Mixing

This stage should be completely separated from all of the other stages and should not be attempted concurrently with any of the previous and/or following stages.

During the Mix stage your focus should be almost entirely on the "Sound" and not the "Notes". The "Notes", at this point, should be correct. If they aren't then stop Mixing, go back and rectify whatever the issue is and only then, return to Mixing. That being said, when "Inspiration Strikes" it can be worth perusing.

This stage is about the tracks tonal, spatial and inter-instrument level balance. This is where it is achieved.

The objective of the Mixing Stage is to create the Pre-Master track for your song.

First thing though, a little about Level. What Level should I mix my song at? This has two basic parts. Signal Level and Listening Level.

Signal Level:
All DAW's pretty well use Peak Meters. This is OK as they are very good at alerting you to any digital over's. Digital Over's are to be avoided, AT ALL COSTS. What Peak Meters aren't good at is Average Signal Level. Enter the humble, venerable and very Analogue VU (Volume Unit) meter. They were, and still are, an analogue device and have been around for quite a long time, and, they do have a place in this Digital world. The good news is they are available as a plug-in for DAW's. One place to look is:

PSPaudioware (Professional Sound Projects)

A web search will reveal other VU Meter plug-in suppliers as well.

Ok now you have it what can it do for your mix?
First up, insert it into the last slot in your mixing chain within your DAW. This is usually a post-fader insert slot in the Stereo Master Out (whatever your name is) of your DAW. This is the last point before the signal is routed out of the DAW software through your soundcard and on to your monitoring.

Once it is in place, ensure it is showing VU's and its "Zero" indication is set to -18dB clip. The meters documentation will help a lot here. What this will show is, when the VU meters pointer is hovering around the 0VU (Zero VU) mark the signal (your Mix) has an average signal level of -18dB clip. Simply, the Average Signal Level of whatever is being displayed is 18dB below Digital Clipping. Another way is, you have 18dB of headroom. The resulting signal will be low and this is OK. Once the meter plug-in is in place and calibrated, NEVER adjust the Stereo Master fader. If your mix is showing too loud, pull back the mix faders and not the Stereo Master Out fader to adjust your tracks overall level. VU meters don't handle peaks well however, so there is still a place for the DAW's Peak Meters. A simple tip: Trust your meters, if either indicates over then take action to rectify the over, immediately. Another tip: Trust your ears. If it sounds bad, it probably is.

Listening Level:
With the VU meter plug-in in place and calibrated, now you can set your Listening Level. You won't need to do this all the time as hopefully it will become second nature and just be part of the way you do things. There are several methods, but here is a simple one that should help you mix.

Turn your monitors all the way down.
Select a track you like. One that has qualities similar to what you hope your track will have.
Import that track into the DAW session/project you are using to mix your track.
Drop the selected track into an new and empty channel in your DAW, ensuring the routing of the new/empty channel goes through the VU meters channel. It should because all output from the DAW's mixer should be passing through the VU meter plug-in.
If you haven't already done so, calibrate the VU meter plug-in so its 0VU = -18dB clip. The meters documentation will help a lot here.
Using the fader on the selected track, adjust its level so at the loudest point within the selected track, the VU meters pointer is hovering over the 0VU mark on the meters display, with an occasional overshoot. Regular undershoots are OK and are very dependent on the actual track you have selected. Regular overshoots are not though. Up to the 0VU mark is desirable.
With the selected track playing, slowly turn up your monitors until the selected track is playing at a level you are comfortable with. Yet another simple tip: "Deafeningly Loud" is not good. You are going to be here for quite a while. Err on the side of quieter as opposed to louder.
Once you have adjusted your monitor level, over several passes of your selected track, and it is comfortable for you, you can now delete it from your DAW and commence mixing using the level you have set for the monitoring.

Just a little note at this point. The track you have just used to complete the setup, has most likely been Mastered. It will be a little hotter than your mixed track. This means your mixed track will be quieter than the setup track. This is OK. Headroom is good. If you feel you MUST turn it up, adjust your monitor level only to compensate.

Mixing.

Just to summarize what was said earlier:

Should be completely separated from all of the other stages.
Your focus should be almost entirely on the "Sound" and not the "Notes".
This stage is about your songs tonal, spatial and inter-instrument level balance.
The objective of the Mixing Stage is to create the Pre-Master track for your song.

Following are some process you should do for your mix.

For each track element you may, as required:

Apply equalisation to enhance or correct the tonal qualities.
Apply compression/limiting to constrain any extreme dynamics present. Be aware though, the purpose of this is only to aid in the mix and is not to make the track louder.
Apply any Effects processing the track element needs, if it hasn't already been recorded that way.
Apply restorative processing to track elements. This includes de-noising/clicking. De-noising/clicking processors, as a by-product of their function, do introduce artefacts into their output signal. Use these processors only as a last resort.

