Mixing is one of the more difficult aspects of creating your own music at home. It can give your music a very unique flavor when done correctly, but doing it correctly is often the big problem. While most professional mixing pros spend thousands of dollars on mixing boards and other equipment so they can feel their hands in motion as they do the mix, you can get the same results without the financial investment when you use music mix software.

Music Mix Software vs. Mixing Board Equipment

Here is one surprising fact that many beginners do not realize: the biggest difference between the music mix software that you can utilize on your home computer and the fancy mixing boards on the market is their price tag!

So many people assume that in order to produce professional sounding mixes they have to invest in a high quality mixing board. Many start out with a music mix software and then invest in the mixing board thinking they are investing in their career and taking it to the next level.

What they are all too often shocked to find is that their mixes don’t sound all that different using the expensive equipment than it did when produced with their music mix software!

All mixers should have the experience of feeling the mixing board beneath their fingertips at some point as it can be very inspiring. The good news is you don’t need town your own mixing board and all the other expensive equipment that goes with it just to become a great music producer or mix artist.

Tips for At-Home Mix Artists

So, you have your music mix software on your computer and you’re eager to start mixing your music. You can learn a lot just by reading all of the material that comes with your music mix software and going through any tutorials that are offered online, but the following tips will help you get off to a strong start so you can progress at a faster rate.

1. Great mixes have depth and never fall flat.

One of the biggest problems for beginners working with music mix software is overcoming the dull, flat tone that often comes out in a mix. You want to work with the panning feature in your music mix software to create more depth within the mix. This will give the rich, pleasing sound that you expect from professional mixes.

Another way to add depth is to double the harmonies, guitars and chorus lines. You will start to pick up on these things if you play around with the settings and different options presented with your music mix software.

2. Start with the drums.

The drums are a very dominant sound in the musical mix so it is best to start by setting them up for the perfect sound. With most music mix software programs you will be able to select between hearing what the audience hears or what the drummer hears. It is easiest for most people to listen to what the audience is hearing to ensure it sounds just perfect.

You should also be able to position all drums in the set which is a feature you will have to play with to see what you prefer for the type of music you are mixing. This gets down to the nit-picky details which require some experience and practice to master on your music mix software.

3. Keep the mono function on at all times.

When you hear music playing over the radio it is playing in “mono” format. You should be able to find a mono setting in your music mix software and you should always have this on. It is often shocking to find that you have created the perfect mix only to hear it go to stereo or over the radio and some instrument lines in the mix disappear or fade out.

To avoid this, you can use the mono function on your music mix software to make sure that no elements of your mix disappear when played in this format.

4. Don’t rush your progress.

One of the reasons so many people attempt using music mix software at home only to fail or give up is because they expect too much progress in too little time. There are some people who can pick this up exceptionally fast because they have a high level of natural talent, but for most people this takes a lot of study and practice.

Give yourself time to practice and explore your music mix software and it will become easier and more natural with time.