Tips on mixing my first song with Logic Pro X

Hi everyone,

 

I am a newbie with regards to Logic Pro X and home recording in general but I have finally reached the point where I want to mix my first song with Logic Pro X and I just wondered if anyone of you knowledgeable users have any tips for a beginner like myself with regards to mixing my first song?

 

The first thing I need to know is quite basic but what should the volume levels be on the tracks for example:

 

Best volume levels for mixing a song:

 

1) Drums

2) Bass

3) Guitars

4) Solo Guitar

5) Lead Vocals

6) Background Vocals

7) Percussion

8) Synthesizer Chords

9) Synthesizer Riffs

10) Strings

 

I also need to know the Best settings and the Best effects I can use to enhance:

 

1) Vocals

2) Background Vocals

 

If there is anything that I might have missed that you guys think I need to know about then i would welcome any advice about mixing my first song. I have heard so much about effects like Reverb and Compressin that I would love to know any helpful tips you might have.

 

Many thanks.

There are no rules, and no one else is making the music you are making.

 

Mixing is about placing the instruments where *you* want them to be. Referencing other similar tracks will help, but ultimately, you do what you feel, and over time build up your knowledge, experience and skills, like any other complex art - you can't be expected to produce a commercial sounding mix when you're new at this - you make the best music you ca, and you learn, and hopefully a few years on, after doing hundreds of songs, you will be much better than where you are now.

 

Now one can tell you, without hearing the audio, how to mix a track via text.

 

In addition, reading around will help you start to understand how and why other people did things and you will pick up tips and techniques you can start to apply to your work - the internet is full of info, so there is no excuse these days to not learn a bunch of stuff easily... Listen a lot, try a lot, fail a lot, and you will get better with time and effort - that's the route *everybody* takes, and it is the only valid one.

 

If you are really new, I also suggest first mixing your song without any effects whatsoever - this lets you focus on the fundamentals, without getting yourself in knots adding a bunch of FX you don't really understand how to use properly - it can just make things worse. Mix without any effects, and then listen to what you think might be missing, or to what individual problems you have, and use a specific effect for that specific issue. We're spoiled by having every tool available in the box - I started with bouncing recordings between two tape decks which tracking to get sound on sound, and had no effects at all. These days everyone starts with 3000 reverbs before they even know how to use it effectively...

i think about mixing like this: take away what you dont need, and sweeten what you do.

some high profile mixers disagree on this, but i always take the low end out of everything that doesn't need it. i usually pick the thing i want to thump, either bass or kick, and let that dominate the low end. you can get both to play nice once you're a little more seasoned, but i think if i was just starting out, that would be good advice to avoid a muddy mix.

No rules mate! Mix as you want it.

 

I think the mix should enhance the song and the feeling, not destroy it. But to get there, you have many possibilities. That would be my recommended general steps:

 

1.) At the beginning just do a rough mix

2.) Add processing to the channels (where needed)

3.) Add effects to taste

 

Do each of these steps first with the two most important instruments. Then add the next one, etc.

 

Also check the mix on different systems. Studio, home, car, etc.

I'd strongly recommend investing some time looking at the Recording Revolution and Pensado's Place on youtube, they both have great tips on EQing, compression etc - Pensado's Place tends to be more advanced techniques / plugins whereas Recording Revolution has quite a strong emphasis on getting good results with built in plugs.

Thanks LondonMatt, Deft_Bonz, Des99 and Galacticus for your informative advice.

 

This has certainly helped me as I try to get to grips with mixing my first song. Its all quite daunting at the beginning for a newbie like myself but I am sure with much reading and watching some tutorials on Youtube as some of you have suggested plus following your sensible advice I will get there in the end.

 

Many thanks again for taking the time to respond to this post.

You can't run before you can walk.

You can't run before you can walk.

You can't even walk before you can walk.

Very wise words indeed EriksSimon and Logicc.

hehehehe.... yeah first you have to learn to crawl that means get to know your signal flow, get to know what EQ, compressors, etc. actually do, then you can start to walk. Means you start to actually use those plugins. And when you can run you can start to use different kinds of EQs, comps etc. and will be able to distinguish their differences. Then you'll choose them wisely (most of the time)

Taking free courses online (on MOOCs for instance) is an excellent jumpstart. Knowing ahead what you can expect (at least the basics) of your tools, what is available, what you can pull from these...

I.e. eartraining, music production, sound basics etc...

 

Avoid shoveling ahead issues. There is so much you can do with a lousy recording or performance, polishing turd is very time consuming and rarely yield satisfying/expected result...

 

Acquire proficiency into the easier stuff first, then move on to the next level. Using only volume faders on mono, then move on to pan, then automation on these. Then EQ highpass/lowpass filters on tracks, then move onto the band ones. That may seem wasting time, but the competence you will acquire will serve your lifetime.

 

Start with a plan, be methodic to achieve every step along the road. Don't worry too much about being too strict, you will have to make compromises sooner or later, so aim high so you succeed hitting the target lower...

 

Depending of your dedication and time involvment, you could expect impressive progress within few weeks.