This article covers the basics of audio mixing and 10 tips for mixing the audio of your beats.
Audio Mixing 101
Once you have a good beat, you want to make sure the audio is mixed well.
Audio mixing is the process of taking all the individual tracks and instruments, adjusting the audio levels, stereo panning, adding effects, and more.
Why mix audio? Because without proper audio mixing your beat may not sound good everywhere from a car, to headphones, to studio monitors. With mixing, you adjust the audio to sound good everywhere.
Basic Mixing Theory
How To Mix Hip Hop Beats Simple Tutorial
This video is done in FL Studio, but the same rules apply to other music production software.
10 Audio Mixing Tips
10 Audio Mixing Tips
1. Start with high-quality sounds.
2. Use studio monitors.
3. Multiple Sound References – Test out your audio mix on your computer, in your car, with headphones, with monitors, etc.
4. Gain Staging – Get your levels right, avoid audio clipping.
5. Get good with EQ.
6. Give your ears a break. Take breaks from mixing and come back with a fresh pair of ears.
7. Rely on your ears. Don’t focus on what you see on the screen. Listen to make good music.
8. Use panning.
9. Mix at low levels at first, then turn the volume up.
10. Listen to top-quality mixes as a reference of what you should strive for.
Tutorials on Audio Mixing
- How to mix beats in FL Studio or Reason
- Compression 101: How to Use a Compressor
- Mastering 101: How to Master a Song
- Mixing a Hip Hop Song ( Basic Tips )
- 5 Mistakes Every Producer Makes When Mixing
Basic Audio Mixing Terms
- Clipping – Clipping is a form of audio distortion that happens when audio is too loud.
- Equalization ( EQ ) is the process of adjusting the frequency of the audio or instrument.
- Panning is the process of adjusting the audio to the left speaker, right speaker, or center.
- Effects – Effects are the process of adding reverbs, delays, echoes, and more to audio tracks.
Share your tips on mixing audio in the comments.
This article is a part of How to Make Beats series.
Beside of FL studio …Which software I may use for a good audio recording and editing …and for creating sound clips or intro sound clips