In case you didn't know, saturation is one of the best ways to add that extra 10% to your mix to make it stand out. It's also the last processor I teach you to use in Step By Step Mixing.
If you don't have any saturation plug-ins, don't worry. They're easy to find for free on the internet. Besides, like you'll learn today, you don't always want to use them.
However, sometimes it's exactly what you need to add some secret warmth to your mix. Here are the three ways you can approach saturation in a mix.
1. Use the Right Saturation Type and Take Some Time to Tweak It
In Step By Step Mixing I show you all about my three favorite saturation plug-ins:
- Waves Kramer Tape
- Fabfilter Saturn
- Plug and Mix Analoger
They all sound very different from each other and they all have their different uses. For example, the Kramer Tape just does tape emulation while the Saturn has all sorts of saturation styles, ranging from clean tape saturation to Rectifier distortion.
The Kramer Tape also adds a cool delay element so you can create cool slap echo tones the Saturn doesn't do. I love using it for some vintage vocals!
You'd be surprised how different they sound, especially if you take the time to get the settings just right. So give yourself a few options and experiment with the settings until you find something that works.
2. Don't Be Afraid of Scrapping the Effect Entirely
That said, don't marry the idea of saturation on every track. If it's not making your mix sound any better, no matter how much you tweak the plug-in, just trash the idea and move on!
Saturation can give you some interesting textures but it can also make your instruments duller. If all that "analog warmth" is really just creating a dull mix without any excitement it's time to move onto better and brighter ideas.
3. Always Be Aware of Gain-Staging
Saturation is a tricky one to get right. Don't make the mistake of adding too much tape saturation on the master fader because you might end up with some accidental digital clipping.
Learn More Saturation Techniques to Spice Up Your Mix
As you might know, Step By Step Mixing is one of the easiest ways you can get better at mixing.
After I help you create separation with EQ, tightness with compression and space with reverb and delay - you'll learn to have some fun with saturation to spice up your mix.
You'll learn things like:
- How to saturate your kick drum to give your low-end more thickness and weight
- Using multi-band saturation to give your snare drum more bite
- Using parallel saturation to create subtle thickness and warmth
- Adding tape emulation on acoustic guitars to bring them out in the mix
If you're interested in making better mixes by using the five most important plug-isn in your DAW, head on over to www.StepByStepMixing.com to get started.