![]() You’ll probably need to turn up your audio interface to hear properly. By doing this, you are mixing at lower levels, so as you bring the rest of the tracks up in the mix, the master fader should be peaking at around -6dB (important for mastering later on). Bring what will be the loudest track (usually the kick drum in EDM) up so it’s peaking at about -11dB*. Leave the master fader on 0dB, but pull all the other faders to the bottom before starting your mix. A tried and tested technique used by Calvin Harris. Use distortion as EQīy adding some slight distortion to the upper frequencies of a sound, you can help it cut through the mix a bit more without boosting the EQ. (Here are 5 of the best EQ plugins available). If you want a piano to sound brighter, try taking out some of the bass and mid frequencies and increasing the channel volume, or, try the tip below… This helps prevent a build up of frequencies that can make your mix clip. 5. Cut EQ rather than boostĪs a general rule, it’s better to cut frequencies with an equaliser rather than boost. You could also take the whole track’s volume down a little in a break, and bring it back to 0dB on the drop. The overall mix should sound spot on BEFORE automating, but then you can use it to help really accentuate certain parts of the track, for example, when a DJ slowly filters out the bass during a build-up, then brings it back in on the drop. Try it…you might be surprised at the difference it makes! 4. If you can tweak the pitch of each of your drums sounds to match the key of your track (particularly the kick drum), it will help avoid a muddy, dissonant mix. Tune your drumsĪlmost every drum sound has a predominant “note”. Spend time getting your sounds right BEFORE the mix down. ![]() You might have a killer synth lead that melts your brain when played on its own, but in the mix it might muddy your drums. Remember, the only thing that matters is how good it sounds together – not as individual parts. 2. Sound design and sample selectionīefore even touching the mixer controls, the most important stage of the mix is choosing samples and sounds that work well together and hit many of the right frequencies. If you have an idea of what you want to achieve, it will make achieving it much easier. Don’t worry, it’s simpler than it sounds! For instance, if you’re creating a Trance track, you’ll know that you want a kick drum, a clap or snare, some hi hats, a bass line, chords and a synth or vocal top-line. The mix starts before choosing your first sound!Įven in the planning stage of your project, you should develop an idea of which elements will be needed, and which frequencies you’ll need to include. If there are any terms that are confusing, check out my EDM glossary here and it should help clear things up. They are a tool kit from which to draw, but always let your ears be the final judge. In fact, some of them will detract from some mixes. ![]() Here are some of the very best techniques I’ve picked up over the years…Ĭaveat: Not all of these tips should be applied to every mix. There’s a lot to learn – and it takes practise – but with some fundamentals under your belt you’ll be crafting better mixes in no time. Mixing is the blending together of all the elements of a track to make it sound cohesive and balanced. It’s the phase in music production before mastering. ![]() In this post we’re going to delve into my top 30 techniques for mixing EDM – although really the principals apply to mixing any genre of music.
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