Produce Like A Pro
Enhance character with reverb
As an example of how specific reverbs can enhance the character of a sound, Marc Daniel Nelson uses the UAD Lexicon 224 reverb to imbue synthesizer parts with depth and emotion. This choice is driven by the Lexicon 224's historic synergy with synthesizers, famously used by Vangelis to create iconic sounds. Nelson illustrates how the right reverb choice can instantly convey a specific vibe or era, in this case, evoking a 'Blade Runner'-esque atmosphere.
Mix with the Masters
Building tension with subtle tempo automation
Daniel Nigro, working with Olivia Rodrigo, uses tempo automation in Pro Tools to enhance the drama and groove of a piano-driven track. The song starts at 135 BPM, drops 1 BPM for the chorus to deepen the groove, and ends at 136 BPM to create a smooth transition. The recording process involved experimenting with different pianos, ultimately settling on a Steinway at Sunset Sound Studios. Post-recording, Olivia wanted the piano slowed further, requiring Nigro to manually edit transients and extending the notes to maintain a natural sound without artifacts. The piano was captured using C12A microphones for the main sound and an M49 for the low end. Nigro chose to avoid compression, allowing the piano's dynamics to naturally build tension and drama throughout the track.
Streaky
Widen the vocal to lift up the chorus
Streaky demonstrates how to use the UA UAD Studio D Chorus to widen a vocal, enhancing its perceived size and impact, particularly during the transition from verse to chorus. What is special here is how he ensures the effect is applied only to the stereo sides, leaving the center vocal clean. This technique helps the track's chorus lift and expand without overwhelming the listener with an obvious chorus effect on the vocal. To achieve this, Streaky employs the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 to apply a brick wall EQ, isolating the mid frequencies and allowing only the side signal of the chorus effect to be heard. This approach maintains the vocal's clarity while adding a subtle yet effective stereo expansion.
Streaky
Get the bass to cut through with parallel saturation
Streaky demonstrates how to make a bass cut through on smaller speakers using parallel compression and saturation with FabFilter Saturn. He sends the bass to a parallel bus, applying an SSL compressor with a 4:1 ratio, slow attack, and fast release to maintain transient clarity while achieving a fat, compressed sound. Next, he uses FabFilter Saturn to add saturation, focusing on the higher frequencies above 140 Hz. This technique enhances the bass's presence by introducing harmonics without altering the low-end character. By blending this processed signal back into the mix, the bass maintains its power on club systems while ensuring clarity and presence on smaller speakers. This approach effectively balances the bass's impact across different playback systems.
Produce Like A Pro
Create space and separation with widening
Nelson amplifies the presence of the main guitar in the mix by applying two key adjustments to a supporting synth track: widening its stereo image and subtly reducing its low-mid frequencies. These changes carve out a spacious backdrop for the guitar, ensuring it stands out with greater clarity. The widening relocates the synth to the mix's outer edges, enhancing the stereo field, while the EQ cut prevents the synth from masking the guitar's tonal body.
Produce Like A Pro
Balance the stereo image with mono reverb
Marc Daniel Nelson shows how to achieve a balanced stereo image by applying a mono spring reverb, panned opposite to a guitar signal. The original guitar track is panned to the right, creating an imbalance in the stereo field. By strategically panning the reverb to the left, Nelson subtly fills out the mix, enhancing its spatial depth without the effect becoming overly prominent or detracting from the mix's overall balance. This approach is especially useful in mixes where a prominent instrument is panned to one side, and there's a need to maintain a cohesive and engaging stereo image. It also works well with other types of mono reverb, delays or modulation effects.
Produce Like A Pro
Add fullness with colored EQ
Marc Daniel Nelson utilizes a unique, hidden characteristic of the Helios Type 69 EQ to add fullness to the main guitar. The trick involves setting the low-frequency band to 60Hz, but without adding any boost to the band's gain control. This way the EQ circuit subtly shapes and colors the sound, enhancing its richness and thickness without introducing muddiness. The original inspiration for this technique came from Andrew Sheps.
