Music: Tips to Increase the Quality of Your Mixes

Below are some tips to help you in equalization and the quality of your mixes.

1) Bass is something we all enjoy. However, consider that every action has a reaction. When you accent the bass, you're also subtracting the midrange and treble. Instead of boosting your bass frequencies, try subtracting the midrange gently instead.

2) Always roll off the treble on your tracks. Generally most popular recordings gradually decrease treble as the spectrum goes up because it yields a very pleasant sounding mix. There are exceptions but this is the widely accepted method.

3) On that same end, apply the theory to instruments. If you want your bass guitar to stand out more, don't just boost the bass guitar. Rather, subtract the bass frequencies on all your other instruments.

4) Most instruments require a bit of EQ even if you tracked your audio flawlessly. How do you go about getting that sound in your head, though? The most popular way is to ''sweep''. Open your EQ program, select a single EQ band, narrow it's width, boost it's volume, and sweep the frequency spectrum slowly. Listen for any offensive tones and make a note to reduce it later, after you're done sweeping.

5) Always be aware that even minor changes can be extremely significant. A few decibels of cuts can drastically effect the outcome of your mix, for better or worse.

6) Don't be extreme. Large amounts of boosts and cuts are in many cases, way too much to fix a problem. A few decibels will do you fine.

7) Focus on your mix. Making all your instruments sound good individually will NOT yield a good mix overall. Frequencies will clash and result in a cluttered mix that's unpleasant to listen to.

8) Generally, always cut before you boost. Boosting will change the perceived volume of the mix and make you change many other things.

9) Don't always rely on volume to make instruments stand out. Use EQ, heighten certain frequencies on that instrument and eliminate those same frequencies on other instruments.

10) Don't be too fussy with your plugins. Listen carefully and try to be objective. If everything sounds good, leave it be.

11) Always track the best possible tone. Tracking is also known as recording. Be sure to get the best possible performance and tone while recording, it will save you time later and often it sounds better than trying to fix mistakes in the post production process.

12) Always make sure you're improving the sound of your audio. Bypass all your effects and make sure the end result is better than how it started.

13) Listen to your audio on everything. Car speakers, boom boxes, head phones. Your goal is to create a mix that sounds great no matter how your audience hears it.

These 13 tips are invaluable for creating a mix that's clear and enjoyable.