“Start A Mix” Cheatsheet

Here are a few of the most common ways to start a mix. Enjoy!

1. Rhythm First

This technique involves starting your mix with the groove—usually the
drums. You typically start by bringing in the kick first. Then you bring in
other drum tracks one by one until the rhythm section sounds solid, before
moving on.

This is the most common way to start a mix. It’s great for tracks where the
groove is the primary focus (EDM, funk). It can also feel easier to start a
mix using this technique, because you start with only one track.

There are, however, some downsides to this approach. It’s easy to ignore
context and head in the wrong direction, since you are not listening to the
entire mix when you start. Because of this, the rhythm-first approach
requires more discipline. You have to move quickly, otherwise you’ll spend
way too long working on one track, only to find out later that you need to
completely change the way it sounds. The other downside to this approach
is that you can end up with a larger-than-life drum sound and little room left
for anything else.
2. Lead First

This technique involves starting with the “lead” of the arrangement—usually

the vocal. You bring this lead track in on its own, add compression and
effects, and get it to a place where it sounds great. Then you build the rest
of your mix around the lead.

The advantage to this approach is that the lead ends up sounding

larger-than-life (since you started with it). This works well for tracks where
the lead is the focus—like folk or singer/songwriter music.

The downside to this approach is that, again, it can be hard to make

decisions without the other tracks in your mix playing. You can easily end
up making the wrong moves, which you’ll usually have to revisit down the
line.

3. Key Element

This technique involves starting with whatever “drives” the track. This can
be anything—a shaker, acoustic guitar, etc. You are looking for the track
that the rest of the song feels like it’s built around.

You bring this track in on its own and add processing as needed. After the
“key element” sounds great, you start bringing in the other tracks.

This approach is flexible enough to accommodate a variety of scenarios,

since the key element can change from song to song. It also gives
prominence to what matters most in your mix.

The downside to this approach is that, again, it can be hard to make

decisions without the other tracks in your mix playing. You can easily end
up making the wrong moves, which you’ll usually have to revisit later.
4. All Faders Up (Or Top-Down Mixing)

This technique involves starting with a rough mix and bringing all tracks in
before you add plugins. You get as far as you can using balance alone, and
then you start adding processing.

This is my go-to approach, and I think it’s the best of all the ones I’ve
mentioned so far. You get context and perspective right from the beginning,
because you are hearing all the tracks as they relate to each other. This will
typically lead to better mixing decisions. This technique also forces you to
focus more on balance, which will also improve your mixes.

There are a few downsides to this approach. It can be harder to identify

problems when all the tracks are playing together. You might hear
muddiness, for example, but you won’t always be sure where it’s coming
from. It can be easier to identify the source of problems when there are
fewer tracks playing.

This approach can also be overwhelming for newer mixers, who may prefer
to deal with a smaller number of tracks at once. Despite these downsides, I
still prefer this technique over the others I mentioned here.

For more mixing tips and tricks, visit ​BehindTheSpeakers.com​.

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