Reverb is one of the most commonly used effects in mixing. It’s part of a broader category of processors we sometimes call “time-based effects,” which also includes delay. Before digital, reverb was recorded using actual rooms called echo chambers. A…
9 Best Vocal Plugins For Home Studios
When it’s time to mix a singer, you should be armed with some of the best vocal plugins you can get your hands on! We’ll be looking at a variety of compressors, EQs, and other plugins that really shine on…
Audio Signal Flow: The Ins and Outs
Understanding signal flow is one of the most fundamental skills an engineer can have. Knowing your stuff can help you save a ton of headache troubleshooting when you could be recording and mixing! What is signal flow? Very simply, signal…
How to EQ Bass Guitar: Simple Steps for a Better Low End
Nailing the low end content in a mix is an important step for better-sounding material. Too much bottom can make a mix muddy and inarticulate; too little can make a track appear thin and lifeless. Learning how to EQ bass…
The Best Vocal Plugins to Add to Your Collection
When it’s time to mix a singer, you should be armed with some of the best vocal plugins you can get your hands on! We’ll be looking at some staples—dynamics processing and EQ—that really shine on vocal tracks. Of course,…
Best Studio Monitors for the Home Setup 2021
If you’re shopping for a pair of studio monitors to fit your home studio, you’ve come to the right place. Flat, neutral monitoring is one of the keys to getting the best mix you can — and it all starts…
Limiter vs Compressor: What’s the Difference?
Dynamics processors are some of the most formidable tools an engineer can employ. Mixing is all about balance, and leveling amplifiers, limiters, and compressors help even out the volume across instruments. We’ve heard all of these terms before, and even…
Mono vs Stereo: Which Is Best for Mixing?
The difference between mono vs stereo sound is simply the number of channels used for recording and playback. If you’re new to mixing, you may or may not be familiar with the concept of checking your mix in mono. It…
Digital Audio Tools: Linear Phase EQ
Anytime you change the frequency content of a sound source with an equalizer, a tiny amount of phase ‘smear’ occurs. This is a normal result of latency being added to the signal whenever you alter the amplitude of specific frequency…
How to Mix Background Vocals
We tend to mix background vocals differently than leads. Depending on the arrangement, they’re usually underneath the lead for support so they don’t steal the show. In some cases, background vocals will actually overtake the leads, such as in a…
Mid/Side Processing Explained
Mid/side processing is a means of further separating stereo information for detailed control while mixing or mastering. The mid channel contains information we perceive as the center, which is actually the sum of the left and right channels. The sides…
What is a Noise Gate? | Studio Essentials
Unwanted noise tends to creep into our recordings. Sometimes it’s in the form of electrical buzzing, and sometimes it’s a consequence of sound sources bleeding into one another (especially on drums!). A noise gate is a helpful audio processor that…
How to Sidechain in Ableton | Compression Tricks
Sidechain compression in Ableton is a useful mixing technique that allows you to do things like separate the bass from the kick. For Ableton users working in EDM/hip-hop/pop, where there’s lots of competing low-end information, sidechain compression is indispensable! What…
The Mystery of Predelay, SOLVED! – Marc Daniel Nelson
In this episode of MakeMineMusic, Marc Daniel Nelson shares his insight and thoughts on Predelay on reverbs! Predelay on reverb is when the reverb starts after the source you are giving it to; it is the delay between the dry…
The Best Guitar Delay Trick? – Marc Daniel Nelson
Today we are with the talented Marc Daniel Nelson for another episode of MakeMusicMine! In this episode, Marc shares a creative chain making a small guitar bloom into a massive deep delayed dream. He uses two plugins for this track,…
Secrets to Mixing Rap Vocals
It’s easy to underestimate the trickiness of mixing rap vocals. Some engineers will write the genre off thinking that it’s just a 2-track and a vocal, so it must be simple. But the intricacy lies in having leads, stacks of…
Why I Love Cakewalk with Robert from Home Studio Simplified
Today, we have Robert McClellan from Home Studio Simplified with us! He is an expert in using Cakewalk, as he has been using this DAW for over 15 years, and today he is going to share with us the top…
Secret Trick for Massive Vocals! – Marc Daniel Nelson
Today I want to show you an amazing delay trick that I’ve used on vocals for almost every album I’ve mixed over the last 5 years. The cool part about this is there are 3 steps to get it. It…
Sub Bass: EQ and Mixing Tips
Sub bass is the stuff that’s felt more than heard. It’s an important part of a mix because it contributes to so much of the power listeners feel. In some genres sub bass a leading part of a mix, and…
How to Get Rid of Vocal Sibilance
Vocal sibilance occurs when singers pronounce words with ‘s’ and ‘z’ sounds, and to a lesser extent, ‘f’ and ‘v’ sounds. Phonetics calls these ‘fricatives’; they’re mainly characterized by the hissing noise they produce. When a passionate vocalist is belting…
Waves CLA EPIC Review & Demo
We have got a treat for you! Our friends over at Waves have given us a first look at their brand new plugin, the CLA Epic! I’m particularly interested in hearing this plugin because it’s not just an emulation of…
Cytomic The Glue: Best SSL Bus Compressors?
