19 Mixing Tips I Wish I Knew 20 Years Ago

[@marcotrosi]

Tip 1 - 0:40 - Listen to good mixes/music in your mixing position Tip 2 - 2:22 - Know your frequencies Tip 3 - 3:45 - Use the mute button to identify problems Tip 4 - 4:38 - Mind the goosebumps Tip 5 - 6:17 - Do a static mix Tip 6 - 7:57 - Aim for balance Tip 7 - 8:55 - Turn up your speakers Tip 8 - 10:08 - Know when to leave things alone Tip 9 - 10:45 - Use subtractive EQ Tip 10 - 11:37 - EQ your reverbs and delays Tip 11 - 12:40 - Don't be afraid to use compression Tip 12 - 13:12 - Don't compress everything Tip 13 - 13:33 - Mix the busses first Tip 14 - 14:55 - Get it right at the source Tip 15 - 15:25 - Mix fast and often Tip 16 - 16:18 - Mix in context Tip 17 - 17:55 - Save the vocal until the end Tip 18 - 18:33 - Bypass often Tip 19 - 19:18 - Get feedback from others I might wanna add Tip 20 which is bit of an extension to Tip 1 -> use a reference track to which you can compare your mix to.

[@kevinbrammage7951]

Thank you for doing this.

[@beachforestmountain4269]

Good job mate, thanks.

[@notsogood9449]

Thank You!!!!

[@michaelmay9059]

👏 thanks!

[@RayoBeatz]

so basically the same stuff everyone else has said for the past 20 years.. got it. thanks marco for your hard work. we need more people like you in this world to save the rest of us time. thank you for your service.

[@liveen]

Keep in mind: each plugin, each sound, everything goes (mostly) linearly, one after the other. If you have a sample, that sample plays, and if it clips, it clips. If you have an EQ on that sample boosting the highs when it's already at clip loudness, well, it clips. If, 10 plugins down the line, have clipped the audio or done anything to it in ANY of those previous plugins, samples, busses, tracks or anything, that is what the next "thing" that happens will receive. Basically, when mixing buses, if you have 10 drum sounds hitting at the same time, all of them with a sharp peak at 400hz, you have to eq them one by one if you want to avoid them getting ruined. Because all of those will have that 400hz peak, and those peaks will COMBINE at the INPUT of your EQ, and so there's nothing you can do in the bus to save it.

[@DeliriumXM]

The most underrated tip imo for producers who mix as well, STAY ORGANIZED, organize your samples, organize daw presets, organize your mixer, organize your playlist, hell even organize your plugin order. The amount of time saved from just sitting down for a few hours to organize your drives, folders and daw will quickly be worth it (if youve got a large multi tb library like me). Also, backup EVERYTHING. If your actually serious about music it cost like 200$ for a massive drive to backup your work and libraries so you wont be at square 1 in case of a failure or problem

[@theBassBurnout]

I'm sure you're not an FL user :]]]]

[@DeliriumXM]

@@theBassBurnout dude the funniest shit is i am. 😝 FL sucks by default. Ive spent 3 months away from making anything just to focus on learning how to fix and fixing my Organization. Via; compiling libraries, organizing the entire daw and setting up midi outs, my different optimal settings for each template (basic song vsts/recording)-> (layers / glitches + extra samples)-> (vocals) essentially every “song” will go through at least 2-3 templates / projects. If i wanna add more it may go up to 4-5 templates used /“projects” def more overcomplicated than necessary but goddamn it the workflow is nuts

[@DeliriumXM]

@@theBassBurnout but i also use studio one (for vocals, sometimes mixing ) (also use IK lursen mastering console for mastering from time to time. Kinda just like being able to use as many layers as possible, and ima be honest picking a daw was hard, but FL makes it really easy for large multi sampled projects because individual samples in channel rack dont need to be tied to mixer inserts. Patcher can bypass “single” instrument tracks altogether, so you just work with buses (all your single ins. processing is done in patcherized instance of source. + the free lifetime free updates. Also goodluck using fl well without 2 screens imo.. not gonna happen default scaling is cheeks and i gotta have the mixer up at all times for monitoring. Note; in my defense I also started on cubase, im just a massive fucking nerd 👍😁🙃. probably gonna pull the trigger on ableton in a while tho, i find more daws = better Also, As a live instrument player ( i play guitar and bass) fl sucks without effectively using the time markers for recording, daw is really capable, they just dont make it easy….

