How to mix a song: gain staging, EQ, compression, reverb and panning for beginners

TUREFF• •0

Mixing is the job of making every part of a track audible, balanced and working together. It is not magic plug-ins; most good mixes come from a handful of decisions made in a sensible order. This guide walks through that order.

1. Organise before you touch a plug-in

Name and colour your tracks, and group similar ones (drums, vocals, synths) into buses.
Delete parts you are not using.
Listen through once and decide what the most important element is. In most songs it is the vocal or the lead melody.

2. Gain staging

Gain staging means keeping levels sensible at every point in the chain, so nothing clips and plug-ins receive the level they were designed for.

Set each track's input or clip gain so it sits comfortably below the top of the meter, leaving plenty of headroom.
Keep the master bus well clear of 0 dBFS while mixing. Loudness is a mastering job.
If you turn a plug-in on and the track gets louder, match the output level so you judge the change, not the volume.

3. A static balance with faders and panning

Before any processing, get the best mix you can with faders alone. You will be surprised how far this goes. Then pan:

Keep the kick, snare, bass and lead vocal in the centre. Low frequencies in particular should stay central.
Spread supporting parts, such as doubled guitars, backing vocals, percussion and pads, left and right.
Check in mono now and then. If a part vanishes in mono, something is out of phase or relying too much on width.

4. EQ: carve space

EQ adjusts the level of frequency ranges. The most useful early move is to cut rather than boost.

High-pass filters remove low rumble from tracks that do not need it, like vocals, guitars and hi-hats. This alone cleans up many muddy mixes. Do not overdo it on parts that do carry low end.
Find clashes. Kick and bass often fight in the low end. Decide which one owns the very bottom and cut a little from the other there.
Make narrow cuts for harsh or boxy resonances, and broad, gentle boosts for character.
EQ in context. A track that sounds thin on its own may sit perfectly in the full mix.

5. Compression: control dynamics

A compressor turns down the loudest parts of a signal once it passes a threshold, evening out the level.

Threshold sets where it starts working; ratio sets how hard.
Attack is how quickly it reacts. A slower attack lets the initial hit of a drum through and keeps punch; a fast attack tames peaks.
Release is how quickly it lets go. Set it so the compressor recovers in time with the music.
Watch the gain-reduction meter. A few decibels is often plenty for a vocal; heavy compression is a creative choice, not a default.

6. Reverb and delay: create space

Put reverb and delay on send (aux) tracks and send several instruments to the same one. It glues the mix together and saves processing power.
Use a short room or plate for a sense of space, and a longer hall for a deliberate effect.
High-pass and low-pass the reverb return so it does not muddy the low end or add hiss.
A short delay often adds depth to a vocal with less wash than reverb.

7. Reference and take breaks

Use reference tracks. Pick a professionally released song in a similar style and compare it at matched volume. It shows you if your low end, vocal level or brightness is off.
Listen on several systems: headphones, phone speaker, car, laptop.
Mix at moderate volume. Loud listening makes everything seem better and tires your ears quickly.
Rest your ears. Decisions made after hours of listening are usually the ones you undo the next day.

A beginner's checklist

Is the most important element always clear?
Is the low end tight, with kick and bass not fighting?
Does the mix still work in mono?
Is there headroom left on the master?
Does it hold up next to a reference?

What is the mix problem you keep running into: muddy low end, buried vocals, harsh highs? Describe it in the comments and others can suggest fixes.