Mixing and mastering
Processors, instruments, genres, workflow stages and technical measurements: each guide has starting settings, frequencies to check, an example chain and how to verify the result.
Workflow stages
Processors
- Analysis: spectrum, LUFS, true peak, correlation, crest factor
- Auto-Tune and Melodyne: correction and creative use
- Automation in the mix (FL Studio)
- Bitcrusher and decimator
- Bus compression and glue
- Buses, groups and VCAs
- Chorus, flanger, phaser and ensemble
- Clipper (soft and hard)
- Compressor types: VCA, FET, opto, vari-mu, digital
- Compressor: the parameters
- De-esser
- Delay and reverb times calculated from BPM
- Delay types: tape, BBD, digital, ping-pong, multitap, slapback, throw
- Delay: parameters and use in the mix
- Distortion and fuzz
- Dithering, bit depth and sample rate conversion
- Dolby Atmos and spatial audio: principles
- Dynamic EQ
- EQ types: graphic, shelving, Pultec, dynamic, linear phase, M/S
- Equalizer (EQ): principles and the parametric EQ
- Exciter and harmonic enhancer
- Filters: high-pass, low-pass, band-pass, resonance and slopes
- Gain staging
- Gate and expander
- Haas effect (precedence) and pseudo-stereo
- Limiter and true peak
- Limiter on tracks and buses
- Linear-phase and minimum-phase EQ
- Loudness measurement and broadcast standards (EBU R128, ATSC, streaming)
- Mastering for vinyl
- Mastering: EQ and dynamics
- Mastering: loudness by platform (streaming, social, club, CD, vinyl)
- Mastering: the complete chain
- Mid/side EQ
- Mix bus chain and mixing “into” processors
- Monitoring, listening level and checking on multiple systems
- Mono compatibility and phase correlation
- Multiband compression
- Noise reduction and audio restoration
- Overdrive
- Oversampling and aliasing in plugins
- Parallel compression (New York)
- Parallel processing: saturation, distortion, EQ and effects
- Phase alignment and polarity
- Pitch shifter and harmonizer
- Reference tracks and loudness matching
- Resonance suppressor (Soothe and similar)
- Reverb types: room, plate, hall, chamber, spring, convolution, shimmer, gated
- Reverb: parameters and use in the mix
- Routing in FL Studio: buses, sends, sidechain, pre/post fader
- Saturation and distortion: overview
- Serial compression
- Sidechain: ducking, trigger, EQ and gate in sidechain
- Stem mastering and delivery formats (WAV, dithering, ISRC, DDP, Dolby Atmos)
- Stereo image, panning and mid/side
- Stereo imager and stereo widening
- Tape saturation
- Transformer saturation
- Transient shaper
- Transistor and console saturation
- Tube saturation
- Upward compression and OTT
- Vocal riding and volume automation
- Vocoder
- Wavefolder
Instruments
- 808
- Acoustic drum overheads and room mics
- Acoustic guitar
- Acoustic piano
- Ad-libs
- Backing Vocals and Harmonies
- Brass and horn section
- Choirs and Gang Vocals
- Clap
- Clavinet
- Clean electric guitar
- Distorted electric guitar (rock and metal rhythm wall)
- Double bass
- Electric bass
- FX and Transitions (Risers, Impacts, Sweeps)
- Hammond Organ
- Harp and other orchestral instruments (celesta, glockenspiel, mallets, timpani, percussion)
- Hi-hats and cymbals
- Kick
- Latin percussion (congas, bongos, timbales, cowbell, clave, güiro)
- Lead guitar
- Pad
- Plucks and Arpeggios
- Pop lead vocal
- R&B Vocals
- Rap vocal
- Rhodes and Wurlitzer
- Rock, metal and scream vocals
- Samples and Loops
- Shaker and tambourine
- Snare
- Strings (section and soloists)
- Sub bass
- Synth bass
- Synth lead
- Toms
- Woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone)
Mixing by genre
- Acoustic and jazz
- Acoustic singer-songwriter and folk
- Afrobeats and amapiano
- Ambient
- Boom bap hip hop
- Chamber music and solo piano
- Country and Americana
- Drill (UK and NY)
- Drum and bass
- Dubstep and bass music
- EDM and house
- Electro-pop and dance-pop
- Film scores, trailers, and music for picture
- Funk, disco, and nu-disco
- G-funk and West Coast hip hop
- Hyperpop
- Indie and alternative rock
- Italian pop and Italian indie
- J-pop and anisong
- Jazz big band and swing
- Jazz-hop and lo-fi hip hop
- K-pop
- Latin pop and reggaeton
- Mainstream Pop and Ballads
- Metal
- Orchestral and choral
- Phonk (Memphis and drift phonk)
- Punk and pop punk
- R&B (contemporary and neo-soul)
- Rage
- Reggae and dub
- Rock
- Soul and gospel
- Synthwave and retrowave
- Techno
- Trance
- Trap
- UK garage and 2-step
Measurements
- Bit depth, sample rate and dither (noise shaping, theoretical SNR)
- Clipping (digital and analog, hard and soft)
- Compression (threshold, ratio, knee, attack, release, make-up, detection, sidechain)
- Crest factor
- Dynamic range (DR, PLR, PSR)
- Equalization (filter types, Q, slopes, phase)
- Export and final check
- Frequency spectrum (FFT, windows, resolution, weightings)
- Gain staging
- Headroom
- Inter-sample peak
- Limiter
- Loudness Range (LRA)
- LUFS Integrated (integrated loudness)
- LUFS Momentary (instantaneous loudness)
- LUFS Short-Term (short-term loudness)
- Mastering chains
- Mid/Side
- Mono compatibility
- Peak (sample peak)
- Phase correlation
- Resonances and masking
- Reverb and delay (RT60, pre-delay, early reflections, feedback)
- RMS (root mean square)
- Saturation and distortion (even and odd harmonics, THD)
- Stereo imaging
- Transient shaping
- True Peak