When it comes to mixing your music you might be having some trouble when it comes to volume, clarity, and overall quality of you mix. As an artist mixing your music when it comes to making all of your elements clear in your mix can be vitally important. Mixing may not be your biggest love when it comes to your productions but it can make the difference in quality. Here are 5 tips to improve your horrible mixes.
1. Create Space
Speaking from experience we have definitely been ones to put too many elements in our productions. Adding more to your song is always going to create confusion for the listener. Simplicity is the key. Keep it simple and make the main elements in your song the best they can possibly be. The less elements and the better quality they are the better. Your listener who may not be as expert as you when it comes to making or listening to music so keeping it simple can be a great approach.
2. EQ & Compression
Two fundamentals when it comes to mixing your music are Equalizing and Compression. The reason these should be applied first and second is because they shape your sounds into being more polished. Equalizing creates the space in your sound to focus on the main parts that provide the sweetest sound. Compression condenses the sound into a more manageable wave for you to listen to. Use these above all else to create a more professional mix.
3. Less Is More
An important thing to consider when mixing and using effect plugins is that less is more. The more you over do certain sounds the more muffled they can become. You don't have to always mix something until the point where it sounds like a new sound. Your job is to shape the sound you already have to enhance the quality and eliminate any frequencies that do not resonate well.
4. Play It Everywhere
A good way to test your mixes is in different places. Whether this be in your car, on a speaker, headphones, and even on your phone. It will sound differently of course but the idea is to create the same level of quality and sound throughout the different devices you play your music on.
5. Reference Mix
This one is big when it comes to getting your sound professional grade quality. Pick a song that is already professionally done that you love. Listen to the different elements of the song. How do the drums sound? How do the vocals come out? Now use this information to mimic the different elements in your song. This will help give you direction and an idea of what you want things to sound like.
Conclusion
Mixing may not be your first love, but it definitely is important when it comes to your music. A couple takeaways from this article are all you need to improve your mixing the next time you go to create. Remember to not overdo it. Give your mixes space. Professionally mixed songs may have a lot going on but they all have a sense of clarity giving the main elements space to hook you in and keep you coming back for more.
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