The Six Elements of a Pro Mix by Brad Pack
Every mix is made up of hundreds of small decisions that shape the sound of the track. But when you zoom out and look at the big picture, all mixes require attention to the same basic issues—balance, tone, dynamics, depth, and glue. In this blog, you’ll learn what to look for in each of these areas to create cohesive, professional-sounding mixes.
My motto is to keep things as uncomplicated as possible to get the most musical results. I’ll give two examples to keep in mind as you get into this article. First, volume automation can enhance an arrangement better than EQ in many cases. For instance, if your rhythm guitar is competing with the lead vocal in the verse, instead of cutting out the midrange of the guitar, consider lowering the guitar 2dB during the verse and bringing it back up when it doesn’t compete with the vocal or when the track needs a little boost. Second, if the lead vocal has a few moments of sibilance or one or two p-pops, don’t be lazy and apply a de-esser or filter to the whole track. That will degrade the whole track to fix a few minor problems. Instead, simply process the trouble spots with some clip-based processing, render those clips and move on to the mix.
1. Balances A good mix starts with the foundation. Begin by dialing in basic volume balances so you can hear each element and get the basic feel of the song. Of course, the vocal should be the most prominent element in the mix, typically followed by the kick and snare,
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