Mixing Indie Rock from Start to Finish with iZotope Music Production Suite 5

Follow along as Brian Fisher shares how to mix an indie rock song from start to finish with iZotope Music Production Suite 5, including RX, Neutron, Tonal Balance Control, Ozone, and more. Start with drums processing and move into bass, guitars, melodic instruments, and vocals. Learn how to EQ, compress, and apply effects to your instruments. Discover mix automation techniques, learn about submix processing, and wrap up the production with mastering and referencing.
Looking to learn how to mix a particular instrument? Use the chapters below to navigate to a particular section.
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00:00 Intro
0:04:11 ROUGH MIX
0:07:07 DRUMS
0:09:26 Kick Drum
0:15:41 Snare Drum
0:21:37 Floor Tom
0:22:53 Hi-hat
0:23:44 Mono Overhead
0:24:54 Drum Kit (All Processing)
0:25:04 Drum Reverb | Neoverb
0:26:48 Drum Bus
0:31:34 Parallel Bus Processing
0:32:06 Crush Bus
0:33:36 Punch Bus
0:36:00 PERCUSSION
0:37:28 Rattles
0:40:37 Congas
0:43:37 Clave
0:44:31 Shakers
0:45:53 Snaps
0:47:27 Hand Claps
0:48:56 Finger Cymbals
0:50:00 BASS
0:51:15 Equalizer | Neutron 4
0:52:35 Punch Compressor | Neutron 4
0:53:45 Exciter | Neutron 4
0:55:31 Unmask Kick & Bass | Neutron 4
0:57:53 Bass Ambience | bx_delay2500
0:59:33 GUITARS
1:01:50 Acoustic Guitar in Verse
1:07:20 Acoustic Guitar in Chorus
1:09:56 Slide Guitar in Chorus
1:13:01 Electric Guitar in Chorus
1:15:20 KEYBOARDS
1:15:56 Keyboards Unprocessed
1:17:00 Electric Piano
1:19:49 Synth
1:23:20 Mellotron Flutes
1:25:01 Funk Clavinet & Organ
1:27:41 Harp Sample
1:28:22 Keyboards Processed
1:28:49 VOCALS
1:31:40 Lead Vocals & Vocal Assistant | Nectar 3
1:33:16 ALM (Auto Level Mode) | Nectar 3
1:33:48 Equalizer 1 | Nectar 3
1:34:25 EQ Solo | Nectar 3
1:34:47 De-Esser | Nectar 3
1:35:45 Compressor 1 | Nectar 3
1:37:02 Compressor 2 | Nectar 3
1:38:21 Equalizer 2 | Nectar 3
1:39:48 Parallel Compression | Neutron 4
1:41:13 Exciter | Neutron 4
1:42:14 Dynamic EQ | Neutron 4
1:42:45 Vocal Delay | bx_delay2500
1:44:59 Vocal Reverb | Neoverb
1:46:06 Saturation | bx_saturator V2
1:46:39 Imager | Ozone 9
1:47:03 Long Delay | bx_delay2500
1:48:32 Vocal Doubles
1:50:39 Extra De-Essing | RX9
1:51:48 Parallel Processing | Neutron 4
1:52:50 Send FX | Vocal Slap & Reverb
1:53:48 Vocal Harmonies
1:54:52 Processing | Nectar 3
1:56:24 Processing | Neutron 4
1:57:20 Send FX: Vocal Slap & Reverb
1:57:33 Delay Throw
1:58:15 Background Vocals
1:58:53 Equalizer | Nectar 3
1:59:15 Compressor | Nectar 3
1:59:46 Saturation | Nectar 3
2:01:09 AUTOMATION
2:01:22 Vocal Long Delay Volume
2:02:22 Vocal Delay into Reverb
2:03:08 Vocal Plate
2:04:13 Delay Throws
2:04:47 Panning in Verse vs. Chorus
2:05:50 Lead Vocal Automation
2:07:30 SUBMIX PROCESSING
2:08:25 Rhythm Bus
2:08:45 Equalizer | Neutron 4
2:09:55 Compressor | Neutron 4
2:10:36 Exciter | Neutron 4
2:11:22 Instrument Bus
2:11:57 Equalizer | Neutron 4
2:13:02 Exciter | Neutron 4
2:13:24 Vocal Bus
2:13:27 Equalizer | Neutron 4
2:14:41 Compressor | Neutron 4
2:15:13 Submix Processing Before & After
2:15:46 MASTERING & REFERENCING
2:16:08 Tonal Balance Control 2
2:18:03 Insight 2
2:19:10 Mastering Chain | bx_Refinement
2:20:49 Master Assistant | Ozone 9
2:21:19 Equalizer | Ozone 9
2:22:18 Dynamics | Ozone 9
2:23:00 Exciter | Ozone 9
2:23:37 Dynamic EQ | Ozone 9
2:24:24 Maximizer | Ozone 9
2:25:43 Mono Button & Channel Swap | Ozone 9
2:26:50 Full Mix Before & After Music Production Suite 5
2:27:51 Subscribe
#iZotope #mixing #musicproduction

[@jloiben12]

It would be really cool if, especially now that the same PE firm owns both businesses now, for Plugin Alliance plugins to be integrated into the Izotope products. For example, when I open up Neutron I should be able to use all the “normal” Izotope modules but if I have a, say, SSL 4000 G plugin, I can open that up as a module within Neutron

[@easternsouvenirs]

Had a blast making this. Thanks iZotope 😁

[@del-marmare1646]

You're welcome, barely an inconvenience.

