Do you want to mix your music, but you don’t know where to start? Here’s a quick guide to help you get your very first mix (almost) right. In fact, it takes a lot of practice to achieve good results. Still, even if you don’t want to reach a professional level, you can have some fun and end up with an excellent recording of your band.
Cleaning Up The Tracks
Once you have recorded audio on your computer on different tracks, the next step is to make this audio “workable.” You’ll do this by cutting all the noise, the silence, and, generally speaking, all the parts that do not add anything to the song. This will definitely make your final product cleaner.
Equalization
Listen to the audio tracks one by one and make sure that there are no annoying frequencies, such as bass build-up of unwanted resonances. If you want to get rid of a problem frequency, do this by finding it using the “sweep” control on the EQ. Once you have identified it, cut that frequency (or group of frequencies) with the dedicated cut/boost control. If you want, you can use artistic license, enhancing certain parts, such as mid-highs on vocals.
Dynamics
If a sound has a wide dynamic range, you can use a compressor to control the volume peaks. Compressors are very effective on guitars and drums. This dynamic processor has various controls: attack/release, ratio, and gain. Start with a smooth compression with a balance of 2:1 or 3:1 and a slow attack. Then use the “gain” control to restore the original level, comparing the in/out signals.
Effects
You can add reverb to the vocals and some to the snare drum. With guitars, you can be more creative, adding a delay, a chorus, or some distortion. Audio production software has dedicated plug-ins, with some preset ready to use. Just one piece of advice: use the same type of reverb on all instruments, adding it in different amounts. Basically, a reverb defines the space where the sound is played: using the same reverb, you’ll achieve a more natural sound.
Pan and Level Balance
The pan control allows you to position instruments from the left to the right in the audible spectrum. Instrument separation will add “air” to your mix and make the sounds more definite. Use panning together with reverb to add depth to the mix. Then, balance all levels with the volume faders. A good way to check if you are going in the right direction is lowering the stereo master level to the minimum. When you can barely hear the song, pay attention. The only tracks that should be audible are the snare drum and the vocals.