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How to Make a Warm Mix
When making your mix sound warm, try transformer or tube saturation to create a strong second-order harmonic - then amplify the lows with some upward compression and a low shelf. Optical compression may make the mix sound warmer as well, but be sure not to compress too heavily.
If you’re looking to make your mix warm sounding, let’s look at a chain that’ll work well - it includes 6 inserts, each of which will be used subtly. This chain is great for some finishing touches on your mix, before sending it off for mastering.
It starts with a Gullfoss EQ to ensure everything is balanced before amplifying the signal, then saturation, upward compression, and a low-frequency shelf. We’ll then cut and amplify some of the sides to make it a little cleaner and fuller on the side. Then it ends with some subtle parallel optical compression to smooth out the sound.
The Gullfoss EQ will dynamically attenuate and boost frequencies to balance out the sound - it works well first since it levels out the frequency spectrum so that when we make it warm with the subsequent processing, it doesn’t become overbearing. Subtle settings work really well here, only about 10 percent.
Use the mastering version of this plugin to ensure the effect is only a couple of dB shifted at most.
A transformer-based saturator will be great for warming up your mix since it adds a strong second-order harmonic - which we can observe by running a sine wave through it. One great free option for this is MSaturator by Melda Audio, with which you can control harmonics easily.
We can either use the Soft Mode and increase the Analog slider or increase the value of the 2nd harmonic slider. Either way, you get a warmer mix.
Since this is on your mix bus, keep the amount low or use the wet/dry to blend it in.
With the FabFilter MB compressor, or with another multiband dynamics processor, we can isolate our low frequencies, use a positive range and compression settings to amplify the quietest aspects of the signal. This way the signal is amplified whenever it falls below the threshold.
This may increase the noise floor, but it shouldn’t be too noticeable.
Although this is really straightforward, a low shelf is a really powerful tool - we can use an analog emulator like a Pultec-based plugin to create a distinctive slope, or we can use a parametric EQ for more control. Either way, try not to amplify the section more than 2dB.
If the plugin you have lets you, make the band dynamic. Also, if the EQ is mid-side, place the shelf on the mid-channel.
If you have an EQ that lets you affect your mid and side separately, use a high pass filter on the side channel to make your lows more mono - this will keep the mix driving while we boost the side image. Then we’ll amplify around 300Hz.
This combo results in a clean and direct sound but definitely helps warm the mix.
Last up let’s use a compressor with a wet/dry effect and achieve about 1dB of attenuation while using automatic makeup gain. If we use the internal side-chain filter to remove highs from triggering the compressor, the compressor will trigger whenever the lows are loud enough.
The auto make-up gain will basically cause the lows to become denser without losing much impact. As a result, we get a warmer sound.
Let’s face it — trying to create professional mixes without the correct knowledge, tools, services, and network is like playing a concert with a broken instrument to an audience of no one.
That’s where the Sage Audio membership comes in — the membership gives you everything you need to create professional mixes consistently.
The membership is the secret to your success — it’s the difference between the 1,929,999,999 of poor-sounding mixes and the .00000002% of mixes that make people say 'WOW!"
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Let’s go over each one so you can decide if the membership is right for you.
1. Sage Audio University
SAU Flagship Mixing Course: 23-video in-depth mixing course that reveals the little-known secrets of mixing and matches the needs of the new music industry.
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SAU Pre-Mastering Course: Concise pre-mastering course that details the latest industry standards for preparing your mixes for mastering.
SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from budding mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout each course.
Each SAU course includes Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website and social channels.
The Sage Audio private 1-on-1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us for advanced mixing feedback, in-depth discussions, and customized guidance that's tailored to your specific needs.
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Customized guidance that’s tailored specifically to your needs.
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Unlimited professional mixing feedback directly from us so you can consistently improve your skills and create professional mixes.
Mixing feedback is invaluable, and the Sage Audio membership gives you continual direct access to us for real-world feedback so you can improve every aspect of each of your mixes while you're in the process of mixing.
50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
You get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
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