Produce Like A Pro
Get bigger, more spacious guitars with panning
Marc Daniel Nelson showcases a technique to create a bigger, more spacious guitar sound by using two microphones (Shure SM57 and Beyerdynamic M160) and panning them hard left and right in the mix. This approach leverages the slight tonal and phase differences between the mics to craft a wider, more immersive guitar presence. Key to this method is adjusting the volume of one mic slightly lower than the other, enhancing spatial depth and reducing phase issues without losing the guitar's clear position in the stereo field. Nelson further enriches the guitar's character by applying bus compression with a dbx 160VU, ensuring a vibrant sound.
Produce Like A Pro
Get presence with multi-band expansion
Marc Daniel Nelson shares a background vocal mixing technique that he discovered by accident, which has since become a staple in his mixing arsenal. This approach involves using the FabFilter Pro-MB as an expander to emphasize the higher frequencies (between 2 kHz and 15 kHz) of the background vocals, thereby enhancing their brightness, punchiness, and presence in a distinct manner. To ensure the background vocals remain supportive and do not overshadow the lead, Nelson incorporates two stages of de-essing and employs a Klanghelm MJUC compressor with a high-pass filter in the sidechain, set to around 400 Hz. This technique creates a sense of space and airiness around the vocals, yielding a polished pop sound that is especially effective for dense arrangements with a high track count.
SonicScoop
Add excitement with EQ, parallel compression and limiting
Mick Guzauski enhances his mix bus with a combination of EQ, parallel compression, and limiting to add excitement and punch to pop and funk tracks. He starts with the UAD Millennia NSEQ-2 and Sonnox Oxford EQ to open up the top end and add presence, creating a more exciting and airy mix. Next, Guzauski employs the Elysia Alpha Compressor for parallel compression, blending the compressed signal at a 50% mix to add punch without losing the dynamics of the original track. Finally, he uses the FabFilter Pro-L 2 limiter to take off peaks and increase loudness, ensuring the mix is competitive and matches the client's reference levels.
Produce Like A Pro
Add a short ambience for depth and width
Bob Horn uses the Valhalla DSP VintageVerb to add a short reverb to vocals, creating a sense of depth and width. He sets the reverb time to less than half a second with a slight pre-delay, keeping the mix level low to maintain subtlety. This technique gives the vocals a small room ambiance, adding a unique vibe without overwhelming the mix. Horn emphasizes the importance of learning from others' sessions, noting how this trick was inspired by a producer's Pro Tools session. The result is a vocal sound that feels intimate yet spacious, enhancing the overall texture of the track.
Produce Like A Pro
Smooth out a vocal with dynamic EQ and de-essing
Marc Daniel Nelson demonstrates how to smooth out a vocal using dynamic EQ and de-essing, focusing on reducing sibilance and unwanted frequencies. He starts with the Waves DeEsser to tame the harsh sibilance around 5-10kHz, followed by the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 for dynamic EQ to address additional sibilance and honkiness around 500Hz and 100-250Hz. Nelson emphasizes the importance of careful de-essing to avoid making the singer sound unnatural, and uses a wider bell curve on the EQ to subtly reduce low-mid muddiness. By addressing these issues before applying compression and further EQ, Nelson ensures a clean, balanced vocal that integrates smoothly into the mix.
Waves
Compress and EQ to fit a synth bass in the track
Tony Maserati relies on EQ, filtering and compression to fit a synth bass into the mix. His goal is to ensure the synth bass complements, rather than competes with, the main bass and other elements in the mix. He puts EQ before compression, carving out frequencies that clash with the main bass and kick, while enhancing frequencies around 50-60Hz. This low-end boost influences the compression action, creating a sidechain-like effect.
Mix with the Masters
Add character to a banjo with compression and saturation
Shawn Everett demonstrates how to add character to a banjo using compression and saturation. He starts by heavily compressing the banjo with a UAD LA-2A, which he associates with the instrument's typical sound, making it more consistent and controlled. To further enhance the banjo's character, Everett applies the Soundtoys Decapitator for distortion, adding warmth and grit. He also removes some low-end frequencies to ensure clarity and balance in the mix. This combination of compression and saturation results in a banjo sound that is both lively and distinct, fitting well within country and pop genres.