When doing a mix:

It is better to add track elements one at a time, to build the mix, rather than all at once.
Do NOT use any Buss, Master or otherwise, compression/limiting while you are building your mix. Building a mix against compression/limiting can be a little unpredictable.
As you add an element set its panning to best suit what you have in the mix at that moment. Also add just a dash of reverb as required.
Once you have added an element, review its equalisation against the mix as it stands and adjust as/if necessary.
Keep an eye on the VU meter plug-in and the DAW's peak meters as you build the mix, adjusting the mix faders as required.
If you have the time it is better to complete a mix of your track, then do something else for a while. Upon returning review and adjust as necessary.

When you have added all of the tracks elements and you are happy with the results, it would now be appropriate to add some Buss compression/limiting to assist your mix. Once you have it is then also worth reviewing each elements equalisation and reverb settings and adjust if necessary. Going away and returning review and adjust can be helpful, if time permits. During these processes keep an eye on your metering.

Now is a good time to listen to your track through as many speaker/headphone systems as possible. This listening process should include various listening levels, on the same system, as well. Make adjustments then re-listen. It is good practice to compare the sound you have on your monitors with the sound you have on the other speaker systems. This way you can get a feel for what a "sound" you have on your monitors can "sound" like on various different speakers. This knowledge can be very useful.

Finalising your track and Creating the Pre-Master.

When you are ready or, more specifically, when you feel your track is ready, you then prepare the Pre-Master track to conform with the specifications as requested. You then deliver your track to whoever is going to complete the Mastering for you. If you are unsure what the delivery specifications and/or method are, the best thing to do is consult with them.

A little Note on:

Finalisers/Maximisers and Look Ahead, Brick Wall, Peak Limiters. . .

These signal processors do have their place. They should not be used in the "Stereo Master Out" insert chain to produce your tracks Pre-Master file. By all means, when you have your mix all sorted out, but not before, run your mix through them to get an indication of what your track may sound like Mastered. They must, however, be disabled when you create the Pre-Master file for delivery. This requirement is relatively common.

A special note on the Waves L1 plug-in. This is a good plug-in and does have its uses but, be aware, it was one of the "First" Look Ahead, Brick Wall, Peak Limiters on the plug-in market. It was in turn developed into the L2 Maximiser, after which the "Loudness Wars" really kicked off. It could be worth avoiding the Waves L1 during the Mix stage. The Waves C1 with a high compression ratio, would be a good alternative.

