In this article, I am going to share my entire mixing process that enables me to produce consistent sounding results every time I work on a new song in my studio.

It is incredibly easy for us to jump straight into a mix by throwing faders around and loading plug-ins but years of experience has taught me to slow down and respect a process. This process requires a fair amount of preparation and demands a lot of discipline. If I ignore just one stage in my mixing process a multitude of little problems can occur that often snowball into larger issues which inevitably harms the song.

Mixing a song is a big responsibility so it’s prudent to have a workflow that’s proven to help you deliver great sounding results every time.

What I cover in this post may feel like I'm teaching some of you how to suck eggs, some of you may, in fact, have completely different mixing processes. This article is predominately aimed at those new to mixing, I want to inspire you to develop a mixing process, one that you call your own which will enable you to produce consistently brilliant sounding music every time you mix a new song in your studio.

Listen To Rough Mixes

I always put the time in to thoroughly listen to the rough mixes whether it be a track my wife and I produced or a track sent across from a client. Listening to the roughs helps me to really establish what I like and don’t like about the production. This listening stage also gives me an opportunity to work out what musical features and creative subtleties are in the journey of the track that I am about to mix. Most importantly, rough mixes give me the chance to become a fan of the song. When I fall in love with a song I know I’ll be able to bring my A-Game to the mix. Becoming a fan of the track also means I’ll be able to put my heart into mixing the song which in turn enables me to put my own stamp on the mix as well. 

I don’t usually listen to rough mixes in the studio, instead, I try to absorb the song in and around the house, in the car, on my phone with headphones when I’m walking my dog… anywhere but in the studio. When I’ve listened to roughs in my studio I find that I get eager to get started which from my experience doesn’t give me enough time to properly get under the skin of the song.

Mix Preparation 

When I feel my thoughts are prepared and a vision has been established for the song through listening to the rough mix I move into the preparation stage. I’ve got a handful of mix templates I like to use with all my go-to plug-ins and sends ready to rock, tracks coloured and plug-ins ready. Watch my video tutorial that shows you how I prepare my mix sessions in Pro Tools

At this stage, I also confirm the brief, set expectations with all parties involved and most importantly agree on a deadline, either with myself or the client. 

Static Mix

The static mix is all about getting the basic fader balance to sound as complete as possible without any plug-in intervention processing or effects. The faders have to sit completely still throughout an entire pass of the song while the mix as a whole sounding as close to finished as possible. It is at this point I aim to establish an overall attitude and vibe, which in turn lays very strong foundations for the upcoming mix stages. When a mix sounds balanced in the static mix stage and has what I refer to as "an identity" I know I’m ready to move onto the next step…

Technical Fix

It is now that I refer back to my mix notes that I made during the rough mix listening stage. In these notes, I often write down technical problems such as timing issues, noise and tuning problems that need some degree of attention. In the technical fix, I decide if any of those issues I heard in the roughs are still problems that I can hear and feel in the static mix. If I decide such problems are audible and are still causing problems I will then address each problem in order of severity such as a guitar part coming in too early into a chorus or some audio track cleaning between vocal lines.

I find that it’s better to fix noticeable problems after the static mix as I’ll only repair tracks that audibly need it. If I jump in repairing tracks before the static mix has been established I often over fix things which can result in a mix that sounds too clinical and touched.

Tone & Dynamic Mix

Now that I have a strong static mix going that has no obvious timing, noise or tuning issues, it’s time to add some attitude, depth and density to tracks in the mix by using EQ and dynamic processing. This is the stage where I aim to get better separation between the tracks by using high pass filters and EQ along with just the right amount of dynamic squish needed to sit tracks in amongst the full picture of the song. This should properly realise the identity of the song. 

Creative Mix

What I consider to be the creative part of a mix consists of applying effects and ambiences to tracks such as adding delays and reverb to vocals, saturation to drums, interest to guitars using modulation effects... The possibilities are literally endless.

Movement Mix

I'm of the belief that sessions with faders that don’t move results in a mix that won't move the end listener. Rarely have I worked on a song hasn't had some level of volume automation applied to key tracks such as lead vocals or guitar parts. A mix that stays static sounds static. Automation helps tuck instruments behind other tracks, it can bring forward subtle moments just at the right point in the journey of a song and seamlessly blend back into the arrangement. I spend a lot of time in the movement mix stage as choice automation throws, may they be volume or effects, takes my mixes from sounding safe and level to interesting and sculpted.

Tools Down

Feedback is one of the most important aspects of mixing. For me to be happy with my mix I seek out opinions from fellow musicians, clients and other people in my circles. Without feedback, I feel as though I'm doing the song an injustice. I would rather receive negative feedback with constructive tips on how to improve my mix from people I trust when I'm within my mixing stages instead of complaints from paying clients or general online negativity after a song has been released into the wild.

Check out our article 5 Mixing Disciplines Every Music Mixer Should Master.

Finesse

Now that I've taken onboard the feedback I have received from my trusted friends, I am also happy with the overall vibe and framing of the mix... now it's time to make some finishing touches, I refer to this a finessing a mix. Typically I will back off reverb send levels ever so slightly, finely adjust the volume of a lead vocal, make sure the absolute start of the track is tight and inviting as well as making sure the last notes of the mix fade away tastefully. For me, finessing a mix is all about making tiny little adjustments that no one will really appreciate but together all these little moves make a big difference to the journey of the mix. 

Finish

Delivering a mix to either a client, publisher, label or mastering house is a big step. If you followed a mixing process, similar to the one laid out in this article, and trusted your musical instincts then you should feel confident in your work and proud of what you have produced.

Every time you finish a mix you show take at least one positive and one negative lesson from the experience through into your next project, this is key to developing your mixing skills

Do you use a similar process when you mix songs? Do you have a completely different process? Let us know in the comments below.