[@theBassBurnout]

@@DeliriumXM Yes, I've just checked your soundcloud and you got it. Choose one DAW and perfect in it to know your tool brother. You're a very creative person, and you just need to expand more on what you know. Keep up the creative game!!

[@DeliriumXM]

@@theBassBurnout ay preciate it bro. Yeah kinda just swapped to bitwig. This shit is GAS like its just so good… its not even a learning thing im 3 days in and this daw just works. None of the daws ive used up until now really made me feel comfortable… bitwig changed that overnight and also this comment thread kinda got me thinking about the daw limiting me all together (and my bias) so big thank you 🫡🤤🤷‍♂️ (the bitwig modulators. Scene view. Stability of the program and vsts. Reallyyy low cpu plugins. Its just all around amazing. 3 days in, and working on by far the most complicated track ive ever made and 0 crashes… 😀🥹 🤛 Im not kidding when i say this daw feels like a cheat code Edit: plus my vienna ensemble server will work now 😭

[@JeffreyDonovanOfficial]

If you made these tips into a poster I could hang directly in front of my mixing console, I would gladly buy one!!

[@RutgerSteenbergen]

I might make an infogrpahic in Canva 😁

[@judes_music]

Great idea!!

[@guthhalf5484]

Ummm do you not know how to use Word and a printer....

[@JeffreyDonovanOfficial]

um, yea. But I'm willing to help quality content by purchasing some merch when I think it's a good idea. Best of luck in life....

[@Hijazi-1info]

Shyt up

[@weselleymucik1702]

You're an excellent speaker, you don't make things complicated.

[@alikaandinc]

you're the best teacher ever

[@PunkRockVibes]

Having a solid understanding on your frequencies is a big one. That’s what I’ve been focusing on a lot lately.

[@michaelgove9349]

As a composer who's more confident with my writing / arranging than with production, found this vid extremely useful. Great stuff. 👍

[@BeccaLozierTrumpet]

DUDE - I just recently started turning my speakers up and WOW. Night and day.

[@flus.]

I mix almost always at 85db because of the Fletcher Manson curve. But turning up the speakers is better than clipping I guess :)

[@BeccaLozierTrumpet]

@@flus. I don't mix louder, I mix INTO louder speakers, to limit how much I feel the need to boost. I still keep my volume at a similar level. Ear fatigue is real.

[@flus.]

@@BeccaLozierTrumpet Ok i see

[@13adLucEnt]

I've been engineering for about 18 yrs now. I agree with all your tips & I too find myself doing all vocals last nowadays...great minds think alike, great vid you just got a new subscriber

[@SandPineAudio]

The more I mix, the more I can tell that the "static mix trick" is everything. 😌Getting the more you can, just by balancing, ppanning and checking phase combinations on a great sounding multitrack is crucial to achieve the best mix at the end.

[@tumpperi3891]

It's kinda a mindfuck, since atleast I believed for a looong time that pros have some special plugin or expensive studio that suddenly makes everything sound awesome. These tips are easy to overlook, since they look so simple, but they are THE bread and butter I'd say.

[@vandpiben]

​@@tumpperi3891 most popular mixing /mastering engineer in the world Serban Ghenea does everything in the box.

[@_beefi6522]

Balancing prior to plugins was a huge deal for me. Also using the levels on the channel rack only and mixer levels if needed after plugins.

[@rome8180]

I agree with your point about saving the vocal until last. Some people start with the vocal, and that's never made sense to me. The vocal will probably have the most processing of any of my tracks. I would rather have some context for the decisions I'm making rather than creating a vocal sound at random. There are too many possible paths. By contrast, it's much easier to EQ and compress a drum set in solo and lay the foundation for the rest of my mix that way. By the time I get to the vocal, my choices will have been narrowed by the context of the song, which makes settling on the right combination of effects easier.

[@sseltrek1a2b]

"static mix" is so important...it's akin to getting the house solidly built and then applying the aesthetics (paint, trim, finishes) to get it ready for sale...

[@djvictornova9188]

Joe Glider and Presonus Audio is a must subscribe in 2023.. Great Tips

[@ScottWilkinsonM.D.]

Currently doing Joe’s Mixing course. Really terrific- no matter your experience consider taking it!

