather than a set of rules which do not apply every time.
5. Give each drum enough space in the EQ
This is essentially a basic mixing tip, which everyone knows, but keep this in mind when mixing the tracks individually.
6. Don’t cut too much (leave some harmonics instead of cutting a range completely)
You can cut a range completely, but keep in mind that this will delete some harmonics which might make or break a sound. Before you cut completely, try cutting partially, and see how much fuller your drums are.
7. Use saturation for a much better sound (but don’t overdo it)
Saturation, especially in drums, can give you a much better “analog” sound, because of the added harmonics. However, overdo this and it will sound much too distorted.
8. Only use spatial effects if needed or intended
A lot of people tend to always add spatial effects like reverb and delay each and every time they mix. It’s great to use those effects, but keep in mind that it’s not always the right practice.
Remember that spatial effects can sound great, but sometimes they can cloud the mix unnecessarily.
Rules For 808s and Basses
1. Don’t cut just because it’s common practice (leave highs and mids sometimes)
Hear me out. It’s easy to just cut the highs and mids out of the bass and call it a day, but you will miss out on beautiful-sounding harmonics and even dynamic range. By only leaving the bass under ~300Hz, you will essentially be left with a sub-bass.
Especially if you’re working with a bass guitar or a synth-bass, say a MOOG (It’s a popular analog synthesizer), you will have harmonics in your mids and highs.
In bass guitars, the mids carry the tone, and the highs carry byproduct sounds produced by playing (sliding across the frets, touching the string, picking of the strings)
In synth basses, it can vary what the mids and highs carry, but most transients are to be found either in the mid or high frequency range, meaning you can control this just by adjusting the EQ in these ranges.
2. Keep spatial effects at a minimum
Spatial effects used on low frequency instruments can be absolutely detrimental. Bass frequencies are muddy by nature, so by multiplying them by using a delay, or expanding them by using reverb, you will more than triple the muddiness of the mix. Do not do this unless you intend to make your mix sound really dirty.
3. Compression is your friend (most of the time)
A nicely compressed 808 or bass can sound really nice and consistent, especially on club speakers. However, remember the overall rule of overcompression. Do not lose dynamic range, which makes a track sound completely flat. Unless, of course, you intend it.
4. Watch out for instruments that also have low frequencies
Make sure that other instruments don’t clash with your bass. A lot of instruments can still produce bass harmonics, which can definitely clash with the bass and make a muddy mix.
5. Use chorus to reach a fuller, bigger sound
This is more for intermediates, as you need to know how to do this properly.
If you want to achieve the right result with a chorus, make sure that the low frequencies are set in the middle of the stereo (mono), and then apply the chorus to the higher frequencies to achieve a wide, big sound.
6. Saturation
Saturation can be applied to 808s to reach a fuller, warmer sound. This, in turn, makes the 808 come forward in the mix a little bit, so this is perfect if you want that 808 to come in hard after a slow or calm part.
With bass, you can apply saturation to the higher frequencies, just like the chorus, to reach a much fuller sound, but this time brighter rather than warmer. This is also a great way to make the bass seem a little lower on basses with a naturally bright character.
7. Stereo-imaging
Another effect which I advise only to use on mid to high frequencies. This will expand the bass and make it sound more spacious. Instead of using spatial effects like reverb, try doing this first.
Rules For Key Instruments (And Key-like Synth Presets)
1. Lots of freedom if it comes to creative effects
No need to worry about applying too many effects. Keys are so versatile, you can do a lot with them. Just make sure it sounds right, doesn’t cloud the mix, and all the basic stuff.
2. Limiter compressors work great on piano and key instruments with long release or sustain
This is subjective, but to my opinion, limiting key instruments will make them sound full and give more expression. Be sure not to overcompress.
3. Expand the sound for more atmosphere
Expand using a compressor for an atmospheric, long sound.
4. Compress the sound for a more funky sound
Compressing can make keys sound punchy and funky.
