Mixing happens before mastering ^50%

The Secret to Unlocking Your Music's True Potential

Have you ever wondered why your music sounds great on headphones, but loses its sparkle when played through car speakers or at a live show? The answer lies in the mixing and mastering process. As a musician, understanding these two crucial steps can make all the difference between an average-sounding track and one that truly connects with listeners.

Understanding the Mixing Process

Mixing is often misunderstood as simply balancing levels, but it's so much more than that. It's about creating a cohesive sound that draws the listener in and holds their attention. A good mix takes into account the relationships between all the individual elements in your track, from the drums to the guitars, bass, and vocals.

The Role of EQ in Mixing

• Low-end EQ helps control the warmth or bite of your low frequencies
• Midrange EQ shapes the clarity and definition of your mid-range sounds
• High-end EQ adds brightness, airiness, or a sense of distance to your high-frequency sounds
• Choosing the right EQ settings can completely transform the sound of your track

Mastering: The Final Touches

Mastering is often seen as the final step in the music production process. It's where you take your mixed tracks and prepare them for distribution across various platforms, from streaming services to CDs. A good mastering engineer will optimize your track's loudness, EQ, compression, and stereo image to make it shine on any playback system.

Why Mixing Happens Before Mastering

Mixing happens before mastering because it allows you to create a balanced sound that works for your specific mix. Mastering is then used to take that mix and adapt it to different listening environments. If you try to master without first mixing, you risk sacrificing the balance and cohesion of your track in favor of making it loud or "big" enough.

Conclusion

So why does mastering come after mixing? It's simple: good mixing sets the foundation for great mastering. By taking control of your mix and creating a balanced sound, you give your mastering engineer the best possible starting point to work from. With this understanding, you'll be well on your way to producing music that truly connects with listeners.