[@Kwastaken]

The metaphor for subtractive eq when you referenced the marble being chopped away versus the clay being added on was really helpful for me to get my mind around the idea. Well done sir

[@tonyrooney]

Joe, that was some of the best -- nah, THE best -- concise mixing advice I have ever heard. All common-sense, and instantly recognizable as truly useful. That was the best twenty minutes I ever spent watching a music production "tip list!" 💪🏽🙏👍👏🏽

[@OASrecordspty]

The One that really helped was using Static mix before deciding to add plugins for the clean-up and extra sauce.

[@DodgeDartSongs]

The most helpful mix vid I’ve seen, Joe. It confirms a few clues I arrived at on my own and wondered “do other mixers do it this way?” But also provided many ideas I’d not arrived at.

[@slayabouts]

Tip 1 is what I do to start every session. I usually spend 15-30 min listening to some songs I think I want mine to sound like to get my ears accustomed to the balance. Whenever I take a break, I'll put music back on

[@SausageFingers73]

Another cracking video. Already adopted the static mix on new tracks and re-mixing older tracks that I wasn't happy with, from one of your earlier videos and 5 step mix, and it really lets you see (or hear) the wood from the trees.

[@graysonsolis]

Just discovered this channel... I gotta say, im blown away by how much GOOD advice is on this channel; there are so many inexperienced musicians and producers making content about things they dont understand, peddling solutions to imaginary problems with more gear and overproduction... Its refreshing to hear someone give advice that focuses on quality of music over complexity of process

[@nyniomusic]

everything explained perfectly, I've been studying mix, master, arrangement, composition for 10 years but I still haven't learned. but still I don't give up the one I like for anything in the world! Merry Christmas . 😊You've won another subscriber😊

[@iamxenobyte]

Fun fact, the goosebumps section is actually talking about Frisson, which is a response that happens when one is extremely emotional to certain types of powerful stimuli, like music!

[@robmitchell2018]

Tip No.1 is huge! I would also suggest reference tracks when mixing and recording.

[@tm8473]

I use eq mainly for fixing overlapping problems on tracks that do not need eq by themselves. But i never calculated my typical cuts/boosts ratio!

[@iEKNOWS_]

The static mix changed everything for me!

[@ansmfella]

Tip#4 Mind your Goosebumps!! Is so epic a tip and sadly rarely spoken least alone shared. In my 35+ years, the search to figure out why great music effects us almost universally has led me through, not just physics but ancient esoteric studies. This tip is beyond classified, gate keeper level knowledge. Great stuff man! Apreeeeeesh

[@capitalghost]

Right on target bro. I appreciate the mindset and perspective shift you’ve helped me make in watching you all these years. This video is a great summary of that. Thank you!

[@earledaniels4539]

Tip #8 is probably the toughest, certainly for me anyway "Know when to leave it alone" . Also, regarding plugins on Busses, after my static mix, I setup my Mix Buss plugins first followed by my plugins on individual Busses.

[@chadgrieser8021]

I have been following your channel and done your courses for about 2-3 years and I have heard you mention all of these tips somewhere in your courses and other videos. This was a great video to put all of these tips in one place. I have written them all down to keep as a cheat sheet for myself for when i get stuck (which can be often). Thank you for this!

[@ErikArchbold]

Awesome, Joe - thanks so much! I'm going to stop spending so much time on my first mix and start moving on to the others to get experience faster! Thanks for that tip, and all the others!

[@TheGradeZShow]

Tip #1 really got me. I literally never hang out & listen to my favorite records in my mix spot. I've been doing acceptable work for 20 years, & I somehow let listening for pleasure & aspiring to references slide. At least when I'm actively working, that is. Thanks for the reminder! I'll probably do a better job with this in my head.

[@surreal8zero475]

I stumbled across your videos a couple of months ago, and WOW!! Absolute game changer for me, you are a fantastic teacher 🤙

[@audiodude]

Very well done sure you nailed it! These are the absolutes to getting your mixes where you need to be. Thank you for making one of the best videos on YT for getting it right the first time!

[@marko-G6]

I agree with every one of these tips. I used to run into the same traps for years. It wasn’t until after 3 sessions of mix with the masters in France that I learned how to implement these tools. This video is on the money!

[@nikolas3735]

Thank you so much for your amazing content! I was wondering if you can elaborate more on mixing busses.

