Audio/MIDI Mixing Procedure

There is not a singular way to mix down a song. Nevertheless, there is a logical flow to getting a song where you want it.  Here’s mine:

EDITING/TIMING

1. Flatten and merge comps (compilations of takes)
2. Establish phase-locked groups (for any instruments recorded with multiple tracks)
3. Bus groups (for applying effects across a range of tracks)
4. Create universal sends for project reverb, delay, compression, etc.
5. Process audio tracks in Flextime (non-Logic users employ your respective audio beat detection tool)
   • Use appropriate method for tracks (i.e. monophonic for vocals, polyphonic for guitars, slicing or rhythmic for drums)
6. Edit/correct timing as needed across tracks (I generally avoid brute quantization)
7. If using any drum resampling, apply now
8. Finalize any MIDI instruments

TUNING

1. Process vocals (and any other necessary tracks) with your choice of pitch correction plug-in
2. Tune vocals or any other tracks necessary

LEVELS and MIX

From this point forward, you should be A/Bing the mix (i.e. listening to mix decisions on at least two different pairs of speakers) in as acoustically flat (or, at least, as predictable) of a room as possible

1. Pan tracks
2. Write volume automation across tracks
3. Bring in effects:
   1. Start with vocals, then instrumentation
   2. EQ
   3. Compression
   4. Create reverb bus for project and send appropriate tracks post-fader (generally)
   5. Anything else

For most purposes, you should add effects to your group bus for a given instrument and not the individual tracks.

I don’t touch the master bus if the album is being mastered independently.  This leaves adequate dynamic headroom and minimal coloration of the sound.  If I am mastering an album, I still wait and do a true stereo master (with all songs for a given project).