mixing

After listening through a track countless times, you may want to throw in the towel and call it ‘good enough’. Taking a few moments to listen to your track in several different ways to verify the quality of the mix can be helpful. For example, by listening from just outside the doorway of the room that your speakers are in, you can remove the stereo effects to focus on the other mixing effects that you’ve  added.
You can read about other mixing tips here: http://therecordingrevolution.com/2013/01/18/the-4-step-listening-check-for-your-mix/

“We’ll fix it in post-production” can be a common sentiment at recording sessions. While there is a lot of technology for the audio engineer to use to improve a recording, some things just can’t be fixed. An uninspired performance that is technically precise, in tone and in time, will be much more difficult to mix into a great track than a passionate performance with a few off notes mixed in. Know the limits of your engineer, and do what you can to help any musicians get into a state of mind that will accurately portray their passion for music.
You can read the full article here: http://therecordingrevolution.com/2012/12/03/one-thing-plugins-cant-fix/

EQ can add a lot to your mix if it’s used correctly, which in many cases is synonymous with ‘sparingly’. Knowing where to cut frequencies and where to boost them for different parts of your mix can make a huge difference in your final product. For example, your rhythm section may sound muddy, but the cause may actually be extra bulk on the low end of the other instruments.
You can read the full article about some EQ fixes for your rhythm section here: http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/in_the_studio_rhythm_section_mix_banance_tips/P2/

The difference between mono and stereo can ruin a mix if you’re not careful. Losing the cool stereo effects that you worked so hard on might be a little disappointing, but having your track sound lopsided when played with stereo output could be disastrous. Remember that mono and stereo can both refer to input and output. Take a few minutes to listen to your mix in mono to ensure there aren’t any compatibility issues.
You can read more about this here: http://www.audio-issues.com/music-mixing/panning-mono/

Mixing tracks for an album is no small task, but make sure you’ve done your homework before getting started. Keep the big-picture of the album in mind by listening to every track all the way through. Decide if the so-so tracks need to be cut, or maybe just re-recorded. By starting with a good set of tracks, you’re setting yourself up for a successful mixing session.
You can read more mixing tips here: http://therecordingrevolution.com/2013/01/04/3-things-i-do-before-every-mix/