[@jloiben12]

It would be really cool if, especially now that the same PE firm owns both businesses now, for Plugin Alliance plugins to be integrated into the Izotope products. For example, when I open up Neutron I should be able to use all the “normal” Izotope modules but if I have a, say, SSL 4000 G plugin, I can open that up as a module within Neutron. Since you clearly have a relationship with Izotope, you should broach this idea with them ;)

[@easternsouvenirs]

@@jloiben12 That'd be wild

[@MLaudio20]

Just wanted to say your new release Virtual Life is really good! Great work.

[@JamesWilliams-se3vr]

Hi, very good thanks! One COMPLAINT though, your voice is mixed much higher than the solo parts, drums for instance at about 25 mins. It means I have to keep either turning your voice down or turning the instruments up so spoils my concentration.

[@Jonathandavidk]

I watched the whole thing. Great!

[@meltonboroughcouncil861]

I'll be watching this time and again...so thorough! Thanks a lot from the UK!

[@MrCJ-lc9ru]

What's your system settings because I cannot load one of Izotope' plugins without my CPU spiking? I would love to use the plugins if I could.

[@PabloUliver-Bass-Guitar]

Thanks iZotope. I hope to find a lot of good information here. 👍

[@Jess-P]

Nice, thanks Brian!

[@cagdasozdemir4753]

please open subtitle this is imp.thx

[@elkinsmedia]

Unbelievable cool, well executed, super useful! Do you mix for hire? I'm serious!

[@easternsouvenirs]

Thank you! and yes I do. Saw your email a few days ago and sent you a note

[@ronnyskaar3737]

In the days of tape and analog, we just naturally atenuated s'es while singing doubles or harmony. I do it still.

[@Prof.Albusdumbledore]

Does it matter what order you use vocal assistant and unmask in? Like can I use vocal assistant then unmask second or unmask first then vocal assistant?

[@mdu2486]

Is Production suite pro available now?

[@chriswillis6747]

I always wanted to mix these type of tracks

[@dariusduz]

As I understand, you made manual panning and manual volume adjustments after using Visual Mix? Because the Visual Mix plugin can't change volume levels on your DAW and we can see that your volume faders are at 0, but after that first step these faders are adjusted. So that means Visual Mix is like a picture that you can make, but you still need to change things manually on your DAW.

[@ZeljkoVujic62]

Please enable subtitles for other language..Thanks

[@hersheybell8444]

New to Izotope and this was tremendous - thank you. One QUESTION - I use Logic as well - with your CRUSH and PUNCH buses for drums, I couldn't tell for sure - do you use a SEND to that bus and dial in the amount you want, OR are you sending the OUTPUT of the DRUMS bus to the CRUSH or PUNCH bus? Are you using pre-fader, post-fader or post-pan? Thanks!

[@jellewierda3828]

Really nice to show your workflow. On my phone the snare is to present in the final mix and in the way of the vocals. Will listen to it later in my studio. Thanks

[@del-marmare1646]

How do you know if someone has a studio?

[@Nealital]

yes ! Do you have the same in french or with possibility to have sub-title ?

[@PendelSteven]

Ooh. I've bought my upgrade to MPS5 and I'm going to enjoy this long video now that I've got time for it.

[@Shareef2610]

amazing introduction to suite 5. but we need to see how you route in Logic Pro X can we have copy of the logic project to see the routing ??

[@GhostsInSpace_]

So - While this video shows the skill of Brian, it doesn't help some of us more amateur users that bought this Production Suite to mix.

[@ManchesterMusic]

How, specifically, is this video unhelpful to you?

[@sunyclubband4203]

I whis i could see more mixes from this type of genre

[@Octwavian]

on my macbook speakers it sounds better in the BEFORE version. It sounds more alive, more like indie. That snare got soo compressed, it feels claustrophobic in the final version

[@HoraceLokhang]

Totally agree. The unmixed version has more indie vibe to it. The mixed one is great sounding but loses all the lofi-ness

[@TheAxelSound]

I liked the sound but wonder if the sum of all compressors becomes too much. Maybe it would breath more with less compression?

[@jmproductions59]

Yes, this demonstrates the subjectivity of what constitutes a "good" or "better" mix with music. The mixed highs were too harsh on my boombox.

[@JRynecki-Music]

sorry mate but this tutorial needs to be with Ableton