Rules For Clean Guitars
1. Leave some lows (around 200Hz-400Hz)
A lot of guitars produce a nice, warm undertone. You can cut this out, but I prefer leaving it most of the time, especially if I want to achieve a “complete” clean guitar sound.
2. You can do what you want, warm or bright, doesn’t matter, it just depends on what you’re doing
This is one of the best things about guitars. You can pretty much do anything you want. It all depends on the context!
3. If you recorded layers, pan them out to the sides for a much better stereo sound (almost all guitars produce a mono sound)
Definitely do this in your mix if you have access to separate recordings. Do not, however, double the tracks, as you won’t achieve the same effect as with two separately-recorded guitars.
4. You can go overboard with spatial effects (especially if you’re making an indie-rock album or something)
If you’re looking to add a ton of easy soul to your guitars, just add a lot of spatial effects. This definitely depends on the genre and overall context, so it’s up to you.
​
For instance, funk usually uses “dry”, sharp, and quick guitar sounds, while bands like U2, who make music (specifically postpunk, but that’s for another book), which resonates a lot and uses a lot of delay.
Rules For Distorted Guitars
1. Also leave some lows between 200Hz and 400Hz
For a more “chuggy” guitar distortion. Again, do not overdo this, and you will have a clean mix.
2. Use the compressor at the very beginning for a longer sustain (makes the distorted guitar ring out longer)
This is a common approach for lead guitars, especially if you got a guitar solo in your song
3. Do not scoop the mids, I’m begging you
Mids shape the main tone of the guitar. By scooping the mids, you essentially scoop the soul out of your guitars.
4. Don’t overdo the distortion
Or it will simply sound too messy. To add to that, it is better to use a little bit less distortion than you usually play at. You can always add distortion/saturation later, so it’s best to use less than more.
5. If you recorded layers, pan them out to the sides, just as on the clean guitars
If you’re looking to add a ton of easy soul to your guitars, just add a lot of spatial effects. This definitely depends on the genre and overall context, so it’s up to you.
6. You can also go overboard with the spatial effects, but be careful with delay
Again, dependent on context.
(Hard)-rock bands like Guns ‘N Roses love to use a lot of reverb on guitars, while metal bands like Metallica have variation in that regard. A lot of times, distorted rhythms guitars (which play chords), are dry, while lead guitars that play melodies and solos use reverb. Listen to some popular rock and metal bands and you’ll see that it all depends on the context and feel of the song. However, the limitations are far less than on other instruments.
Rules For Synth Leads
1. Saturation to push the lead forward (also warmer sound)
Do this if you want the lead to come in heavy.
2. Dont boost the highs too much
Watch out for highs, especially if you have been listening on higher volumes for an extended time. By listening on higher volumes, your tolerance to harsh, high frequency increases, which makes you think you need more, while you need less.
3. Be careful with delay
Leads usually have high decay, which means they ring out long. If you keep the delay on for too long, you will cloud the mix. I advise you to either use delay sparingly, or make the feedback shorter. You can also apply delay just to the highs, so the mids won't overpower the original signal.
4. Mids can also push the lead forward (depending on what kind of lead)
This also depends on context. If you have a lead with an equal distribution of frequencies, you can boost the mids to make it stand out. Make sure the frequencies don't clash with any other instruments.
Rules For Synth Pads
1. Make pads wider than most instruments
Pads are meant to create a lush, wide atmosphere most of the time. Make the pads sit wide in the stereo field.
2. Make sure the pads don’t overpower other instruments, except if you intend to do so
Pads can sound quite powerful, so be careful with the gain.
3. Compress a little bit less than most instruments, we want to keep a lot of the dynamic range
Pads usually consist of a spectrum of sounds put together, or in other cases, a lot of effects. Compress much less than, say, key instruments to keep the dynamic range, or use a lot of parallel compression.
4. Putting movement effects like tremolo can sound great on pads
Want to make the pads sound interesting? Movement effects is what I condone using in this scenario. This will not only make the pads sound interesting, but because of the fact that the pads take up a lot of the stereo-field, you will perceive the movement effect as if it's applied across the whole track.