[@streetlogic]

Static mix was a big game changer for me. And almost certain heard it from you.

[@ApokalypticRaidsOfficial]

Lately, I like to mix the vocals bus right after the drums bus is ready, and before everything else. I call it "sandwich mixing". Drums and vocals are the lower and upper bread, and guitars are the filling. When I get voice levelled with drums, then I bring in the guitars bus from zero to the desired ammount of "filling", without messing with the drums/vocals proportion.

[@subtractivemusic]

One of the things you mentioned about going back and recording better, has helped me. I make electronic music so there's not really microphones and recording involved in the traditional sense, but there can certainly be disparity in sample quality and line-in quality from synths and drum machines. Spending the time choosing the highest quality sounds is a lot better than relying on the adage "I'll fix it in the mix."

[@TedRichley]

Thanks a lot for this very helpful video, Joe! A lot of items you mentioned gave me a final affirmation of what I increasingly more or less "supposed". New and very interesting to me are your items concerning the use of mute-buttons to identify problems, the sparsely use of solo-button and last but not least the over all mixing strategy ("static mix", "mix in context", don't clutter with plugins, process vocals after instruments and so on).

[@mccloysong]

Spot on, GREAT list. All of them could be #1. Even though I agree with it all, I do find myself forgetting these guidelines sometimes, so this is a good reminder.

[@ThiagoeRenataMarin]

great recommendations, remembering good compositions, musicians and arrangements, helps a lot greetings from a producer from Brazil

[@sm5574]

Saving the vocal for last has the added benefit of making sure your backing tracks/stems sound good, if ever comes the time that you need to use them or make them available to others. For example, if everything only sounds good in relation to the vocal, then some artist who wants to use your synth stems may find them sounding too rough on their own. I try to get the backing track to sound like a professional mix on its own, then I drop the vocal on top with a plugin like Soothe2 (if needed) to carve out a bit of frequency range to help it sit better; take out the vocal track, and the backing track still sounds perfect because the cuts to it are only applied when the vocal track is playing.

[@SaulDeAnda]

Would the static mix be before or after sampling drums? A Static mix for me is a bit different because I mostly mix A Cappella Music which means I EDIT vocals/beatboxing before mixing every time. To me, the EDITs I send out end up being my static mixes (no plug-ins but I do samples for beatboxing spit takes in this file in case there’s a groove change I did for directors to hear.) The thing about that in the A Cappella scene is that 99% of the time, you’re touching up the tracks. You rarely get a song where all you do is add reverb and call it a day which means the samples need work done to them. In the non a cappella world, the samples already sound good, which means you don’t touch them and mix to the samples but in my scenario, the samples are literally the same files as the spit takes so they would need to be touched up pre-mix for there to be an audible distinction of there being “samples”. I never know which route to take so I switch off day to day.

[@neildenman1776]

As someone who is just starting out with this stuff and is totally clueless , this is a great video!

[@franknguitars7671]

I am still getting into this whole stuff - but I understood everything you were saying and it did strike me as very logical and level headed. Thanks for the good advice!

[@gabrielpelayo7913]

EQing your reverb, even with just a highpass worked so well it messed me up 😂. You get so used to the mud and you do all this other stuff to compensate so then you do that and it makes all the stuff you did to compensate an issue. 😂

[@projectJ30]

Guilty of the same. I apply slight echo, reverb and then a low/high boost and think it's going to fix everything in my mix. I had a mic that would record exactly what I hear when I'm singing. No echo, reverb or eq is necessary.

[@briantinsley7864]

This is a great video. I just sat in someone's studio that has put out some good CDs, and went through his technique. I've been recording for ages, but fell into rushing songs by accepting a so so performance thinking I'd fix it later. He get's it great sounding before any work is done. I did too much fix it in the mix work. He's also organized, and creative. Getting organized for me, probably comes after getting to know my DAW thoroughly. I started with Sequencer Plus Midi (DOS based), then Cakewalk, and got alot done years back. Then Sonar came along with ensuing confusion about staying in business period. I moved to a Mac and Logic Pro X, which still has a learning curve. I'm working on it, but at the risk of saying I have a second DAW, Luna from UAD has some appeal.

[@OfficeofthePacific]

Great video, Joe! Another I might add... "Mixing in mono" is something I unfortunately never do, but I will try to start! Keep up the great work, Joe thank you for all you do for us.

