How to Mix in FL Studio 20

Welcome to a tutorial on how to get started with mixing in FL Studio, covering the basics and providing a three-step guide to mixing logically and creatively.

Mixing is unique to the individual with no single right way to do it; over time you'll develop your own mixing style based on what helps your workflow.

All tracks, whether MIDI clips, VST instruments, or audio, need to be sent to a unique place on the mixer.

• Unmixed version: Lacks punch in drums, bass is hardly there, some elements overpower others, some elements are lost • Mixed version: Everything is clearer, drums have more punch, song has more depth and overall balance

Good mixing starts with songwriting and arrangement; ensure the arrangement is clear, concise, and focused on what the song wants before diving into advanced techniques.

Many producers reach for fancy VSTs and complicated effects first, but foundational elements like arrangement and balance are more important than advanced tips and tricks.

Avoid clipping the master bus by keeping levels below zero; acceptable levels range from minus 6 to minus 12 decibels.

This is step one: setting the right volumes for everything without reaching for EQs or compressors, starting from the beginning of the song where there are fewer elements.

Start at the very beginning of the song where there are only a few elements to avoid overwhelming the mix; adjust volumes to create balance throughout the entire song from start to finish.

• Turn down the guitar volume to reduce boom • Reduce atmosphere volume to make it more subtle • Lower the snare while raising the bass drum for better drum balance

Beyond volume, you can set panning and stereo width; avoid overdoing it, but use stereo separation on elements like atmosphere tracks to give them more width.

After balancing volumes, the mix should sound slightly more balanced though not perfect, as the mixing process is not yet finished.

EQ is one of the most powerful tools to shape a sound and balance its tonal frequency distribution; use it to remove unwanted frequencies and add clarity to the mix.

• Use a high-pass filter to roll off unwanted low-end frequencies • Identify and remove specific annoying frequencies using a sweeping technique • Boost highs slightly to add brightness and clarity to dull instruments

Avoid soloing tracks extensively when EQing; instead, listen within the context of the entire mix to understand how changes affect the overall balance and how the sound fits with other elements.

Clean up a sound with EQ first before applying effects like reverb, so muddy frequencies don't get amplified through the effects and propagate through your song.

Have a clear vision of what you want the final sound to be before applying effects; think about whether you want something distant and reverb-heavy or dry and punchy.

• Add Fruity Reverb 2 to create spatial and ambient qualities on tracks like guitars • Apply subtle reverb to dry elements like snares to place them in the same acoustic space as other instruments • Add reverb to vocals to integrate them into the overall environment of the song

Don't add reverb or effects to everything; only add them when the sound calls for it to avoid an over-processed mix.

There are no rights and wrongs in applying creative effects; listen to other music for inspiration and feel free to express yourself with effects like choruses, phasers, delays, and compression.

The three-step process is not strictly linear; you can do things in different orders and revisit earlier steps after applying effects, as effects can change volumes and frequencies.

• De-essing to remove harsh sibilance from vocals • Using special delay timings and reverb techniques to match reference tracks • Adding compression, choruses, and other effects based on what the song requires

Mix with your ears, not your eyes; don't be fooled by how plugins look or convince yourself something sounds good just because you applied an effect.

Use the solo/mute button blind test method: mute and unmute effects while closing your eyes to objectively hear whether the effect actually improves the sound without bias from the plugin interface.

Over 99% of people listening to your music only care about how it sounds, not what effects you used or how your project looks on screen; focus on the listening experience.

• Detaching from how cool plugins look and assuming they sound good because they're visually impressive • Applying effects without actually listening to whether they improve the mix • Not questioning whether effects are truly necessary or beneficial

Apply effects and then toggle between muted and unmuted versions while your eyes are closed to make objective judgments about whether compression or other effects are actually helping.

This tutorial provides an overview of the mixing process; the channel offers many more advanced and in-depth mixing tutorials for additional tips and techniques to continue developing your skills.