The World’s Shortest Mixing Course You’ll Ever Need

Mixing doesn’t have to be complicated. While there are endless plugins, techniques, and opinions, great mixes usually come from mastering a few fundamentals and applying them with intention. If you remember nothing else, remember this.

1. Start with balance

Before touching EQ or compression, set your faders. A solid volume balance can make a mix feel finished surprisingly fast. If the song works at this stage, everything else becomes easier.

2. Fix problems, don’t decorate

EQ is a corrective tool first. Remove mud, harshness, and unnecessary frequencies before thinking about “character” or flavor. Cleaning up always beats piling on.

3. Compress with a reason

Compression should have a clear purpose: control dynamics, add punch, or shape tone. If you can’t explain why you’re compressing something, you probably don’t need it.

4. Pan for clarity, not excitement

Panning is about space. Use the stereo field to separate elements so they don’t fight each other. Width often creates more clarity than turning things up.

5. Use effects to create depth, not distraction

Reverb and delay should place sounds in a space, not wash them out. Subtlety goes a long way—contrast makes depth feel real.

6. Reference constantly

Compare your mix to great-sounding tracks at the same loudness. References keep your ears honest and your decisions grounded.

7. Trust your ears and stop tweaking

If it sounds good, it is good. Overthinking is the fastest way to ruin a mix.

That’s the whole course. No secrets, no shortcuts—just fundamentals, applied well.