Top-down mixing 101: How to bring a musical approach to mixing

[@iZotopeOfficial]

Learn more about top-down mixing here: www.izotope.com/en/learn/top-down-mixing.html?

[@critical-thought]

I typically fix track issues before hitting the 2-bus with some processing. Then back and forth between tracks and 2-bus. It works for me, and helps me balance the mix for a better result. To everyone their own.

[@brianknight8195]

Works pretty well in the analogue world, works pretty well in the digital world too. It can save time, but, it can also hide issues you’ll need to deal with later.

[@Jess-P]

Nice one!

[@andreasskoglosa]

Nice video on mastering, but where is the mixing of busses and channels? This is top-down without the down...

[@DerekPower]

With some exceptions, I take what can be stereo bus/2-bus processing and move it over to the mastering stage where I apply that chain to the individual clips, which are in of themselves a mixdown of that particular track. I can "audition" or "experiment" during the mixing stage. I also use a limiter when I'm in "work-in-progress mode" as I mix very conservatively and would like some idea of how the mix will sound at increased volume gain.

[@DerekPower]

@vongwynbleidd The individual clips are the stereo mixdowns of each album track.

[@johnjhonny646]

I know a lot of top mix engineers are doing top-down mixes. They have a mix mastering chain that has been modified and tuned over many years and tuned to work on any music. Without a good mix bus chain, top-down mixes will give poor results.

[@GetSongsDone]

That and rough source tracks...

[@thejacevekexperience]

Yea. I never do this. It's a great way to wind up polishing a 💩. Especially when you are talking about large scale projects 100 trx wide or more. For me that stereo bus is the last 3-7% of a mix.

[@thejacevekexperience]

That said i do turn in a temporary master chain throughout the process because there are problems that only reveal themselves when the limiter comes on. And those harsher resonant frequencies collide

[@GetSongsDone]

Why are people still recommending this?

[@GetSongsDone]

@vongwynbleidd it only works if the tracks you receive sound good from the start.