Mix with the Masters
Reduce noise on the drum bus
Jaycen Joshua employs the Avid Dynamics III gate to manage noise on the drum bus. He sets the gate with a very low threshold, ensuring it remains inactive while the drums are playing, thus preserving the natural sound and dynamics. However, once the drums stop, the gate gradually closes with a one-second release, effectively reducing any noise floor caused by extensive compression and plugins. This technique is an easy way to maintain a clean mix, and can be applied to other instruments or effects returns to prevent unwanted noise from creeping into the mix during silent passages.
SonicScoop
Tuck in a hihat with sidechain compression
Mick Guzauski demonstrates how to use sidechain compression with the Avid BF-76 to make a hi-hat sit well in a busy mix. By routing the bass drum sample into the sidechain input of the hi-hat's compressor, he creates more movement and ensures the hi-hat tucks in nicely with the rest of the elements. This method also adds rhythmic interest without overpowering other instruments.
SonicScoop
Add excitement with parallel tube distortion
Mick Guzauski enhances a stereo Jupiter-8 synth bass with parallel tube distortion using an Altec 1567a. The distortion adds excitement and character. He employs the Brainworx bx_digital to apply a high-pass filter and uses the Mono Maker feature to ensure frequencies below 90Hz are mono. This is very important, as in his experience, monoing the bass frequencies provides more punch and clarity in the low end of the mix. Additionally, Guzauski lightly compresses the bass with a Universal Audio 1176 to maintain consistent dynamics.
Waves
Add energy with distortion and transient shaping
Tony Maserati enhances the bass's energy using distortion and transient shaping. The distortion introduces harmonics and character, enriching the bass tone. The transient shaper further augments this by adding punch and dynamism, making the bass more prominent and impactful in the mix.
Mix with the Masters
Add width and size with short delay and chorus
Tom Elmhirst enhances the width and size of jazz and pop vocals using a combination of short delay and chorus effects. He employs the UAD Brigade Chorus to add warmth and width, creating a "cotton wall" feeling around the vocal without overwhelming it. Additionally, Elmhirst uses the Valhalla DSP Delay set to a slap delay with no feedback, providing depth and a sense of space while maintaining clarity and intimacy in the vocal performance. This approach ensures the vocals sound bigger and more engaging, fitting seamlessly into the mix.
Eric Valentine
Thicker kick tone with parallel distortion
Eric Valentine demonstrates how to achieve a thicker and grittier kick drum tone using parallel distortion with the Avid SansAmp PSA-1. By duplicating the front kick mic track and applying heavy distortion, Valentine enhances the density and thickness of the kick sound. He emphasizes the importance of playing with the timing and phasing to ensure the distorted signal blends well with the original kick track, resulting in a more powerful and cohesive low-end.
SonicScoop
Using groups and VCAs for efficient automation
Mick Guzauski demonstrates the use of VCA groups and subgroups for efficient automation in large mixing sessions. By organizing instruments into logical VCA groups, such as bass and drums, Guzauski can manage over a hundred tracks on a 32-fader surface, ensuring everything is accessible and streamlined. He further refines this workflow by sending these groups to individual stereo aux subgroups, enabling bus processing with efficient level rides and dynamic moves before hitting the final bus processing. Guzauski's approach to automation and session organization is a simple and efficient way to manage complex mixes, making it easier to maintain control and mix intuitively.
Mix with the Masters
Gain clarity with simple subtractive EQ
Jaycen Joshua demonstrates a simple yet effective approach to achieving clarity and openness in drum mixes using the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 EQ. He focuses on reducing excessive low-end energy in the drums by cutting frequencies around 1100 Hz and below. This prevents the drums from becoming too heavy and allows the upper harmonics to shine through. By removing some of the weight, Joshua achieves the desired separation and openness in the mix, ensuring that each element has its own space and clarity. This method highlights the importance of subtractive EQ to enhance the overall balance and definition of a track.
SonicScoop
Give a tambourine length and depth with reverb
Mick Guzauski uses the FabFilter Pro-R 2 reverb to add length and depth to a tambourine. By adjusting the EQ and decay time of the reverb, he enhances the sustain and high-end presence of the tambourine, making it more prominent and immersive in the mix. Guzauski follows up with a touch of compression to further refine the tambourine's texture, ensuring it sits perfectly within the overall track.
