Mixing a muddy track under 45 mins | Mixing tips and tricks that can greatly improve your track

Mixing is a crucial and complicated area in music production that requires knowledge of room treatment, quality speakers or headphones, and understanding of frequency ranges and timing of elements.

• Implement logical rules of thumb to improve your mix without needing expensive equipment • Think in 3D rather than 2D when mixing to create better spatial separation • Understanding frequency range and timing of each element is essential

Create a duplicate of the original track to preserve it for comparison and place a span analyzer on the master for visual feedback during mixing.

The video will demonstrate the difference between the original muddy track and the mixed version to showcase the impact of the techniques applied.

Evaluate the kick drum individually to ensure it sounds punchy and nice. The kick in this example is punchy and has a quality tone.

Convert the kick to mono using a utility plugin to ensure it's not stereo, which can cause phase issues and muddiness in the low end.

• Set the kick around minus 6 dB, which is an industry standard for headroom in mixing • Keep the overall mix slightly under 6 dB (around minus 7 dB) to allow flexibility for louder parts

The kick volume can be adjusted later depending on how it interacts with the bass and other elements in the mix.

Decide which element is the kick and which is the sub bass to avoid frequency overlap and maintain clarity in the low end.

• Cut high frequencies from the sub bass aggressively to prevent it from occupying the same range as the kick • Remove frequencies above 100 Hz from the sub to keep it clean and focused in the sub range • Avoid cutting from the middle of the frequency range

Apply compression to the sub bass to control its dynamic range and manage the peak that triggers from the envelope, which can change the overall track loudness.

• Sidechain the sub bass to the kick to create space for the kick to breathe • Adjust the lookahead to ensure the sub ducks before the kick hits • Set the release time to allow the sub to recover naturally

Cut the low frequencies from the bass sound (around 100 Hz and below) to avoid duplicating the sub bass frequencies and creating muddiness.

• Compress the bass moderately to control dynamics without over-processing • Sidechain the bass to the kick to maintain groove and prevent frequency masking

• Separate mid and side information using mid-side EQ • Remove low frequencies from the side channel to prevent phasing issues • Keep the sub bass information centered and mono below 200 Hz

Adjust the overall bass volume based on personal taste, whether you prefer a loud sub bass or a more subtle approach.

Mix hi-hats after the low-end elements to ensure the overall frequency spectrum is balanced and doesn't sound too dark.

• Cut low frequencies (below 200 Hz) from hi-hats as they are not needed • Add slight boosts in the mid-high range for presence and clarity • Adjust based on the visual span analyzer to match the balance of the low-end peaks

Boost the attack frequencies to help the hi-hats cut through the mix and create a clear transient sound.

• Process the second hi-hat separately to avoid masking from the primary hat • Use compression with sidechain to the primary hat to prevent frequency overlap • Consider using overdrive to add character and richness to darker hat sounds

Analyze where shaker and percussion elements occupy in the frequency spectrum and balance them with the high-end elements.

Use glue compressor to control the dynamic range of percussion elements and ensure consistency throughout the track.

• Boost certain frequency ranges to enhance presence • Apply compression with fast attack and release to control dynamic transients

Ensure the overall high-end frequency response is balanced and not too weak, similar to how low-end elements are balanced.

The main arp sound lacks focus and has too much feedback from delay and reverb effects, making it unclear and undefined in the frequency spectrum.

• Increase the envelope to create a more attacky and clicky sound • Adjust the sound design before applying EQ to solve issues at the source • Add a percussion layer using a drum rack to make the sound more audible in the mix

• Use ping pong delay to separate the delayed signal to stereo while keeping the original in the middle • Apply sidechain compression to the delay using the original signal to prevent mushing and maintain clarity • Add reverb with similar sidechain treatment to create spatial depth without losing definition

Think in 3D when using effects: when the original signal hits, duck the effects to create space; when the original signal ends, bring effects back for spatial texture.

• Identify three distinct pads: low pad (below 200 Hz), high pad (high-pitched element), and transition pad • Assign each pad a specific purpose to avoid frequency overlap and muddiness

• Low pad: cut frequencies above 200-1000 Hz to focus on low-end support • High pad: process separately from low pad to maintain clarity in different frequency ranges

• Sidechain low pad to the kick with longer release time to support the groove rather than just create space • Use smoother, slower attack times on pad sidechains compared to other elements

• Group pads together and apply glue compressor to blend them into a single cohesive pad sound • Apply reverb and compression together to mash pads together as one unified element

• Use mid-side EQ to remove frequencies below 200 Hz from the side channel to prevent phasing issues • Slightly boost side channel to create a larger stereo field for pad elements

Apply auto-pan to pad high-end frequencies to create a larger perceived stereo field and make the element feel more interesting.

• Use auto-pan on transition pad to separate it from other pad sounds and create motion • Automate the pan modulation to create movement that makes the sound more engaging

Ensure stereo field effects do not compromise the mix balance and maintain the overall groove of the track.

Transition pad creates a big frequency sweep that covers multiple frequency ranges and can mask other important elements in the mix.

• Use compressor with sidechain to the transition pad instead of static EQ • Dynamic sidechain is preferable because it only applies compression when the pad transient occurs • Static EQ cuts would apply throughout the track even when the pad is not playing

• Pull the transition pad from left to right in the stereo field when the sweep occurs • Add a short delay to the opposite channel to create separation from the original pad track • Make the sound more interesting and separated from the base pad sound

Automate the pan movement to create more dynamic and complex stereo effects, making the transition pad feel more alive and interesting.

Analyze the percussion and clap frequencies to identify overlaps with other elements like shakers and adjust accordingly.

• Identify where percussion frequencies stop and where shaker frequencies begin • Make small EQ cuts to give space for each element and prevent masking • Focus the percussion sound to avoid occupying unnecessary frequency ranges

Apply sidechain compression to percussion elements with less aggressive settings than hi-hats, since percussion has less upfront transient power.

Add auto-pan to continuous percussion sounds to separate them from shakers and create more spatial interest in the mix.

• Apply sidechain compression to continuous sounds (pads, percussions) to the kick to maintain overall groove • Even slight sidechain helps with the overall groove of the track

Use fast sidechain with lookahead on continuous elements to ensure the kick's initial transient is heard clearly and cuts through the mix.

Fine-tune all element volumes and compression settings to achieve cohesive balance where each element supports the groove rather than competing for space.

The clap in this example is already well-balanced and compressed from the original file, requiring minimal adjustment beyond volume management.

The original muddy track sounds complex and mushed up, making it difficult to distinguish different sounds and tiring for the ears.

The mixed version is significantly clearer with each element having its own space and definition while maintaining a cohesive, balanced sound.

• Frequency separation through EQ and sidechain compression • Strategic use of effects with dynamic control through compression • 3D mixing thinking combined with spatial processing

After fixing the main issues, volume and balance can be easily adjusted through makeup gain and fader movements based on personal taste.

Many simple things compound together to create a professional mix, even though individual adjustments may seem tiny or insignificant.

• Understand frequency ranges and ensure each element occupies specific frequency areas • Use sidechain compression to create space and maintain groove • Apply strategic EQ cuts and boosts to balance the spectrum

The video covers foundational mixing concepts using Ableton's basic plugins. More advanced tutorials using dynamic EQ and multiband compression will be created in the future.

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