Miss These Steps and Mixing Gets Hard - Do This First

Welcome to Mix Sessions. Today, I’d like to start a four-episode sequence on how to get a mix started using the best and wisest methods. When it comes to mixing, there are many different approaches, and very few rules of right or wrong. That said, some workflows work better than others. For example, a scatter-minded workflow is typically not the wisest approach. By that, I mean switching randomly between different elements of a mix—adjusting the master bus one second, then editing backing vocals, then programming drums. It’s much better to focus on one thing at a time and build the mix from the ground up. To me, that means getting all editing out of the way first—everything that is rational, like file organisation. I like to clear all of this so that none of it remains when I go deep into the creative mixing zone. I sometimes call this a “sandwich” workflow. It starts with the technical and organisational tasks. Then comes the middle layer—the creative part, where we mix, blend, and make musical decisions. Finally, at the end, we return to technical tasks again, such as peak levels, RMS levels, file types, bit depth, and sample rate. But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. A mix can be broken down into many workflows, and today I’d like to start with editing. Then we’ll move on to organising a mix so that you run into as few obstacles as possible. There’s foundational work we want to complete first, before moving into a rough mix—before we even touch any plugins. Today, I’ll show you a production I recorded some time ago. We’re looking at the recording session: kick in and out, snare top and bottom, overheads left and right, hi-hat, toms, a mid-side room, and a far room that we can blend together. When I highlight one of these clips, they all highlight together. That’s because I created groups. Every time I record a signal to more than one track, I create a group before tracking so those tracks stay linked. This has many advantages. For example, the bass has a DI and an amp—grouped together. Guitars with multiple microphones are also grouped. This keeps everything organised. Let’s have a listen. This was recorded all in the same room, so we do capture some spill on the room microphones. The room essentially captures the entire band together. The important thing to check is the overheads—do we get good separation? The spill is present, but it’s in a good balance. Spill is not necessarily a bad thing; it can add vibe and ambience. However, I would not record a final vocal take in the same room with a vocal microphone, as it captures too much spill. Here’s the guide vocal. You can clearly hear the entire band. In this case, the signal-to-spill ratio is not good enough, so this isn’t usable for the final production. We re-recorded this later. In preparation for mixing, there are several things I would do. Let’s start with the drums. At the beginning, I can see a count-in. If I zoom in, I can also see low-level signals before the first hit. These might be barely audible now, but I know that once compression is applied, they will come up. So I’m very careful to remove anything I don’t want. I trim everything up to the first snare hit, then apply a fade-in that ends before the transient. That way, I preserve the energy of the hit. This process is called “topping and tailing,” and I want it done to perfection before I start mixing. If I have to return to editing during mixing, it takes me out of the creative mindset. At the end of the track, I look for the point where the signal fades into the noise floor. I trim there and apply a long fade-out so the sound disappears naturally before the noise becomes audible. I repeat this process across all tracks. For example, on the bass, I trim the start and end, even if the signal is very quiet. Again, compression will bring these details forward later. This is a fundamental step that I apply every time, regardless of genre. From here, editing can go deeper. We might adjust the timing of drum hits or balance their levels. This is performance editing, and it can be very time-consuming. The key is to consider the genre. Some styles require very precise editing, while others benefit from natural timing and feel. It’s important not to over-edit. When you zoom in visually, it’s easy to fix things that aren’t actually a problem. Always zoom out and listen. If you wouldn’t notice it without seeing it, it’s probably fine. Next, let’s look at the session organisation. I like to map out the arrangement using memory locations. This allows me to quickly jump to sections like the chorus without searching. I also create a tempo map. This means the session follows the natural timing of the drummer. If the tempo speeds up or slows down slightly, the grid follows it. This makes editing easier and more musical, especially in genres where groove and feel are important. When editing vocals, I remove unwanted noise such as headphone spill and control breaths with fades. This keeps the performance natural while reducing distractions. In some cases, I use tools like strip silence—for example, on toms—to remove spill between hits. This helps keep the session clean and focused. Editing is a repetitive and technical process, so I deliberately separate it from mixing. Sometimes I even do this work on a laptop in a relaxed environment. An organised session reflects an organised mindset. If your workflow is clear, your mix will benefit. If it’s scattered, the results will reflect that as well. Your mindset matters. If you’re focused and in flow, your mix will show it. If you’re frustrated, that will also come through. Once editing is complete, we move into mix preparation. This includes setting up routing, creating groups, and preparing effects such as reverbs. I organise tracks into groups—drums, percussion, bass, guitars, vocals—and route them through subgroups. Using shared reverbs can create a sense of cohesion, while parameters like pre-delay help control depth. This stage ensures that when I begin mixing, I can stay fully in the creative zone without needing to return to technical setup. To summarise: The degree of editing depends on the genre. Edit enough, but keep it musical. Before mixing, make sure: All editing is complete The arrangement is mapped out A tempo map is created if needed The session is clean and organised With this groundwork in place, you can move into mixing with clarity and focus. In the next episode, we’ll continue building on this foundation. See you next week.