[@pangyre]

Wonderful. Loved the pass-filter on the reverb tip (I already do it but in a way that's a lot harder); except the compression stuff. No one is underusing compression. Almost everyone mixing anything that’s getting any play overuses it greatly to the point where something might sound terrific… twice. And then never again because it’s a sonic monolith with no interesting dynamics or things to discover.

[@StRosen]

Hey just a little point I'd make for tip #12. I'd say it depends on what sort of music you're making. Sure, if you're working on some rock/pop or whatever, it might be a good idea to leave some stuff not compressed, but working on something harsh like EDM, it's just good to compress stuff imo

[@MixReady]

Thank you for those great tips, Joe! Tip #4 is my fav! We get so technical about mixing all the time - this is a good reminder!

[@wallgrin]

I just went back to do a static mix on a session that felt like it was getting too messy with plugins I could barely keep track of. It seems so obvious now that you mention it, but I can already tell this is going to make the rest of the process so much more streamlined. Thank you! 🙏

[@ARKenMan]

I'm 52 and trying to get back into mixing after 20 years of not doing it and sadly I never was good 20 years ago. I got some good mixes out of the deal and a few bad ones but yeah, I pretty much stunk. Anyway, I've been learning the past year almost non-stop. I have poured HOURS into youtube videos and have like a thousand of them saved in playlists. Thanks for breaking the basic ideas of a good mix down for me bro! I really think you have helped me a lot with these tips. I'm guilty of trying to add plugins before even setting levels on the static mix as you said. Keep it simple and work slowly and methodically and get everything leveled including the frequency spectrum. Turn up the overall volume to keep from bumping up individual tracks. I love these. Subscriber for sure. I can say, the mixes I'm getting now, my band I'm recording is saying sound 'studio quality' so maybe I can make it before I kick the bucket.

[@KenGlasser]

Thanks for this summary Joe. I already do many of these (e.g., 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14, etc). But that's because I'm an avid listener / watcher of your videos. You've taught me so much. I have to keep reminding myself about 8 & 12 especially. It's really, really hard to just leave something completely alone.

[@CoryKent1997]

One of my favorite videos you've releaserd, Joe. THANK YOU!

[@Hoblitygoodness]

Thank you. I've been making music for a long time and somewhere along the way I forgot how. Had to update to a new DAW because the one I was using went out of business, I've had to relearn how to play guitar (and bass) because of an old injury, having to deal with old buzzy equipment AND brand new microphone, etc.. Just frustration and learning curves all the time. However, have a similar production style and most of these videos I'm already doing a great deal of the things you're suggesting. But with each video I watch, there is still something you've enlightened me to. So thanks again, I really appreciate what you're doing.

[@davidbadstubner4582]

I loved almost every single tip you presented besides #13. The mixing with food group busses scheme has been a tail chase for me, once I got rid of that and used parallel processing techniques instead and VCA’s my “game” was made so much easier. Thanks for such a great video, I’ll be sharing this with my students. I’m new to you so please feel free to point me in this direction but: there was no mention of automation?! That’s the one that makes the goosebumps! If you have a video on automation I’d like to see it. Thanks!

[@BradleyMagee]

Good stuff Joe So many to try tonight starting with these 1. Listen to other music in the mix position 5. Static mix first 7. Turn up speakers 8. Know when to leave things alone 9. Use subtractive EQ “Love the clay analogy” I’m going to focus on these but all great suggestions I mine as well list them all. LOL Thanks

[@Arian-abbas]

Your information is really useful and guides me to the right path. Thank you very much.

[@jamzdrumz141]

Hi, Overall, I think you did a great job putting this video together. Nice Work! The only issue I have is with Tip 10, significantly “High Pass” Filtering the low end of reverberation is poor advice. Reverberation is made up of predominantly low and low-mid frequency content. High frequencies tend to defuse and defract within different environments, and quickly lose energy. Low frequencies have larger waveforms, and as a result propagate more effectively within different environments. Therefore, it is mostly low and low-mid frequency content, which creates a sense of depth in the 3-D sound field. Just as upper mids push sounds forward, and raise them in the speakers. Low-mids drop sounds lower in the speakers and push sounds further back into the 3D-Sound-field. By filtering low frequency’s from you reverbs, you are collapsing the depth field of your mix. If a reverb is clouding the imaging of your mix, often the decay time is to long or the choice of space is incorrect for the instrument. Remember reverb is there to create the illusion of size, sometimes using larger spaces with short decay times is enough, to create the sense of space without clouding the mix. Low pass filtering is actually more common on reverb, as sometimes the high end flutter of spaces clouds the imaging of a sound. Although, you are correct in terms of delay. High and low pass filtering (bandpass filtering) is common to make the delays sound more distant. (by being less full frequency) Hope this helps, Jamie

[@huchmow]

I agree with all your points. I'll try to get better balance before adding layers of plugins. My main problem is overcomplicated mixes and compositions, then my hardest task is generally to simplify. May be a part of the solution is here. Great video!

