Mixing Start To Finish: A Step by Step Guide to Balanced Mixes

In this video, I turned the camera on while mixing to show you the steps I took to get a balanced mix. I use an approach called "Top-Down Mixing" where I start by setting a static mix before adding effects and automating. These techniques can be applied when mixing many types of music. Feel free to ask me any questions about these methods in the comments below.

►Gear/Software used:
DAW: FL Studio 20 (all DAWs have similar function)
Free Plugins: TDR Kotelnikov, Nova Dynamic EQ, Molotok Compressor and Slick EQ
Interface: Lynx Hilo
Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro 250 Ohm
Speakers: PSI A23-M

0:00 - Intro
1:00 - Listening to the stems
2:00 - Top-Down mixing
5:50 - Vocal Reverb and Delay
8:55 - Piano and Guitar
11:40 - Backing vocals
13:00 - Vocal Effects
14:40 - Bass and Drums
18:50 - Adjusting more tracks
20:35 - Vocal Automation
22:30 - Take a break
23:20 - Listening to the mix
23:45 - Vocal editing
25:45 - Side-chaining
26:50 - Listening to the mix
27:15 - More automations
29:20 - Global EQ
30:45 - Final thoughts and revisions

[therealfantasy]

You could literally charge us hundreds of dollars for these tutorials that you share for free.
Thank you, you're an angel : )

[FernandoCastillo-ogze]

It's so impressive when after a break you realize you can hear so much more details, nuances on the song that you didn't perceive before due to the ears that needed a rest for around 15 minutes maybe, just wow. Now I can clearly see how important is to put our ears to rest very often.

[danielwilson]

"You Pull Me Back"

Michael - *pulls back fader*
14:03

[MusokeMSK]

"There is no point in doing this in solo" - this is such an important advice. Most amateurs forget about the fact that no one will listen to your song in solo. Thank you! Great mixing tutorial!

[ROUBON]

I learned everything from Michael. Who's with me?

[sigh]

I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but watching you mix this beautiful song and seeing the enjoyment you're getting out of it was honestly really touching. I love mixing, and getting a good mix just feels so nice and fulfilling, especially when you follow your instincts and do thoughtful things that have an impact you notice. It sounds super nerdy but I don't care cause I love it!

[dhanushbalakrishna]

God bless this guy, both mixing and mastering from start to finish videos are gold

[musicbyhardik]

It was a bad day and your “welcome back to the channel” with that smile brought me a smile on my face, you’re a saviour ♥️ we all love you

[SenpaiTheExplorer]

dude... ive been doing this on and off for 15 years and you taught me more in 30 mins then any of they other "mixing" videos i've seen on yt in the past 15 years. well done is all i have to say. definitely subbing.

[nigelrajaratnam]

Haven't commented on any of your videos before, but man, these videos you do, are straight up fantastic, and useful. I make a living doing production and mixes, and so much of what I knew, didn't know or thought I knew, has been upgraded and solidified by watching one of your videos. Love the efficiency of you delivery style and the thoroughness with which you approach these. You should do a collaboration with sage audio.
You two may be the absolute best thing on YouTube for producers.
Thanks so much!

[viniic.s]

This Michael dude so good that when the ads came in, i watched all length of them just as a way of giving you back.

[rome]

The unmixed stems already sound better than anything I've ever mixed. It must be nice to start with great recordings.

[TOXICARTIST]

Legends are liking the video and saving to their playlist before watching 😅

[israel]

showing us how to get high quality mixes on FL studio whilst using mostly free plugins is the most noble shit anyone on the YouTube engineering community has done. thank you fr.

[maryjaneamen]

i have literally tried learning mixing and mastering for vocals for about 2 years now and you are the first person to explain it in such a way that makes it easy to learn. i feel like i actually understand what to do with mixing and balancing, so thank you so so so so much for your videos!

[chowboonil]

The much awaited video has finally arrived... this will solve the hardest part of being an amateur and broke producer. Thanks my mentor. You will be remembered for generations

[elzurixmusic]

This format of doing something from start to finish works so great! I can't stress enough how much it helped me understand every point that you've taught me in your older videos, whether if it's how compression works, why you should reduce frequency bands instead of boosting them to find problematic areas, and most importantly, why you don't need to mix in mono, that point you really made clear when you talked about planning how the track will sound and listening to it from a "top-down view".
I really really want you to continue making videos in that format, it's giving us, the viewers a practical example of how each tip could be used in the context of the whole mix and I have few suggestions for the next videos:
- Producing a track idea/draft Start To Finish
- Recording instruments/drums/vocals Start To Finish
- Sound designing Start To Finish (I'm not talking specifically about how to create basic sounds, but rather how to make a sound that will fit a certain mix or song)
Thanks a lot for all of these videos :)

[maxs]

Wowwww. 😮 The high-pass on the instruments for that last chorus just opened everything right up and made everything really clear and pop. Beautiful. 👏 28:14 vs 26:50

[DoggMatik]

This presented some really valuable insight.

As someone who doesn't mix, and is really just messing around with FL studio to explore a little creativity, I'm so damn thankful I stumbled onto this video.

I have so much respect for the mixers of music now. It's an overlooked process but it's so critical to the listeners experience. I also learned a lot of great info that I can put to use eventually.

[c_bsvxlgjejqirylydzw]

I like how measured your explanations are. You rarely make blanket or unquantifiable statements, reminding people to not just overuse techniques you did in your video based on them just so happening to be of use multiple times in this single project of yours. This is really refreshing, because, usually, tutorials end up being useless, not giving precise enough justifications for the exact steps taken and more of an insight into the character of the presenter than anything else. Yours, on the other hand, are interesting, even if one is already aware of most of the technical aspects discussed and here for more than just the usual manufactured iillusion of a magical, black-box mixing process. You're teaching the actual process and function of things, not just to set dials a specific way for no apparent reason. It is reassuring to be hearing the same problems and thinking of similar solutions. Thank you for posting!