Cytomic The Glue is an affordable SSL-style bus compressor plugin. The plugins gets its name from the SSL hardware’s famous ability to ‘glue’ mixes together. Even though there are tons of SSL bus compression plugins on the market, Cytomic makes…
Remix Contest – $23,000 in Prizes! (CLO – Blackout)
We are starting a remix competition today! You will get to remix a fantastic song, and there are some truly amazing prizes up for grabs! For this contest you will get to download all the multitracks for the song, and…
FabFilter vs. iZotope Plugins for Music Production
When it comes to mixing and mastering, we have access to hundreds of amazing plugins from many companies. We collect our favorites from a variety of developers since there’s no be-all-end-all plugin maker. However, an interesting debate we’ve occasionally seen…
Should you use Mixing Templates?
We have touched on the idea of templates a couple of times recently. Our good friend Marc Daniel Nelson actually put out a video talking about the templates that he uses when he mixes in the box and with analog…
My Mixing Templates: Marc Daniel Nelson
In this episode, watch Marc Daniel Nelson break down his personal Pro Tools Template. Marc walks through his in-the-box chain all the way down to his analog chain. Marc has been asked about showing more depth about what his digital…
Bass Compression: The Foundation of Any Mix
Bass compression is easily one of the most important parts of a mix. Bass gives music that energy which is often felt more than heard. Low-end energy is critical because it has the power to produce a defined groove and an intelligible…
Master Bus Compression: Hardware vs. Plugins
Today, we are going to talk about Master Bus Compression. Many of you know about the magic SSL Bus Compressor, because it is probably one of the most copied bus compressors on the planet. From around the 1970's until about…
Why I Love Leapwing Audio Plugins!
If you have been watching my videos for a while, you probably know that I love Leapwing Audio's plugins. I love the products, and the company, and I use their plugins all the time when we are mixing in the…
The Best Old School Reverb Trick?
Today, we are going to be taking one stereo reverb and using it across every instrument in our track! We are going to be using a track that was recorded at Sunset Sound, and is completely live. Everything on this…
Do plugins suck? Or is it how we use them?
