Mixing

Preparing your tracks for mixing can be a bit of work, but it pays off in the final product!

Export at the same sample rate you use in your DAW, which should be the sample rate you tracked at, and hopefully the sample rate any samples you used are at.

32-bit float is ideal but properly dithered 24-bit works too. The volume doesn’t matter as long as nothing is clipping.

Render mono sources as mono and stereo sources as stereo, with every track starting at the same time, preferably on the downbeat of the first measure.

Anything I know I’ll need to compress, I’d like to get raw. In other words, without any EQ, compression, or effects.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Drums & Bass – send raw
Vocals – send raw (after any pitch correction)
Synths – send whatever comes out of the synth
Guitars – send without reverb and delay
Everything else – use your best judgment, or send both raw and effected versions

Center all stereo files, but feel free to include your pan position in the filename, e.g. “Moog Pad R25.wav”

Speaking of filenames, it would be nice but not necessary for you to prefix groups like this:

VOCALS – Lead
VOCALS – Harmony 1
VOCALS – Harmony 2
DRUMS – Kick
DRUMS – Snare
etc…

If you’ve got a reference mix, please include that too! You might also note the BPM in the filename.

If you feel that reverb, delay, or something else I asked you to remove is an essential part of the sound, please include an effected version for reference.

All mixing is performed at $140 per hour. Mastering is included in that process at no extra charge.

When I master a track that I mixed, I don’t use any EQ. Tonal issues are always addressed at the mix level.

How long it takes depends on the complexity of the arrangement. Most take 2-4 hours, assuming the vocals are usable as-is.

Feel free to email me with any questions!

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