Synths, snares, guitars, and vocals (among others) fill up the midrange. Low-frequency instruments like kick drums and bass sit at the bottom of your mix and are its foundation.
MIXING PIANO AND VOCALS FULL
These are usually called “stems” and they allow you full control over the mix. The first common scenario when mixing vocals with instrumentals is when you either recorded or have been provided with a set of raw tracks. With the big picture in mind, it’s time to start mixing the instrumental itself. Only then finish with the centerpiece of the track: the vocal. Then, move on to the harmony, in synths, guitars, or piano. It’s worth starting your mix with its foundation: the rhythm, in the bass and drums.
In fact, this reaches through all of mixing. Ultimately, your mix is built on this foundation, and it’s worth putting extra time into ensuring the song itself is as good as possible before you ever step into the studio. The definition we started off with emphasized that a great mix starts with a great song.
Before we move into any of those mixing details, it helps to understand the bigger goal of your mix. One of the traits of a great mixer is the ability to focus on the small details that make a track pop without losing sight of the big picture. We’ve included a dedicated section to help make your mix gel effectively when you’re mixing vocals with an already-mixed track. Still, the foundations of a great mix apply to both of these situations. Mixing vocals with an existing instrumental can be a tough art, especially if you don’t have the stems to work with. We’ve brought together best practices and interesting mixing techniques into a single guide that will help you combine vocals with an instrumental and deliver that elusive great mix. A great mix is one that brings a great song to its fullest potential through its production. Just about anyone with some entry-level gear can make a mix, but not many people can make a great mix. A mix is the final presentation of a production in an audio file.