Sage Audio Articles

Top 11 Vocal Delay Tips

Avoid High Feedback on Short DelayUse Delay Ducking for ClarityTry Emulation for Classic SoundCreate Dynamic Control Before DelayAmplify Mel Curve Delay FrequenciesUse Simple Stereo DelayWiden BGVs with Sample DelayUtilize this Free Delay PluginCreate Experimental Delay with Chow MatrixUse Latch Automation on DelayRecreate Ducking with Parallel Send

How to Make a Mix Sound Better

When making a mix sound better, equalize desired frequencies into saturation - this causes stronger harmonics related to those amplified frequencies. Additionally, tailor your reverb for each instrument, including snare and kick, to increase sustain, while introducing bus reverb to create a cohesive sound.

How to Mix Instruments

When making a mix sound better, equalize desired frequencies into saturation - this causes stronger harmonics related to those amplified frequencies. Additionally, tailor your reverb for each instrument, including snare and even kick to increase sustain, while also introducing bus reverb to create a cohesive sound.

How to Mix Vocals in Logic Pro X

Logic Pro X offers enough stock plugins to create a full vocal chain - including a gate, vocal tuner, EQ, de-esser, compressor, and exciter, all of which can be used in order. You can also utilize delay, their convolution and algorithmic reverbs, and modulation effects like a chorus.

Top 10 Low End Tips

Attenuate Low’s Side ImageSoothe 2 on BassHow 250Hz. Affects Vocal ClarityUse Varying Harmonics on Kick and BassAmplify 300-400Hz on Side ImageAmplify Mid Image to Create DepthBoost Root Note on KickTry Simple Side-chain CompressionTry Complex Side-chain CompressionIs it Worth Cutting 20Hz?

How to Mix a 2 Track Beat & Vocals

When mixing a 2 track beat and vocals, be sure your beat has enough headroom before adding any processing to it - ideally using clip-gain to reduce its level. Then use multi-band expansion to increase its dynamic range, and manipulate its side and mid image.

Top 13 Free Lofi Plugins

1. Fazu - Owl O’ Lantern 2. Tarabia & Taratube Distortion - Smaolab 3. Emergence - Daniel Gergely 4. Lost-tapes - Superfly DSP

How to Make Space for Vocals

When making space for your vocals, almost everything you do will need to affect 250Hz, and more importantly 2-5kHz. We’ll want to amplify 2-5kHz on the vocal while attenuating 250Hz and 2-5kHz on competing signals - EQ and multiband compression work well for this.

How to Master in 11 Steps

Attenuate Out of Key NotesDe-ess Sibilance, Avoid SnareIntroduce Upward ProcessingUse Subtle Master Bus CompressionExpand with Mid-Side MaximizationInsert Dynamic MB Upward CompressionCreate Complex SaturationIsolate M/S Image, Dual Mono CompressSeparate Left/Right, Use Gullfoss EQEqualize With Pultec EmulationsLimit Left and Right Channels

How to Make Powerful Vocals

When making a powerful vocal, start with finding and amplifying the fundamental, then introduce saturation and compression, followed by more saturation, short reverb, and 1/16th note delay. On a vocal bus use upward compression, parallel compression on the highs, and then collectively equalize the signal.

Top 10 Advanced Mixing Tips

Use Side Image Transient ExpansionEmulate Natural Surround PlacementCreate “Depth” With Mid ImageCreate “Width” With Side ImageMix with Impulse ResponsesObserve the Delta of ProcessingThe Out-of-Key Resonance TrickMake Drums More MusicalSide-chain the Click TrackMonitor with Impulse Responses

How to Mix 808

When mixing an 808, keep in mind what frequencies are included - you'll mainly notice the fundamental somewhere around 40-100Hz, which can be attenuated on competing instruments. Additionally, we can use saturation, equalization, and upward compression to make the 808 more impressive, impactful, and to help it cut through.

How to Mix Vocal Delay

When learning how to mix vocal delay, be sure to first understand how to compress, EQ, and saturate your vocal, since this processing should occur prior to time-based processing. Additionally, using auxiliary tracks to set up delay processing lets you affect just the delayed signal.

How to Mix Start to Finish

When mixing, start by organizing your session into color-coded groups with respective bus outputs. Then get a rough level with your faders and with panning, before equalizing, compressing, saturating, processing your busses, and introducing temporal effects, like delay and reverb as inserts or as additional sends.

Top 10 Vocal Reverb Tips

Where to Insert Vocal ReverbShould Vocal Reverb be Parallel?PreDelay and Vocal ReverbHz. Specific Vocal ReverbLayering Various Reverb TypesSaturation Before Vocal ReverbParallel Compression Vocal ReverbUpward Compression Vocal ReverbHow to Duck Vocal ReverbHow to Accurately Time Vocal Reverb