Top-Down Mixing 101: Getting big mixing wins quickly

[@audioproductiontips]

Do you use top-down mixing? If so what are your favourite plug-ins for this? If you would like some free custom rock and metal drum samples and other goodies, grab them here: www.audioproductiontips.com/free-stuff

[@terrellronin1370]

InstaBlaster

[@JayMadeelrubio]

Awesome video! Gave that song life. You have got yourself a new subscriber. Can't wait for more vids 😎🙌

[@audioproductiontips]

Thanks Jay, appreciate it. If there is anything specific you'd like to be featured feel free to ask :)

[@fishjacksonstudio1201]

Great video. Just found your channel and I like how you actually know what you're doing. Subscribed and looking forward to more. Have you done one on good gain staging and referencing levels?

[@audioproductiontips]

Thank you, much appreciated. I did, it is an older video called "Digital Gain Staging with a VU meter". However, unfortunately, the audio capture device was set to the internal iMac mic so the microphone quality isn't as good on it. However, all the information is correct. I was actually going to make a revised version this week which is more of a cut to the chase version. I did a video last week on Digital Metering too, which explains dBFS, RMS, LUFS, True Peak etc.

[@alloutofoptions]

Very nice 👌

[@NickFeverMusic]

Hey Pete, I didn't know there was a term for mixing like that, Nice. How do you feel about drMS? I've been curious about that plugin. Maybe its worth doing a video on? I love the Black Box too! I'd be curious to hear some of your favorite plugins and why? The track sounds good!

[@audioproductiontips]

Hi Nick, I really like drMS it lives on my mix bus with a slightly adapted version of the preset shown in the video. It's also mono-compatible which is useful on groups of instruments. Maybe I will do a favourite plug-ins video :)

[@NathanBrown-dk5wh]

What do you think of the dual mono processing on the masterbus rather then a stereo processing on it?

[@audioproductiontips]

Hi Nathan, Yes, Multi-mono certainly for compressors (and sometimes saturation too), because you get more "bounce" and "movement" that way. This works well on stereo-buses in general not just the mixbus. For things like EQ I tend to leave in stereo. I know Michael Brauer only ever uses multi-mono compressors on the mixbus.

[@mastermind5601]

These methods like you used, 'Top-Down' or 'Bottoms-up' or 'Side-Side', what is your motive by doing this? I mean what do you wanna achieve? Also, one more question. What about Gain staging, EQ, Compressor and all? Do you use it before using these methods?

[@stevenswisher4339]

Top down and bottom up etc. Are just methods one could use to achieve their desired goal, another way to think of it; what is your preferred 'workflow'? How do you feel most comfortable working given a set of conditions. The goal is to achieve a mix you're happy with Gainstaging is the first thing you should do, everything else comes after.