Rules For Strings
1. You're allowed to use a little bit more reverb than usual
Strings are usually orchestral. String instruments were mostly played in big theaters and concert halls, so apply reverb generously.
2. Saturation make the strings sound more EPIC
This is because of the "bite" you get from saturation.
Rules For Brass
1. Leave some lows in the EQ
Brass instruments possess a lot of character in the low to mid range, so keep in mind to leave some lows. Again, watch out for mud and clashing.
2. Compress a little bit more than usual, but keep the dynamic range in mind
Depending on the context, you are allowed to compress a bit more, as a lot of brass instruments sound punchy. Keep in mind that we still want to keep some dynamic range because of the non-linear nature of horn instruments.
3. You can use spatial effects a bit more generously than usual
Just like strings, brass instruments used to be played in concert halls, theaters, and used in a lot of classical pieces. Do not hesitate to use spatial effects.
4. Keep the delay a bit short (make it stop quicker than usual, otherwise you’ll get too much mud)
Brass can sound pretty distorted and muddy from the get-go, so don't let the delay ring out too much.
4.2 - Becoming a Great Listener
You might wonder what this means, but it’s as straight-forward as you think: you simply need to become a good listener in order to become a good producer.
To do this, you can do multiple things:
-
Listen to tracks that inspire you the most (tracks you want to make similar tracks to)
-
Listening actively and attentively (write down any observations for a greater effect)
-
Playing an instrument or singing (this helps train your pitch and ability to recognize harmonics)
-
Listening to specific parts of songs, especially stuff you want to recreate
-
Listening to different types of genres for inspiration
-
Taking a break once in a while to avoid wearing down your hearing ability
-
Recreating drum patterns, effects, anything you would like to be able to do yourself.
Not only this will help, but also reading blogs like this one, watching YouTube tutorials, and then immediately trying to implement changes into your process will also make you a good listener, because you will be able to look for things you didn’t know existed before.
4.3 - Becoming a Versatile Producer
A good producer is a versatile producer. This means that you can adapt to all sorts of different wishes from clients and artists.
Think about it. Not everyone wants to use the same rules when creating a song.
By becoming versatile, this will be easier for you. This is why it is so important to become flexible and versatile.
Listening to Different Genres
The first thing you can do is explore new genres, or genres which you do listen, but not on a deep level. As a producer, you probably have a set of your own favourite music to listen to. It is very easy to listen to music you like, so you probably pay more attention to music you love to listen to.
However, if you want to become more serious, you will need to study other genres too, even if you don’t like them.
By listening to new genres actively, and by applying our tips to become a better listener, you will almost instantly learn a whole range of new techniques, or other genre-specific characteristics, which will fuel your creativity.
Going to Live Venues
​Don’t feel like listening to music you don’t like? Try visiting a venue with live music. This will kind of force you to listen, and you might make some new connections. Also, seeing how the music is played will give you some insight in the process, which will in turn help you become a better listener and producer.
Not Being Afraid to Ask Questions
If you’re working with an artist that demands you to do things you haven’t done before, or aren’t that familiar with, then don’t be afraid to ask questions!
Decent people will always understand this, especially if you bring it in a way like “Hey, that’s a cool idea! However, I never had the chance to experiment with this kind of stuff, so can you explain how you did it last time?”.
Learning to Play an Instrument
Definitely easier said than done, but it does help. Let’s say that you start learning to play on the electric guitar. Obviously, you can play pop songs, but electric guitars mostly get used in rock and metal music.
If you learn a few rock songs which you happen to enjoy yourself, you will automatically gather knowledge on that part.
Studying Music in General
​This is a very vague one, but it still applies. Study everything about music. Which instruments are most common in jazz, how did rapping evolve, how did vinyls and CDs evolve? Anything you can learn about music can be of use to you, no matter what it is.
Want to unlock the rest?
Get the Beat Bible soon!*
PRE-ORDER SOON
& get extra perks!*
*Release date & pre-order perks to be announced. Pre-orders will open after release date announcement.
