10 Essential Mixing Tips for the Studio
Craft better mixes and elevate your sound with these practical techniques.
Whether you're mixing your first track or polishing a full-length album, the mixing stage is where your song truly comes to life. It’s not just about making things louder or cleaner — it's about building depth, emotion, and clarity into your sound. These 10 tips will help you navigate the studio mixing process with more confidence and creativity.
1. Start with a Clean Session
Before diving into EQs and compressors, clean up your session:
Label your tracks.
Color-code instruments.
Group similar channels (e.g., drums, vocals, guitars).
A tidy session saves you time and improves your focus.
2. Get the Balance Right First
Faders before plugins. Start by leveling your tracks using volume and pan alone. A good mix begins with a solid static mix — if it doesn't sound decent without processing, no amount of EQ or compression will save it.
3. Use Reference Tracks
Choose a few well-mixed commercial tracks in a similar genre and A/B them with your mix. This helps train your ears and keeps your sonic goals in check. Pay attention to low-end balance, vocal clarity, and stereo width.
4. Mix in Mono First
Mixing in mono forces you to prioritize clarity and balance over fancy stereo tricks. If it sounds clear in mono, it will sound wide and beautiful in stereo. Use this technique especially for checking phase issues and frequency masking.
5. Tame the Low End
Low frequencies are hard to manage but critical for a tight mix. Use high-pass filters on non-bass instruments to clean up rumble. Sidechain compression can help duck the bass under the kick. Don’t forget to reference your mix on a sub or headphones that can reproduce low-end accurately.
6. EQ with Purpose
Don't just boost and cut for the sake of it. Use EQ to:
Carve out space between instruments.
Remove problem frequencies.
Enhance character (e.g., brighten vocals or add warmth to guitars).
Always ask: What problem am I solving with this EQ move?
7. Use Compression to Control Dynamics, Not Just Loudness
Compression can glue your mix, control peaks, and bring out detail — but over-compression kills dynamics. Set your attack and release times intentionally, and consider parallel compression for a more natural result.
8. Reverb and Delay: Less is More
Time-based effects add depth, but they can quickly clutter a mix. Use shorter reverbs and subtle delays on vocals and snares. Consider sending multiple tracks to a single reverb bus to create a unified sense of space.
Pro tip: use automation to bring effects in and out during different parts of the song.
9. Automate for Energy and Emotion
Automation brings your mix to life. Use it to:
Boost choruses.
Lower background elements during verses.
Add movement to effects.
Don’t set and forget — the best mixes move with the music.
10. Take Breaks and Use Multiple Systems
Your ears fatigue quickly. Take regular breaks and check your mix on:
Studio monitors
Headphones
Laptop speakers
Car stereo
If it sounds good everywhere, you’ve nailed it.
Final Thoughts
Mixing is both an art and a science. While tools and plugins help, your ears and decisions matter most. Trust your taste, and don’t be afraid to experiment — but always come back to the question: Is this serving the song?
Now get back in the studio and make something incredible.
