In the following video, pro mix engineer and Pyramind instructor, Liam Shy, gives you his “number-one-must-do-every-time” mixing tips. The concepts in the videos below can be applied in any DAW, and are designed to be helpful to even the most amateur bedroom producer. A mastering engineer might use similar effects that are used in mixing–EQs, compressors etc.–but the effects are applied to a single stereo audio file–the final mix of your song.Īlthough many mastering engineers use hardware effects, it is possible to achieve a great sounding master–all within your DAW of choice. It can be thought of as the final step in your production process. Do your best on each channel strip to tame your sounds and get them where you want during your mix.

Many mastering engineers prefer the master output channel to have as little signal processing as possible. Ask your mastering engineer what they recommend as a volume limit for your mix.Īnother general rule of thumb is to avoid putting a compressor or limiter on your master output. If your song is too loud, make sure you turn down individual tracks in your project, not the master fader. A good general rule to follow is to not let the volume of your final mixdown go above -6dB to -3dB. If you mix everything too loudly, your mastering engineer won’t have any room to master the song. One of the most important things to do as you mix a song is watch your master meter.

“It’s not about the plugin, it’s about what you do with it” – Matt Donner, Pyramind CAO The mixing process involves balancing volume levels, boosting or reducing certain frequencies on individual tracks, automation, panning, and adding various audio effects. Mixing affects all of the individual tracks within a song–it happens before mastering. Although they compliment each other, they are entirely different procedures that require radically different approaches. Mixing and mastering are often thought of as a single process, one in the same.

First, we need to get an important question out of the way: What’s the difference between mixing and mastering? We’ve rounded up some of Pyramind’s most helpful mixing and mastering tutorials for producers struggling to give their songs more depth and punch.

Mix and mastering programs