	Mixing: preamble.
	This stage should be completely separated from all of the other stages and should not be attempted concurrently with any of the previous and/or following stages. During the Mix stage your focus should be almost entirely on the "Sound" and not the "Notes". The "Notes", at this point, should be correct. If they aren't then stop Mixing, go back and rectify whatever the issue is and only then, return to Mixing. That being said, when "Inspiration Strikes" it can be worth perusing. This stage is about the tracks tonal, spatial and inter-instrument level balance. This is where it is achieved. The objective of the Mixing Stage is to create the Pre-Master track for your song. First thing though, a little about Level. What Level should I mix my song at? This has two basic parts. Signal Level and Listening Level. Signal Level: All DAW's pretty well use Peak Meters. This is OK as they are very good at alerting you to any digital over's. Digital Over's are to be avoided, AT ALL COSTS. What Peak Meters aren't good at is Average Signal Level. Enter the humble, venerable and very Analogue VU (Volume Unit) meter. They were, and still are, an analogue device and have been around for quite a long time, and, they do have a place in this Digital world. The good news is they are available as a plug-in for DAW's. One place to look is: PSPaudioware (Professional Sound Projects) A web search will reveal other VU Meter plug-in suppliers as well. Ok now you have it what can it do for your mix? First up, insert it into the last slot in your mixing chain within your DAW. This is usually a post-fader insert slot in the Stereo Master Out (whatever your name is) of your DAW. This is the last point before the signal is routed out of the DAW software through your soundcard and on to your monitoring. Once it is in place, ensure it is showing VU's and its "Zero" indication is set to -18dB clip. The meters documentation will help a lot here. What this will show is, when the VU meters pointer is hovering around the 0VU (Zero VU) mark the signal (your Mix) has an average signal level of -18dB clip. Simply, the Average Signal Level of whatever is being displayed is 18dB below Digital Clipping. Another way is, you have 18dB of headroom. The resulting signal will be low and this is OK. Once the meter plug-in is in place and calibrated, NEVER adjust the Stereo Master fader. If your mix is showing too loud, pull back the mix faders and not the Stereo Master Out fader to adjust your tracks overall level. VU meters don't handle peaks well however, so there is still a place for the DAW's Peak Meters. A simple tip: Trust your meters, if either indicates over then take action to rectify the over, immediately. Another tip: Trust your ears. If it sounds bad, it probably is. Listening Level: With the VU meter plug-in in place and calibrated, now you can set your Listening Level. You won't need to do this all the time as hopefully it will become second nature and just be part of the way you do things. There are several methods, but here is a simple one that should help you mix. Turn your monitors all the way down. Select a track you like. One that has qualities similar to what you hope your track will have. Import that track into the DAW session/project you are using to mix your track. Drop the selected track into an new and empty channel in your DAW, ensuring the routing of the new/empty channel goes through the VU meters channel. It should because all output from the DAW's mixer should be passing through the VU meter plug-in. If you haven't already done so, calibrate the VU meter plug-in so its 0VU = -18dB clip. The meters documentation will help a lot here. Using the fader on the selected track, adjust its level so at the loudest point within the selected track, the VU meters pointer is hovering over the 0VU mark on the meters display, with an occasional overshoot. Regular undershoots are OK and are very dependent on the actual track you have selected. Regular overshoots are not though. Up to the 0VU mark is desirable. With the selected track playing, slowly turn up your monitors until the selected track is playing at a level you are comfortable with. Yet another simple tip: "Deafeningly Loud" is not good. You are going to be here for quite a while. Err on the side of quieter as opposed to louder. Once you have adjusted your monitor level, over several passes of your selected track, and it is comfortable for you, you can now delete it from your DAW and commence mixing using the level you have set for the monitoring. Just a little note at this point. The track you have just used to complete the setup, has most likely been Mastered. It will be a little hotter than your mixed track. This means your mixed track will be quieter than the setup track. This is OK. Headroom is good. If you feel you MUST turn it up, adjust your monitor level only to compensate. Mixing. Just to summarize what was said earlier: Should be completely separated from all of the other stages. Your focus should be almost entirely on the "Sound" and not the "Notes". This stage is about your songs tonal, spatial and inter-instrument level balance. The objective of the Mixing Stage is to create the Pre-Master track for your song. Following are some process you should do for your mix. For each track element you may, as required: Apply equalisation to enhance or correct the tonal qualities. Apply compression/limiting to constrain any extreme dynamics present. Be aware though, the purpose of this is only to aid in the mix and is not to make the track louder. Apply any Effects processing the track element needs, if it hasn't already been recorded that way. Apply restorative processing to track elements. This includes de-noising/clicking. De-noising/clicking processors, as a by-product of their function, do introduce artefacts into their output signal. Use these processors only as a last resort. When doing a mix: It is better to add track elements one at a time, to build the mix, rather than all at once. Do NOT use any Buss, Master or otherwise, compression/limiting while you are building your mix. Building a mix against compression/limiting can be a little unpredictable. As you add an element set its panning to best suit what you have in the mix at that moment. Also add just a dash of reverb as required. Once you have added an element, review its equalisation against the mix as it stands and adjust as/if necessary. Keep an eye on the VU meter plug-in and the DAW's peak meters as you build the mix, adjusting the mix faders as required. If you have the time it is better to complete a mix of your track, then do something else for a while. Upon returning review and adjust as necessary. When you have added all of the tracks elements and you are happy with the results, it would now be appropriate to add some Buss compression/limiting to assist your mix. Once you have it is then also worth reviewing each elements equalisation and reverb settings and adjust if necessary. Going away and returning review and adjust can be helpful, if time permits. During these processes keep an eye on your metering. Now is a good time to listen to your track through as many speaker/headphone systems as possible. This listening process should include various listening levels, on the same system, as well. Make adjustments then re-listen. It is good practice to compare the sound you have on your monitors with the sound you have on the other speaker systems. This way you can get a feel for what a "sound" you have on your monitors can "sound" like on various different speakers. This knowledge can be very useful. Finalising your track and Creating the Pre-Master. When you are ready or, more specifically, when you feel your track is ready, you then prepare the Pre-Master track to conform with the specifications as requested. You then deliver your track to whoever is going to complete the Mastering for you. If you are unsure what the delivery specifications and/or method are, the best thing to do is consult with them. A little Note on: Finalisers/Maximisers and Look Ahead, Brick Wall, Peak Limiters. . . These signal processors do have their place. They should not be used in the "Stereo Master Out" insert chain to produce your tracks Pre-Master file. By all means, when you have your mix all sorted out, but not before, run your mix through them to get an indication of what your track may sound like Mastered. They must, however, be disabled when you create the Pre-Master file for delivery. This requirement is relatively common. A special note on the Waves L1 plug-in. This is a good plug-in and does have its uses but, be aware, it was one of the "First" Look Ahead, Brick Wall, Peak Limiters on the plug-in market. It was in turn developed into the L2 Maximiser, after which the "Loudness Wars" really kicked off. It could be worth avoiding the Waves L1 during the Mix stage. The Waves C1 with a high compression ratio, would be a good alternative.