[@easyvelvet77]

Not much to say, you said it all! Good tips, good reminders! Thx

[@debarjo]

I would turn everything down and bring up the console knob for volume! That'd be a great new tip for my production, I'm very excited about this!!!

[@sykhustriggles]

These are the greatest mixing tips I've heard thus far. Thanks bro!🎹🎵

[@andigisler]

Absolutely great, thanks! I agree with almost everything, there are just two things that I personally do different: a) Subtractive EQ: I tend to do that as well but don't think it's better than boosting. Any EQ treatment will add phase-shift and subtracting too much can lead to clean mixes that nevertheless lack balls. b) Vocal last: For me it's essential to keep the vocal in almost all the time. Especially when it comes to frequency balance. Say a big voice in a ballad can be THE strongest low-end component in the mix. That's because the vocal will probably be very upfront and dominate the whole sound picture. So mixing without the vocal and then adding it last would for me bit like spending a lot of time soloing tracks.

[@epiphanydrums5427]

Absolutely best 20 minutes I have spent listening to studio tips in a long time. (maybe the “poster” suggestion could include a stone tablet look to the artwork 😄) Thanks!

[@eepuchan]

in school we did frequency drills and i hated it but it helped so much. I don't think you need to know like exatctly down to 4.56k or like 40 vs 45, but running those drills as far as you can helps a lot

[@monkberriedelight3225]

Thanks Joe. I was apprehensive about clicking on another ‘things I wish I knew’ video. Now I’m a subscriber

[@legacyprostudios380]

Definitely the Balance & Panning before any Plugins! I've been in Plug-In Disneyland recently and you can definitely get lost and forget about the powerful basic techniques that make a mix amazing! Truly Appreciate you Joe and this one video made me subscribe to your channel! Looking forward to viewing more of your content! God Bless!

[@OfficialStevenCravis]

I’ve seen many great videos with excellent mixing tips, but this is one of the most inspiring and helpful!

[@devingarza7573]

That anology you made with the bank teller and the prioritizing listening to great music in your mix position, really helped me to understand it so much better thank you so much 😂

[@AlanStewartMusic]

Excellent practical ideas, thank you!

[@andygray8313]

I'm new at this, and this was wonderfully explained.

[@BillobanBilloba]

beautiful. thank you for your time🙌

[@nfneido5616]

This was one of the VERY BEST video's on mixing tips I have ever seen !!! Great job DUDE !!!!!

[@InMyPurview]

Another good one Joe. I had some of the same aha moments in my long convoluted journey also. I continue to learn though. To all the new mix/master/recording engineers...continue learning because it makes the journey more pleasurable. Critiques are a very good teacher from others.

[@mesiah1]

hi i need your help. i mixed my song in studio one and its sounds good in daw. but when i try to export it it sounds muddy in my laptop. since i dont know how to master a asong i upload my final mix to bandlab free mastering. it sounds good on bandlab's site. but when try to download. it sounds muddy and shitty again i dont know what to do?

[@CtrlFreeTV]

this was soooo simple and informative. thank you!

[@mikeriemersma716]

RE: Tip #1. SonarWorks was a REVELATION for me. My mixes sounded amazing in my room but had absolutely no low mids anywhere else. Now that I can actually hear the low mids in my room I can mix them appropriately.

[@Dwolfmusic]

True. at first i didn’t like the way it made my mixes sound when i put it on my masterbus cause it made it sound less exciting. But thats what my mix kinda lacked, excitement. Then one time i did a mix and forgot to turn off the plugin. My mix sounded more professional on all kinds of speakers and then i realized i had the plugin on during mixing. Now i never mix without it on.