Waves
Combine EQ and high-pass filter to achieve a tighter low-end
Tony Maserati's approach to mixing bass often involves a combination of a low-cut filter and a low-end boost. The boost adds weight and presence to the bass, while the low-cut filter is applied to remove excessive sub-bass frequencies. This technique results in a fuller, more controlled bass sound, enhancing the low end while maintaining clarity. In this particular instance, he is boosting at 50-60Hz and filtering at around 20Hz.
Waves
Structure the session in a simple, manageable way
Chris Lord-Alge emphasizes the importance of session organization in mixing, especially when dealing with large track counts in modern DAWs. He uses a consistent color-coding system for different instrument groups—red for drums, purple for bass, green for guitars and keyboards, and blue for vocals—to quickly identify and navigate tracks. This visual organization helps him focus on mixing rather than scrolling through endless tracks. Lord-Alge also highlights the use of concise naming conventions and the "commit" function in Pro Tools to consolidate multiple takes or similar tracks into single, manageable tracks. This approach not only simplifies the session but also ensures that anyone opening the session in the future can easily understand and work with it. By maintaining a clean and organized session, Lord-Alge can efficiently manage real estate within the DAW, making the mixing process more intuitive and less time-consuming. This method reflects his philosophy that a well-organized session is crucial for effective mixing.
Mix with the Masters
Build the mix with a focal point
Michael Brauer emphasizes the importance of starting a mix with a focal point and focusing on the emotional core of the song. He suggests having fun and experimenting at the beginning of the mix to discover unique ideas that can become the hook. Brauer advises against focusing on support elements first, as this can lead to a cluttered mix with no room for the essential parts. Instead, he recommends identifying the most important elements in each section of the song and building the mix around them. He also shares his approach of sometimes starting with the most challenging section or the loudest part to ensure it feels good before moving on. This method helps with setting up a gain structure that works for all parts of the song, preventing over-compression or undesired distortion in the loudest sections.
Mix with the Masters
Add color with bus compression
Jaycen Joshua uses the UAD Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor to add color and excitement to his drum bus. He focuses on the compressor's ability to enhance the drums with harmonic saturation rather than heavy compression, keeping gain reduction minimal at a maximum of 1 dB. By "kissing" the compressor, Joshua achieves a rich, vibrant drum sound that maintains its dynamics while benefiting from the subtle coloration and character the Shadow Hills unit provides. This approach ensures the drums remain lively and engaging within the mix.
Mix with the Masters
Mid-Side EQ for tighter low-end and better separation
Jaycen Joshua shows how to use Mid-Side EQ with the Brainworx bx_digital to achieve better separation and a tighter low-end in a drum mix. By reducing masking frequencies in the center channel, he creates space for the vocal, ensuring it sits comfortably in the mix. To help the drums maintain energy, he then adds some of these reduced frequencies back on the side channel. This effectively shifts energy from the center to the sides of the mix, creating a space for the vocal to thrive. He also advocates using the Mono Maker feature to center all low-end frequencies below 61Hz, enhancing the overall clarity and punch of the track's low-end.
SonicScoop
Lift the chorus with volume automation
Mick Guzauski demonstrates how to lift the chorus in a mix using volume automation on the mix bus. By slightly increasing the volume—about 1 to 1.5 dB—just before and during the chorus, he creates a subtle yet effective dynamic lift that enhances the impact of the section. This approach is a simple yet powerful way to add excitement and emphasis to key moments in a song, ensuring the chorus captures the listener's attention.
Produce Like A Pro
Better vocal placement with multiband compression
Marc Daniel Nelson demonstrates how to use FabFilter Pro-MB for sidechained multiband compression to place backing vocals behind the lead in a dense pop mix. By sidechaining the lead vocal into a multiband compressor on the backing vocal bus, Nelson ensures that the sibilant frequencies of the lead vocal trigger compression on the backing vocals. This technique reduces the harshness and phasing issues caused by multiple vocalists starting their s's at slightly different times. Nelson emphasizes that this method allows the lead vocal to remain the focal point without overly compressing it, while maintaining the clarity and presence of the backing vocals. This approach helps achieve better separation and makes the mix sound more cohesive and pleasant. Using this technique, Nelson effectively manages a complex mix with over 150 tracks, ensuring that the lead vocal stands out clearly while the backing vocals sit well in the mix.