I have opened a lot of different sessions from lots of different people to mix over the years, and there are tons and tons of plugins all over it. Having access to tons of plugins can be a good thing,…
Top 5 Metal Amp Sims
Today, Scott Elliott, of Chernobyl Studios, is here with us, and he is going to share his Top 5 Metal Amp Sims! I am excited to hear which ones he uses and why they're his favorite! 1. Neural DSP Fortin…
6 Delay Mistakes We All Make
This is going to be a fun one because we have talked about this in different forms, and I started thinking about it, and with delays, there really are no hard and fast rules. As such, creativity is king, but…
FREE MIXING COURSE with Grammy-Nominee Marc Daniel Nelson
Marc Daniel Nelson, the Grammy-nominated music producer, and PMA winner has joined us at Produce Like A Pro to give you guys a complete tutorial on how to mix a song from the artist Jerimiah Jones called Tick My Lonely.…
The Loudness Penalty by Streaming Services
Streaming services like Spotify and others normalize the volume of all the material on their platform. This is so you’re not constantly turning the level up or down from song to song. However, tracks you’ve mixed may not play back…
3 EQ Mistakes We All Make
Today we are sharing 3 common EQ mistakes, and how to avoid them! These might seem quite simple, but they are the fundamentals that I apply to every single mix. Click here to download the cheat sheet so you can…
6 Reverb Mistakes We All Make
Today, we are sharing some common reverb mistakes! These are mistakes that we are all guilty of, but once we are aware of them, we can correct them and take all our mixes to the next level! These tips are…
6 Free Mixing Tricks (that don’t cost anything!)
In today’s video, we’re going to talk about 6 free mixing tips that won’t cost you anything! As you know, we love reviewing equipment! We love talking about microphones, mic-pres, compressors, plugins and all kinds of other incredible hardware &…
Top Secret Snare Mixing Trick?
Today, our good friend Jordan Valeriote is going share his snare mixing trick! This is one of his secret weapons for mixing snare for heavy rock and metal. It is a technique that he discovered that helps him to get…
Simple Tips for Mixing Hip-Hop
If you’re an engineer in 2020, chances are you’re mixing hip-hop. It’s the most popular genre in the world, and there are countless up-and-coming artists getting in the studio and creating. Recording and mixing hip-hop seems pretty straight forward, especially…
Mixing Modern Metal with Jordan Valeriote
Jordan Valeriote is a Canadian producer/mixer/engineer and the founder of Hardcore Music Studio. He has worked with bands like Silverstein, Neck Deep, Forevermore, Intervals, Counterparts, Nick Johnston, Auras, and many more. Jordan first got started in music by learning how to play…
Creative Reverb and Delay Tricks for Vocals
Vocals are the centerpiece to any song and generally require a bit more attention than basic rhythm tracks. Since the human voice is the most expressive instrument, you can have a lot of fun mixing them. There’s lots of pretty…
Top 10 Free Plugins
If you are looking for some new plugins to add to your collection, we've got you covered! Today, we are sharing our Top 10 FREE plugins! No matter what kind of plugin you are looking for, there is something on…
Get an Analog Sound with this Digital Trick!
Today, we are going to focus on parallel compression! Parallel compression is quite wonderful and is definitely something you will want to use in your mixes! Recently, we did a video talking about loudness in mixes, and realized there is…
Studio One Version 5 – What’s New
Since its inception in 2011, PreSonus Studio One has quickly become a go-to Digital Audio Workstation for beginners and pro’s alike. Combining the best parts of each DAW, Studio One offers a Customizable Workflow, incorporating everything you need in one…
Should you be mixing in mono?
Whether or not you should be mixing in mono is something that we have talked about before, and that always seems to be a question that comes up. When I interview some of the greatest mixers in the industry, like…
How to Use Audio Pass Filters in Your Mixes
The most frequently used audio pass filters you’ll come across are high- and low-pass filters. High-pass filters (also called “low-cut”) attenuate low-end below the chosen frequency. Literally at the other end of the spectrum are low-pass filters (also called “high-cut”),…
5 Mixing Tips You Might Not Know
These mixing tips are ones that I have talked about in previous videos, but they are all kind of fun, and they are ones that I use a lot more often than you might think! 1. Ducking Busy Lead Guitar…
Fixing A Harsh Vocal with Darrell Thorp!
Darrell is an incredibly producer, mixer, recording engineer, and nine-time Grammy-winner, who has had the opportunity to work with many acclaimed artists throughout his career. He has worked with Paul McCartney, Radiohead, Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Beck, Nigel Godrich, and many…
Mixing with Headphones: What You Need to Know
There tend to be varying degrees of thought on mixing with headphones. Some of us are in bedrooms, our parent’s house, married with kids (not wanting to wake them up at 3am!), etc. It’s understandable that in certain cases mixing…