How to Mix a Song: Complete Workflow

🎯 The 9-Step Mixing Workflow

1. Preparation & Organization
2. Gain Staging
3. Rough Balance
4. EQ (Cleaning)
5. Compression (Dynamics)
6. Spatial Effects (Reverb, Delay)
7. Creative Processing
8. Automation
9. Final Check

1️⃣ Preparation & Organization

Clean Your Session

• Delete unused tracks
• Color-code tracks: Drums (red), bass (blue), vocals (yellow)
• Group similar tracks: All drums to DRUMS bus, all vocals to VOCAL bus
• Name everything: "Kick," "Snare," "Lead Vocal," not "Audio 1"

Set Reference Track

Import a professional song in your genre → compare levels/tonal balance throughout mixing.

2️⃣ Gain Staging: The Foundation

Why It Matters

Gain staging ensures clean headroom and prevents clipping. Target: -18dBFS to -12dBFS for individual tracks, -6dBFS for master bus (before mastering).

How to Gain Stage

1. Turn all faders to 0dB (unity)
2. Adjust clip gain: Lower loud tracks at source (not fader)
3. Check master: Should peak around -6dB with all tracks playing
4. Leave headroom: Never hit 0dBFS on master

3️⃣ Rough Balance: Set Levels

Order of Priority

1. Vocals: Start here (loudest element usually)
2. Drums: Kick + snare foundation
3. Bass: Lock with kick
4. Everything else: Support the main elements

Pro Tip

Mix at low volume (conversation level). If it sounds good quiet, it'll sound amazing loud.

4️⃣ EQ: Cleaning & Shaping

Subtractive EQ First

• High-pass filter: Remove rumble below 80-100Hz on non-bass tracks
• Cut mud: Reduce 200-500Hz on guitars, synths (give space to vocals)
• Tame harshness: Cut 2-4kHz if too aggressive

Additive EQ Second

• Boost presence: +2dB at 3-5kHz for vocal clarity
• Add air: +1-2dB at 10-12kHz for brightness
• Enhance body: +2dB at 100-200Hz for warmth (bass, kick)

Frequency Cheatsheet

• 20-60Hz: Sub bass (kick, 808)
• 60-250Hz: Warmth, body
• 250-500Hz: Mud zone (cut here)
• 500Hz-2kHz: Midrange, presence
• 2-5kHz: Clarity, definition
• 5-10kHz: Sibilance, brightness
• 10-20kHz: Air, sparkle

5️⃣ Compression: Control Dynamics

Compressor Settings

• Threshold: Where compression starts (-10dB typical)
• Ratio: How much compression (4:1 = medium, 8:1 = heavy)
• Attack: Fast (1ms) = tame transients, Slow (30ms) = keep punch
• Release: Match song tempo (100-300ms typical)

By Instrument

Parallel Compression

Duplicate track → heavy compression (10:1) → blend 20-30% with original = punch + dynamics.

6️⃣ Spatial Effects: Reverb & Delay

Reverb Types

• Room: Subtle space (vocals, drums)
• Hall: Large space (orchestral, pads)
• Plate: Bright, vintage (vocals, snare)

Settings

• Pre-delay: 20-50ms (separates reverb from dry signal)
• Decay: 1.5-2.5s for vocals, 0.5-1s for drums
• High-pass reverb return: Cut below 200Hz (avoid mud)

Delay

• 1/4 note: Rhythmic echo
• 1/8 dotted: Modern EDM/trap
• Slapback (80-120ms): Vintage vocal doubling

7️⃣ Creative Processing

• Saturation: Adds warmth, harmonics (Decapitator, Saturn)
• Distortion: Aggressive edge (vocals, bass)
• Modulation: Chorus, flanger, phaser (guitars, synths)
• Stereo widening: Careful! Don't overdo (mono compatibility check)

8️⃣ Automation: Bring It to Life

What to Automate

• Vocal level: Ride fader to keep consistent presence
• Reverb send: More on chorus, less on verse
• Filter sweeps: Build tension before drops
• Panning: Movement in breakdowns

9️⃣ Final Checks

Checklist

• ✅ Mono compatibility: Check in mono (clubs, phones)
• ✅ Low volume test: Should still sound balanced
• ✅ Reference track: A/B with pro song
• ✅ Different speakers: Car, laptop, earbuds
• ✅ Take a break: Fresh ears tomorrow