Mixing the Track: Step-by-Step Guide

Welcome back! I'm happy with the structure now, and I feel it's time to mix the track to make all these elements really stand out in their own right and for the track to sit better together as one piece. I might make a few adjustments to the structure as I go along, but, like I say, I'm pretty happy.

Starting with the Kick Drum

The first thing I'm going to do is come over to the drums and start with the kick. It's always a good place to start when mixing.

• Kick Drum Setup
  Here's my kick drum. I'll zoom in a little bit to tidy this up on the simpler here. This ensures that the kick really snaps to the grid by aligning the start of the sample hit point.

• Make it Mono
  The next thing I'm going to do is make the kick mono. It will come straight down the center of the mix, which is a good place for a kick drum to sit, along with the snare.

  • Action: Put the utility device on and bring it to mono.

• Adding EQ
  Now, I'll pop on some EQ and give it a little shape. Double-click this to see it a bit bigger.

  • Frequency Adjustments:
    • Take a little bit of a low frequency out using a low cut.
    • Do a little boost to the low frequency end, maybe around 60 Hz.

  This band here is a bell curve. I can boost or cut specific frequencies with this band. I want to give a little more low end to the kick by adding a bit more bass frequency.

• Compression
  I'm going to pop on some compression here. The trick is to make the kick drum a little punchier.

  • Settings:
    • Adjust the strength
    • Set the ratio
    • Slow down the attack
    • Take off the auto makeup
    • Lower the threshold

  I've reduced the volume even though it's a bit more aggressive, so I need to make up for that by adding maybe 6 dB.

Snare Drum Adjustments

Now, I'm pretty happy with the kick. Next, I'll work on the snare.

• Snare Drum Setup
  Coming out of the simpler device, I'm going to grab my EQ to give it a better shape.

  • Frequency Adjustments:
    • Take a little bit of the high frequency out
    • Remove some lows

  Let's grab a compressor and increase the ratio. I'll lower the threshold and adjust the attack so the compression happens a little quicker. That sounds good!

Adding Effects

I want to add a little reverb to the snare, and I like to do this with a send-return configuration.

1. Create a Return Track

   • Go to Create -> Insert Return Track. This is an auxiliary track where I can route a certain sound to this track that has an effect on it.

2. Insert Reverb

   • Put in a reverb here and ensure the effect is on 100% wet.
   • Send the signal to this track. Check Solo In Place to hear the reverb coming through.

Working on Percussion

Next, I'll come over to the percussion track:

• Percussion Track Setup
  Loop up a little section and solo it. I'll throw on my trusty EQ.

  • Frequency Adjustments:
    • Trim away high frequency energy that sounds a bit bright.
    • Remove unwanted low frequency energy.

• Using the Glue Compressor
  I'm going to grab the Glue Compressor to compress multiple drums together.

  • Lower the threshold and adjust as needed.

More Reverb and Effects

Now, I'll get another return track for a different type of reverb. I'll label this one a medium reverb and load it up.

• Using Reverb on Shakers
  For the shakers, I'll use my EQ8 again to visualize and effectively cut unwanted low frequency energy and some high frequencies to smooth them out.

• Compressing Shakers
  I'll copy over the glue compressor settings from the percussion track and drag it onto the shaker track.

Crash Cymbal and Brush Drums

• Crash Cymbal Setup
  Again, I'll use EQ to cut low frequency energy and brighten it up with a high shelf to enhance high frequency energy.

  • Add medium reverb after making adjustments.

• Brush Drums Setup
  I'll check the brush drums. The sample leans to the right-hand side, so I'll pan it to the left to balance it out. I need to trim some low and high frequencies there as well.

• Compression for Brush Drums
  Similar to the snare compression, I'll copy those settings over.

Grouping Drums

I want to get all of the drums going to one place to group them.

• Grouping Tracks
  Using Shift, select all different drums, including the crash cymbal, and right-click to group tracks.

• Apply Compression to the Group
  Use the Glue Compressor on the group track to help everything sit together.

Final Adjustments

I noticed another sample under the drums that needs attention.

• Last Sample Adjustments
  Use EQ8 to remove any bass notes and fine-tune using the fine-tuning feature in the simpler device.

Focusing on Musical Elements

Next up, I'll mute my drums and focus on the hang drum.

• Hang Drum Processing
  I'll start with EQ to cut low frequencies and adjust for resonance.

  • Compression: Use the Glue Compressor to even out the sound.

• Adding Reverb
  Three different types of reverb will be added: small, medium, and large.

Bass Line Improvements

Lastly, I think the bass line needs some improvements.

• EQ for Bass
  Put in some EQ to cut extra low end and mid-range frequencies for clarity.

• Saturation
  Add Ableton Saturator in soft sign mode for a tape-like saturation effect.

• Final Compression
  Add compression to refine the bass sound.

With these steps, I believe the track will come together beautifully! Happy mixing!