[@jonnyidle]

I tried it for a while, found it cumbersome when exporting and also didn't like the way it made my high mids and highs sound brittle. I loved the sound of my speakers before and I found it sucked all the enjoyment out of listening to them. So I stopped using it and learned the speakers and room, and now I feel very confident when mixing on them, and love doing it.

[@Brositive]

I can share the same experience​@@jonnyidle

[@ianbrown3304]

Thanks Joe. This was great. Confirmed somethings I do but gave me other tips to try. I will save this and return whenever my mixes are a bit pants. Cheers. Thumbs up.

[@DigitalRackGear]

Very good tips. Well presented. I think High pass filtering is one of the most powerful switches at my disposal. My favourite is #14, get it right at the source. Recording tracks with the instrument's EQ position in the mix understood - especially guitars and synths - makes the mix process so much easier.

[@kevinfarrellUK]

Some great advice here, practical and useful. Thank you. ;)) One spooky thing here is that without really knowing, I have just morphed into ‘static mixing’ while getting some new songs down. Bitter sweet as it has exposed my playing limitations, which is also kinda good. I would add that #20 could be ‘take a break’. A walk round the block can refresh tired ears and ideas. ;))

[@The-Skyking]

I'm going to focus on mixing louder, that's an issue for me. I mix with my speakers pretty quiet. It's not a clipping thing, but just a loudness thing in my room. I need to mute things more often instead of chalking things up to a frequency build up instead of thinking it's a specific track. I do need to focus on compression more. Sometimes it's too much or too little. I do eq reverbs, often times rolling off bass and treble. I'll add treble for an effect if needed. I usually use the reverb's built in eq. Mixing the busses first is awesome. A thing I'd add if I had a list: Use a template. Make a template either based on music genre, artist, or however you like. Maybe just one master template like I do. Templates help me with consistency, mixing fast.

[@pedrofernandesguitar]

Thanks for this Joe. I've been listening to you in the past 2-3 months and I learned many new things and new ways to listen to the mixes. I'm trying to practice with my own recordings, but a still loose a lot of time. I will keep on working to get the best results possible for me. Thank you for all the hard work you put on to share with the world this amazing knowledge. Keep on the good work. 😊

[@mikewallace1270]

I like the tip about muting to find a problem track. This is very helpful especially when you have several snares or kicks in a mix and one has too much high end or is too thumpy.

[@georgedouthit5827]

Joe, thank you for your thoughtful and concise tutorials. I have always known that I need to get a system down and your tips are so well thought out and inspirational.

[@300Spartan03]

YESSSS about the buses, they make mixing so much easier and faster, if i can bus it, it's getting bussed lol

[@FarukHalis]

you are amazingly good guy and teacher and probably many thhings thanks alot

[@bernieheveron1929]

These are all really useful tips! First thing I will change is to have a reference mix to compare with what I’m working on.

[@UniqueTouch]

Joe G. my brother... thank you for the 19 tips Sir. I wrote them all down and will type them and puttem' in my recording folder of sources of help!!! Thanks a Mil bro!

[@dreamanddreammarketing2160]

Tip 1: Listen to good mixes in one’s mixing position. Tip 2: Know your frequencies. Tip 3: Use the mute button. I’d even add to that to use the solo button between various instruments to hear where muddy frequencies may be. I.e. piano vs acoustic guitar, piano vs bass guitar, and make adjustments with EQ to learn where the mud in overlaying frequencies are. These are all great tips!

[@markaitkenguitar]

Learned and reaffirmed! I should listen to this every year as a check in. Thank you.

[@AlexBtvmusic]

Nice one! I’m glad to see that I have already implemented most of your tips. 🙌🏻 Keep up the good work.

[@Stufe2]

Thank you man! I love your explaination examples. Greetings from Leipzig/Germany!

[@2009Tosh]

Really interesting - especially the 'know your frequencies'... can you suggest a good source for learning more about this? Again - really great and interesting video.

[@mikebozik]

Great vid, I use a lot of those tips! 😊 Could you ask PreSonus to: 1) Put the input and output meters of the Pro EQ back beside each other, the way they used to be. 2) Fix the "auto make-up gain" function on Presonus eqs and compressors. Thanks.😊

[@kaarenpro]

Literally the best mixing tutorial I've ever seen on this platform Way to go buddy

[@ArisingAdventures]

Awesome tips. What mic is that? You're room + mic sounds amazing. I love it!