Try lowering the volume: Along with checking a mix through different speakers, it helps to listen for elements that jump out at different volume levels. In particular, spend some time with the mix turned way down. Thanks to equal loudness contours, our ears perceive bass frequencies differently at low volume, so mixing quieter can make it obvious when your bass levels are off. It also forces you to listen a little closer!

Skip the cheap reverb: If you have a choice between a low-quality reverb or no reverb at all, leave the track dry. When it’s not used as an obvious effect, we generally add reverb to restore a sense of natural space to close-miked tracks. However, cheap reverb sounds unnatural, and your listeners’ ears will sense this immediately. (Read more about why you should avoid cheap reverb.)

It’s easier to mix well-recorded tracks: Trite as it sounds, tracks that are recorded properly are easier to mix than tracks with problems. Any mix will only sound as good as the players, instruments, and equipment used to record it. If you’re having difficulty mixing a particular track, consider re-recording it …

Previously: Mixing tips, More Recording and Mixing Tips, The Big Page of Mix Tutorials

But taken together, small changes like these add up, and can really bring a mix to life.

Here are some of the small things you can do before hitting record to see big improvements at mix time:

• Tune everything: Guitars, piano, drums
• Change guitar strings
• Change drum heads
• Turn off fans, lights, and monitors while you record
• Clean and polish cymbals
• Make sure no inputs are clipping
• Put fresh batteries in effects pedals
• Use balanced drum sticks
• Put cat outside.

If you can’t play a part, don’t record it.
Practice until you can play it, or change the part so it’s easier to play. If you don’t nail the performance, it will show in the recording.

Stock your recording space with spare parts
Stuff breaks, but with a good emergency kit on hand, it doesn’t have to mean the end of a recording session. This is especially true if you record other people: Don’t trust the guitar player to remember a spare E string, but count on him breaking the one on his guitar.

The essential emergency kit: A multi-tool (like a Leatherman,) guitar strings and picks, drum sticks, band aids (!), instrument and microphone cables. And duct tape. No recording studio should be without several rolls of duct tape. You can keep a busted guitar together with enough duct tape. (Don’t ask.)

See Also: More Recording and Mixing Tips, Cut narrow, boost wide

You can always revisit the song: Have you ever put off finishing a mix because you fear the result won’t sound as perfect as you imagine it? Some folks never manage to finish anything because of this quest for perfection. But sometimes, you just need to call a job done and move on. This is much easier to do when “done” can just as easily mean “to be polished and perfected later.”

Be honest with yourself: And most importantly, be honest about your abilities. Of course, you must stretch your limits to improve, but don’t hold yourself to unreal expectations. Your mix doesn’t sound radio-ready because you haven’t been at it as long as the major label mixers and producers. Skills like theirs, however, will come to you if you put in the time.

Take a break from the mix: There’s nothing like “fresh ears” to bring perspective to a mix. Thanks to habituation, you lose objectivity in your hearing, especially after the hundredth time listening to a song effectively on repeat. Taking breaks is especially important when you mix for a deadline. If time allows, spend a few days away from the track and listen to lots of other music. Reset your ears. But even if you only have a few hours before the deadline, it still helps to step away from the mix. Any change in your listening perspective will help you notice elements of the mix you’ve been unconsciously ignoring.

Previously: More Recording and Mixing Tips, The Big Page of Mix Tutorials

Better sources lead to better recordings: It should go without saying, but the “garbage in garbage out” principle applies to recording as much as anything. If the performance you’re recording sounds bad to your ear, there’s not much chance it’ll sound good to a microphone. So make sure the sound source is the best it can be before hitting record. Some obvious things you can check to enhance the quality of your source:

• Are the musicians well-rested?
• Is the singer relaxed?
• Do the guitars have fresh strings? And the drums fresh heads?
• Are there any fans or air conditioners you can turn off?

Finish the arrangement before recording: With a clear idea how the song should sound, it’s much easier to tell when you’ve captured the best take. This is a no-brainer when you’ve paid someone to record you (less time spent means less dollars spent!) But since many home recordists like to let the ideas flow while they record, arranging and recording become part of the same process. Try to separate them so you know before the mics are in place how your song will sound when it’s done.

Practice, then record: The most obvious advantage of practice is the time saved in recording. The better you know your parts, the quicker you can record them. But practice also yields better-sounding performances, and per the first tip above this is key to recording great tracks. Less obvious, but perhaps most important: As you practice, you’ll develop nuances in your performance that add to your song’s character. I’m sure you’ve noticed this, with a song that evolved even after you’d recorded it and called it “done.” So why not help the process along, and find those nuances before recording.

Save Your Work Often: Especially if you employ the tips above and create magic as soon as the tape starts rolling, it’s imperative to save as you work.

Have a goal in mind: With a plan in mind before you start recording, you’ll have a much better idea when you’ve captured the right take. As the saying goes, if you don’t know where you’re headed, how can you tell when you’ve arrived?!

Be comfortable: Whether you’re performing, recording, or mixing, you’ll fare better with fewer distractions. You don’t need concerns about heat or thirst throwing you off your game. If it’s hot, turn on the A/C (and if that’s too loud, just shut it off while the tape is running.) If you’re thirsty, especially while singing, drink lots of water. If you’re tired, take a break.

A second vocal mic adds possibilities at mix time: Add a second microphone to your vocal recordings, one that audibly differs from your main vocal mic. For example, if you normally use a large condenser mic for vocals, add a small dynamic mic, like an SM57. Place the second mic as close as you can to the main mic, so both record the same sound

This second mic can be used to colour your vocal. For example, you can heavily compress the sound of this mic while leaving the main mic untreated. Or try switching between each mic throughout the song, perhaps to get a different vocal sound in the choruses.

Everyone can have good ideas: Even drummers.

Monitor through different sources while mixing and mastering: As you work, periodically check your mixes through near-field monitors, HiFi speakers, computer speakers, headphones, even an old boom box if you have one. As the mix nears completion, you’ll be much more confident that your work sounds great in any listening environment.

When recording electric guitar, add a 2nd mic near the guitarist’s ears: Guitar players naturally move to a spot where their amp sounds best. So along with a mic directly on the amp, use the guitarist’s instincts to your advantage, and record the sound that the player hears.

Get the sound you want before pointing a microphone at it: It’s easier to capture the right sound when it sounds right.