It's simple to finish your mixes if you have a process.

Here's one that's worked for me and more than 39,000 musicians and engineers who've learned it from me through Step By Step Mixing.

This is the same process I'll be going through with you inside the Step By Step Mixing Challenge.

Step 1 - Beginning with the final mix in mind

When you do the initial mix, you want to keep in mind what kind of sound you're looking for and what you can do to make it easier to get there.

• Do you need to separate the vocals into "verse" and "chorus" vocals so that they're easier to process separately with effects?
• Are the lowest bass frequencies going to be dominated by the bass guitar, or will the kick drum fill out the low-end while the bass supplies the "tone"?
• Can you simplify your tracks into groups so that they're easier to manage and mix?

Once you get a good rough mix with faders and panning only, you may find that some tracks are clashing with each other, or that some tracks pop out too loudly in certain parts while feeling too quiet in others.

That's when we get to....

Step 2 - Creating a static, two-dimensional mix with EQ, compression, and saturation

Use EQ to fit everything together in the frequency spectrum.

Use compression to tame your tracks so that they're less dynamic and fit together better. This is often called "glue."

Then you can use saturation to create character, add warmth, or increase the "edginess" of your mix.

At that point you'll have a fairly exciting, but FLAT mix.

That's when we get to...

Step 3 - Creating depth and space with reverb and delay

When you use reverb and delay, there are three ways of thinking about creating a three-dimensional mix:

1. Dimension - This is when something feels bigger, like you've pulled a two-dimensional square from a piece of paper into the real world and transformed it into a square.
2. Depth - This is when you feel like elements have depth from front to back. It doesn't just sit there static in the mix, it feels extended inside the mix.
3. Space - This is where you don't just feel the track getting bigger in the mix but you also hear the space around the track itself.

Step 4 - Creating professional punch and power with parallel processing

Although reverb and delay go a long way, it's not enough to get that professional punch you need to compete.

That's why I use a combination of different parallel busses to achieve a better sound.

• The WIDER bus adds width to the elements I want.
• The BRIGHTER bus adds artificial high-end to things that sound dull.
• The FET and OPTO bus create loudness from within instead of squashing the transients of the mix, making the mix fuller.

...and more. 

If there's one thing I want you to get from the Step By Step Mixing Challenge, it's the power of parallel processing to elevate your mixes.

Then, all that's left is...

Step 5 - Make your final mix loud AND dynamic so that it’s ready for release

You will have already achieved a loud and punchy mix by this point, but if you add these final pieces to the puzzle, you can be confident that when you release your mix and listen to it on streaming services it will sound exactly like you want it to.

It'll feel like it belongs next to everything else you hear on the radio, or on streaming services.

Your next step...

If you have a mix that you'd like to finish and you want to try out this process, make sure you register for the Step By Step Mixing Challenge before it closes on Friday.

The challenge starts Monday and you'll have a final mix ready to go by the end of next week.

Sound good?

Click here to register now.