Give every part room

Each part sounds good on its own, but together the mix gets crowded. Learn to find the conflict, make a deliberate change and check whether the music is clearer.

8 lessons · Free guides · Learn at your own pace

Make room in your mixBrowse the lessons

Your lessons

Start with parts you want to hear together. You do not need to know every effect first.

Listen to the parts together

A mix serves the arrangement. Decide what should lead before judging each sound in isolation.

Mixing and finishing
  1. What mixing is forBalance, clarity, depth and emotion, before any plugin
  2. Gain stagingKeeping levels healthy from source to master

Make a comparison you can trust

A louder version can seem better without solving the problem. Compare fairly so you can hear what the change actually does.

Sound and listening
  1. Listening and comparingHow to tell whether a change is really better
  2. Level and loudnessDecibels, peaks, RMS and LUFS, and why louder can seem better

Check the spatial picture

Width and placement can help, but a mix still needs to work when the listening setup changes. Check the relationship between the parts.

Effects
  1. Stereo and spatial processingPanning, width, mid/side, and why some sounds disappear in mono

What you can put into practice

Identify a balance or masking problem and compare a useful correction fairly.

  • Hear the conflict before choosing an effect

    Identify what should lead and where the parts compete, giving each correction a musical purpose.

  • Make room while keeping the character

    Use balance, tone and depth to clarify the relationship between parts without stripping every sound down.

  • Trust the comparison

    Match listening levels and check the arrangement so a louder version does not win by accident.

A bass and a melody stop competing

Compare the parts together, choose which one should lead, then explore level, tone and space before adding more processing.

  1. 1Decide what should lead

    Listen to two competing parts together. Choose the musical focus and balance the levels before adding an effect.

    What mixing is for

  2. 2Make one targeted change

    Identify where the parts compete. Try a small tone adjustment on one part and compare it with the original balance.

    Making room with EQ

  3. 3Compare without the volume trick

    Match the overall level of the versions before choosing. Check whether the important part is easier to follow.

    Listening and comparing

Listen for this: The focus should become easier to hear while the supporting part keeps its purpose. Prefer a clearer relationship over simply making everything brighter or louder.

Take the idea further

Common questions

Do I need more plugins to get a clearer mix?
Start with the balance and the purpose of each part. The path explains level, tone and space before asking you to reach for more processing.
How do I know the change helped?
Compare the versions at a similar overall level and listen to the parts together. The important line should be easier to follow while the supporting parts still make sense.

Read the guides for free, without an account. Choose the lessons you need, try the ideas in your own music and return whenever you get stuck.

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