What you'll learn in this article
- What mixing is and why it's needed
- Steps for pulling together two guitars, bass, drums and vocals
- Basic use of EQ, compression and time-based effects
- Tips for making band sound "come together"
What Is Mixing? Why Is It Needed?
If you stack recorded sounds as they are, problems like these happen.
- The guitar is too loud and you can't hear the bass
- The whole thing is "muddy" and doesn't cut through
- Only the drums sound like they're floating
You don't need to overthink it.
Once you have the basics, it comes together well.
The Basic Mixing Steps | Follow This Order and You Won't Get Lost
The steps are simple.
step
1Balance the volume
First, turn off EQ and compression on all tracks.
Build a balance that works with raw volume alone.
step
2Set the panning (positioning)
Spread the instruments left and right.
| Instrument | Positioning guide |
|---|---|
| Kick, snare | Center |
| Bass | Center |
| Guitar 1 (rhythm) | Left 30 to 50% |
| Guitar 2 (rhythm or lead) | Right 30 to 50% |
| Hi-hat, toms | Panned slightly left and right |
| Vocals | Center |
step
3Separate the frequency ranges with EQ
step
4Stabilize the sound with compression
step
5Create space with reverb
I explain each of these in detail below.
EQ Basics | Cut the "Frequencies That Get in the Way" of Each Instrument
The basics of EQ are "cut rather than add."
Basic EQ Settings by Instrument
| Instrument | Band to cut | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Guitar (distorted) | High-pass cut below 100 Hz | Remove lows that clash with bass and kick |
| Guitar (clean) | Cut below 150 Hz | Same. Lows are more noticeable on clean tones |
| Bass | Cut below 50 Hz | Remove unneeded muddiness from sub-bass |
| Kick | Cut 500 Hz to 800 Hz slightly | Tidy up the "boomy" mids |
| Snare | Cut around 200 Hz slightly | Remove the muffled sound |
| Vocals | High-pass cut below 100 Hz / lift around 5 kHz slightly | Remove boomy lows and help it cut through |
What is a high-pass filter?
A filter that cuts everything below a certain frequency. In Logic Pro, you can set it with the leftmost button of the EQ. For guitar, setting it at 100 to 150 Hz is the standard.
How to Use Logic Pro's EQ
Logic's stock Channel EQ is enough.
- 1. Insert Channel EQ on the track
- 2. Turn on the leftmost HPF (high-pass filter)
- 3. Set the cutoff frequency to 100 to 150 Hz
- 4. Adjust while listening
Compression Basics | Stabilize Uneven Volume
A compressor is an effect that "narrows differences in volume."
Beginner Compressor Setting Guidelines
Start with these settings.
| Parameter | Guitar | Bass | Drums (snare) | Vocals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threshold | Around -18 dB | Around -20 dB | Around -15 dB | Around -20 dB |
| Ratio | 3:1 to 4:1 | 4:1 | 4:1 to 6:1 | 3:1 to 4:1 |
| Attack | 20 to 30 ms | 30 to 50 ms | 5 to 10 ms | 10 to 20 ms |
| Release | 100 to 200 ms | 100 ms | 50 to 100 ms | 50 to 100 ms |
Watch out
Be careful about overdoing it at first. If the GR meter (gain reduction) is constantly moving more than 5 dB, it's too much. About 1 to 3 dB sounds natural.
Unify the "Sense of Room" with Reverb
Reverb is what makes separately recorded sounds seem like they are "played in the same space."
Basic Reverb Rules for Band Mixes
- Set up one reverb on a bus and share it
- Send more of the drums' snare and the guitars
- Apply almost no reverb to kick and bass
- A Wet/Dry setting that is "barely noticeable" feels natural
Where UAD Sound City Studios shines "My home-recorded guitar always sounds disconnected from the mix." That was a problem I dealt with for a long time. The tone itself wasn't bad. But next to real drums and bass, my guitar always sounded like it was recorded in a different room. One plugin fixed that "disconnected" feeling almost instantly: UAD Sound City Studios. I've been playing guitar for 13 years and producing music at home for 5. In this review, I'll share my honest, long-term experience with this plugin. For context, my own taste leans toward 90s alternative and grunge. Who this review is for Your home-recorded ...
What works best against the "scattered feel" of band sound is a re-miking plugin. Just insert it on the bus of all tracks, and you get a "recorded in the same room" feel. See the review article for details.
UAD Sound City Studios Review — How This Plugin Fixed My "Disconnected
Finishing the Mix | Check the Overall Level
Once each instrument's mix is done, check the master track.
- Check that the master track's peak doesn't exceed -3 dB
- Listen through the whole thing and check that no instrument sticks out
- Compare by listening on both earphones and speakers
Common Mistakes and Fixes
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sound breaks up | Master is over | Lower all tracks by 5 dB overall |
| Guitar gets buried | Lows are clashing | Apply a high-pass filter |
| Everything is muddy | Congestion in the low-mids | Cut 200 to 400 Hz slightly in the bass and guitar EQ |
| Only the drums float | The reverb doesn't match the rest | Send from the same reverb bus |
| Sound feels thin | The two guitars are in the same position | Pan them left and right |
| Vocals get buried | Clashing with the guitar's mids | Cut the guitar's 2 to 3 kHz slightly / apply light compression to the vocals |
Summary | Start with Just "Panning and a High-Pass"
Key points of mixing basics
- Fix the vocals in the center and stabilize the volume with compression
- Pan the guitars left and right
- Always put a high-pass filter on guitars
- The EQ basic is "cut rather than add"
- Start with light compression
- Set up one reverb on a bus and share it
- Keep the master's peak at -3 dB or below
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