Mix Referencing: How to Get a Better Mix With Reference Tracks | LANDR Mix Tips #4

Опубликовано: 12 Октябрь 2024
на канале: LANDR

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Mix referencing is an important practice for finalizing your mixes.
Read more on the blog: https://blog.landr.com/reference-trac...
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It’s easy to lose perspective when you’ve been working with the same sounds for a long time.

If you don’t zoom out and see how your mix compares to other tracks, you might go too far in the wrong direction.

Using reference tracks is the best way to make sure that your mix translates well and holds its own against commercial recordings.

Mix referencing is the process of comparing your nearly finished mix to previous mixes you’ve made, other versions of your mix in the same project or commercial recordings.

It sounds simple, but there are a few crucial things to consider to make your referencing as effective as possible.

The cardinal rule of referencing is to match the level of the reference material to your track as closely as you can.

Small differences in loudness can have a surprisingly massive effect on your perception of sound.

Once your levels are properly matched you can identify which parts make it different from the reference material.

Before we get too far though, it’s important to remember that there’s no ‘correct’ way for your mix to sound.

Once you start comparing different recordings with a critical ear, you’ll hear that the majority of mixes sound quite different from one another

Even so, good comparisons can give you the information you need to address problems in your mix

Here are the main things to listen for:

Overall EQ contour
Overall Dynamics
Level and frequency range of each element

I’ve just exported a second attempt at a mix I’ve been struggling with. The song has a dense instrumental section with layers of guitar and synth and I haven’t quite been able to get it right.

To confirm that I’m going in the right direction, I’ll open a new project to compare my new mix with the previous one.

I’ll add the two stereo files to the timeline and change the solo mode to exclusive. In Logic Pro X I’ll do this by holding the option key while soloing.

This way I can toggle between my two tracks and see how the mixes stack up.

After snapping back and forth a bit, my old mix sounds flat and boxy by comparison. It’s overall frequency balance is much more narrow and mid-range focused.

The new mix is a lot more open and extended in the highs and lows. It’s also a bit less harsh in the critical upper-midrange—which will make it less likely to fatigue the listeners ears.

The individual drum hits are more punchy and easily pop through the dense texture.

I’m definitely on to something with this new mix, I’ll see if I can make things even better when I get back to my session.

Reference everywhere on anything.

Your fans listen to your music in thousands of different listening environments. To help your mix translate across the board, make sure to reference on as many different systems as you can.

Hearing the difference between your mixes and the reference track on a variety of different systems will give you a lot of useful information.

In addition to your monitors, check your tracks on a home or car stereo, headphones, earbuds, laptop speakers, your phone and any other playback system you have access to—It all matters!
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Read more about how to improve your mixes with referencing.
https://blog.landr.com/reference-trac...

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