Audio Mixing Tutorials

EQ and compression are right there neck and neck for the two most useful plugins/types of processing in an audio mixer’s tool belt. The former allows you to sculpt your audio’s frequencies, getting rid of what’s detracting and enhancing what’s working. The latter in compression is about volume dynamics, controlling a wide range of volume… Read more: What Does a Compressor Do For Vocals (And How to Use It)

Ever compress the heck out of a track by mistake but think to yourself, “that kind of sounds good… if only I could practically use it in my mix.” Enter New York compression – let’s talk what it is and how to effectively use it in your mix to add sustain, thickness, energy, all good… Read more: What is New York Compression (And How to Use It)

In the world of audio mixing, sequence matters. This extends in routing, and this extends to your processing chain. As I covered in my overview on EQ or compression first, whether you compress an already equalized track or EQ an already compressed track, the results will be different. Likewise, and as I covered in my… Read more: Delay After Reverb – The Effect in Your Mix

I recently talked about the best EQ for kick drum, and while it doesn’t need to be the only EQ in your processing chain, a Pultec EQ can enhance the overall tone of your kick drum when used properly. Let’s talk how to use Pultec EQ on a kick drum or otherwise in your mix.… Read more: How to Use Pultec EQ – A Quick Comprehensive Guide

I recently talked about sending delay into reverb, but it’s well worth acknowledging that you can do the reverse, as well. Sending reverb into delay gives the tail of a reflection its own reflection and can be used in a number of ways. Let’s talk using reverb into delay, how to do it, and why… Read more: Sending Reverb Into Delay – How to and Why Do It

I’ve talked in the past how you can use snare reverb to add size to your snare without compromising control or muddying up the mix. Likewise, you can add kick reverb to the anchor of your drum kit and mix in the kick drum to add some sustain, depth, and even width to give this… Read more: How to Use Kick Reverb in Your Mix (With Best Settings)

One of the best places to start when you sit down with a collection of recorded tracks for a song is the kick drum as this is the heartbeat and anchor of the entire mix. If the kick isn’t mixed properly or sitting right in the mix, everything else will be off. Typically the first… Read more: The Best EQ For Kick Drum – EQ and Settings

I’ve been talking about ear candy elements to add to your mix as of late – elements which aren’t part of the bedrock of the mix but little surprises and touches to enhance things and keep your listener engaged. A delay throw is a common form of ear candy in that it’s something that’s best… Read more: How to Use a Delay Throw In Your Mix

As both a mixing engineer who gets a lot of requests for it as well as an audio mastering engineer who gets a lot of completed mixes with it, mix fades are coming back en vogue. Whether you’re fading in or out in your next mix, let’s talk about the best way to mix fade.… Read more: The Best Way to Mix Fade

I’ve long talked about using two space-based effects in delay and reverb as Aux/Return sends in your mix. This allows you to save processing power in your mix and more importantly create a sense of cohesion by having a number of tracks sharing the same delay or reverb, giving them the sense they were recorded/are… Read more: Sending Delay Into Reverb – How to and Why Do It

Reverb and delay are both spacial based effects to give your audio a sense of width and depth which isn’t inherent to the audio itself. This is useful when recording DI or an otherwise underwhelming acoustic space to give your audio more size. Applying these effects across your entire or the majority of your mix… Read more: Reverb After Delay vs Delay After Reverb – Which Works Best?

At our sister site, MusicGuyMastering.com, I provide audio mastering services for clients who want to release their music digitally, on CD, vinyl, even cassette tape in rare cases. In addition to all of that, I also provide stem mastering services, so I thought in the wake of covering how mixing is different from stem mastering,… Read more: Stem Mastering Vs Mastering – The Pros and Cons

Whether the piano in your mix is taking the starring role or is more of a supporting piece to fill in some gaps, this mixing piano cheat sheet will cover how to yours sounding its best in your next mix. Mixing Piano Tutorial As I typically do in my instrument specific mixing tutorials, let’s go… Read more: Mixing Piano Cheat Sheet – A Complete Tutorial

I talk a lot about the importance of high passing your vocals as an effective way to both clean up the vocal not to mention create space for low frequency instruments in your mix which need dominion over these lower frequencies. On the other end of the frequency spectrum, the top end, your vocal or… Read more: Where to Low Pass Filter Vocals in Your Mix

The notes of a piano range from 27.5Hz all the way up to just over 4k, but there’s a lot of nuance in that fact. The practical fundamental range of the piano is more contained, and the overtones and higher frequencies all boast their own unique characteristics. Understanding this can help you better EQ piano,… Read more: Piano Frequency Chart – Every Important Frequency to Know

Stem mastering and mixing are two distinct types of audio production which sometimes get confused for one another because they share one major concept in common: stems! As such, I thought I’d give a brief overview of and comparison between stem mastering vs mixing. Stem Mastering Vs Mixing As I just mentioned, stem mastering and… Read more: Stem Mastering Vs Mixing – How They Differ

One of the hallmarks of professional, top 40 mixes is clear vocals, mostly irrespective of the decade or era. Clear vocals are achieved both through the recording and mixing processes, so let’s talk how to get clear vocals in your next project. How to Get Clear Vocals As mentioned, clear vocals begin in the recording… Read more: How to Get Clear Vocals in Your Next Mix

Like virtually everything in your mix, a high pass filter for vocals is recommended for a number of reasons. A high pass filter for vocals: With all of these benefits in mind, let’s address how or better said where to best place your high pass filter for vocals. High Pass Filter For Vocals The exact… Read more: High Pass Filter for Vocals – The Best Settings to Use

The next time you finish your mix, you may decide that you want it professionally mastered as it always helps to have a second set of ears in the mixing and/or mastering process. Before you opt for a conventional master, you may want to give stem mastering a consideration instead. What is Stem Mastering Stem… Read more: What is Stem Mastering (And Why You Might Want It)

Whenever you have a stretch of recorded audio in your mix, long or short, this is referred to as a clip. Every audio clip in your mix can be selected and manipulated in a variety of ways. Many digital audio workstations (DAWs) that we record or mix music in allow you to adjust the pitch… Read more: How to Adjust Clip Gain in Your Mix (and Why Do It)