Mixing and Mastering Tips

We've all been there … innumerable hours spent fastidiously making a mix. Each instrument has been shaped flawlessly, brought into level, and glued pleasantly together at the mix buss.

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However, it still feels like there's a missing thing. You want the track to have energy and excitement, yet you can't place your finger on the issue inside the mix to tackle.

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I've had this experience a lot. In the wake of evaluating many thoughts, I concocted a rundown of "finishing touches" I like to utilize when I'm toward the finish of a mix. These are subtle mix moves, hardly recognizable to even a discerning listener. However, they can add a little extra to the mix.

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These stunts work for pretty much every genre: soca, r&b, pop, rap, rock, electronic, reggae, and so forth.

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These stunts are automated for various parts of the song, to such an extent that the transitions between verse, chorus, and passage have some extra impact. I suggest getting each and every piece of the mix done, then utilize these as the cherry on top.

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1) Set the Chorus +1 dB over the rest of the song

This one I do a lot, and it is easy, so it's a good one for the beginning of this list.

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Use automation on the volume of the master fader at various places in the mix. At the point when the energy of the song needs to rise, simply step up the volume by +1 dB. Then, cut it back down when the section is finished. This adds some additional effect for the listener.

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In Avid Pro Tools, the Mix Bus Fader volume is "pre-insert." Therefore, you are expanding the overall level of the mix going into your mix buss compression/saturation. This will give you more crush and energy for the big segments of the song. 

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If you are using another DAW, you can add a gain plugin as the first insert on your chain and automate the gain +1 dB at different sections of the song.

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2) Stereo Width of the Verb

Something else I like to automate is the width of reverbs. As opposed to leaving the reverb panned +/ - 100 for the whole song, limit the reverb to +/ - 50 for certain segments. Then, open it back up.

This is the ideal stunt to use on vocals. It can change the vibe from close and intimate to gigantic.

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3) Reverb Predelay
Staying with the subject of reverb, I likewise suggest automating the pre-delay in various segments of a song. I ordinarily utilize a scope of 20 ms for repressed sections and up to 100 ms for the biggest segments.

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This expands the space around an instrument or vocal. When done correctly, the vocal actually seems as though it's in a similar space, yet the space just sounds bigger.

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4) Filter Automation

Everybody likes when the subs of a track hits you. This can be difficult to achieve in a mix.

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One stunt is actually to remove a portion of the subs until you want that hit. I suggest experimenting with a gentle high-pass filter slope at 80 Hz. Leave that on for part of the song, so the audience gets familiar with the balance of the bass. Then when the time is right, drop the high-pass filter to 30 Hz and open up more bass.

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You'll know when it is right.

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5) Glueing Automation

When done correctly, there isn't anything like having 1-2 dB of gain decrease on the mix buss compressor to glue everything together as one.

But who says a mix should be glued as one all through the whole song? It is great stunt to let a track breathe for a time and then glue it all together.

I suggest trying different things with the threshold on your Mix Buss compressor. During certain segments of the song, ease it off so you have no gain reduction. Then introduce the gain reduction on another section for that magical glueing.

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6) Sidechaining the Vocals to the Instruments

Perhaps the hardest thing to get right in a track is the harmony between the lead vocals and the instruments. It's easy for the vocals to get covered by the instruments, and it's similarly easy for the vocals to be too loud.

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I like to set my vocal level to what feels right, as my beginning stage. The main thing I'm tuning in for is that the music is loud enough and it still has impact when the vocals stop.

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Toward the finish of the mix, I'll set up an "Instruments" aux track that is separate from the vocals. Then I sidechain the vocal to a compressor on the instruments aux track. At most, 1 dB of gain reduction on the instruments when the vocal is singing.

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If you can hear the pumping of the compressor you've done too much. This isn't intended to be a discernible impact. It simply helps the vocals by carving out space in the track so they cut through.

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An even better approach is to us M/S compression. Since the lead vocal is in the middle, you could just sidechain the middle without touching the sides. This will make space in the focal point of the mix without touching the instruments panned to sides.

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7) Automate Delays
Delay adds the feeling of a space. My inclination has generally been to synchronize the time to the tempo of the tune. Regularly, I explore different avenues with a 1/16 note, 1/8 note, 1/4 note, and 1/2 note delay. Once in a while I try dotted variants of these notes.

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I used to generally set my delay times and leave it for the whole tune. I never thought to do anything more. Then I figured out that changing the times during the tune is a great method for accentuation at various places.

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In the event that you use a short slap delay during the verse, create a longer delay during the chorus. It can really open things up. Assuming you utilize an 1/8 note for the majority of the tune, create a dotted 1/8 note in the bridge. This can switch up the groove in a subtle way.

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8) Spatial EFX Automation
Both reverb and delay can be troublesome to set at the proper level. Instead of setting them at a solitary level, I suggest automating their volumes for different segments of the song.

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It can sound incredible to perform gain reduction on the vocal effects, to such an extent that the spatial effects are low during a vocal phrase, and afterward louder when the phrase is done. This keeps the effects from washing out the vocal, yet they still add to the feel of the space.

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Additionally, I prefer to bring up delays during one section of the song while turning the reverb down. Whenever the song advances to another part, I turn the delay down and the reverb up. Another little stunt that can lead to a more refined mix.

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9) M/S EQing

This is the most complicated stunt I like to utilize. Here, I utilize a mid-side equalizer where I leave the mids alone, and tweak the sides.

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During the chorus of a song, I'll push around 2 kHz, 5 kHz, and 8 kHz up by +0.5dB or +1 dB on the sides only. This adds some extra excitement and pulls the audience's attention out to the whole stereo field.

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This stunt is easy to overdo, so make subtle moves.

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10) Use your Ears and your Body

There is no one way to use a plugin or piece of gear. The most important thing is how the sound makes you Feel when you Hear it.

 

Have fun, and make great music!

 

Happy Mixing!