Mix character
Four-on-the-floor kick (120–130 BPM for house, 124–128 for big room and festival EDM), sidechained bass, synths, breaks and drops. The kick is the reference: everything else is built around it. The mix has to work on a club system (huge, mono sub) and on headphones. House (deep, tech, progressive) has subtler grooves and more dynamics; festival EDM has very dense drops and high loudness.
Typical balance (drop)
| Element | Level relative to the mix |
|---|---|
| Kick | −4/−6 LU |
| Bass | −5/−7 LU |
| Lead / main synth | −6/−8 LU |
| Clap | −9/−11 LU |
| Hats and percussion | −11/−14 LU |
| Vocal (featured, chops) | −6/−8 LU |
| Pads and FX | −11/−14 LU |
EQ
- Kick: fundamental 40–60 Hz, punch 80–120 Hz, click 2–5 kHz.
- Bass: mono sub below 100 Hz, character 200 Hz–2 kHz; firm sidechain.
- Synths: HP 150–300 Hz, cut 300–500 Hz, suppressor for resonances.
- Hats: HP 400–600 Hz, control 6–10 kHz.
- Vocal: HP 100–150 Hz, presence 3–5 kHz, air.
Dynamics
- Sidechain or tempo-synced volume shaper (6–12 dB) on bass and pads.
- Drum bus: clipper 1–3 dB.
- Lead: OTT or multiband compression for density.
- Contrast between break and drop: the drop is 3–6 LU louder.
Space
- Wide above 200 Hz (pads, plucks, reverbs), mono below 120–150 Hz.
- Vocal with long, wide reverbs and delays; in the drops it often becomes an instrument (chops).
- Reverbs ducked by the kick so they don't fill the gaps between the hits.
Layering
- Kick: punch + click (or a single ready-made sample).
- Bass: sub + mid bass.
- Lead: 2–4 layers in different octaves and timbres.
Reference loudness
Club and festival −9/−6 LUFS; more dynamic house −10/−8 LUFS. For streaming, a more dynamic master keeps its punch better after normalization. True peak −1 dBTP.
Reference tracks
Avicii "Levels", Swedish House Mafia "Don't You Worry Child", Disclosure "Latch", Fisher "Losing It", Fred again.. "Delilah (pull me out of this)".
Compare the kick/bass ratio in the drop and the level of the break relative to the drop.
Common mistakes
- Stereo sub or sub with phase problems: in clubs they are heard as holes.
- Insufficient sidechain: confused low end.
- Drop and break at the same loudness.
- Harsh high mids at club volume.
Starting settings
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sidechain/volume shaper | 6–12 dB, tempo-synced curve | Room for the kick and groove. |
| Mono below | 120–150 Hz | Club systems. |
| Clipper on drum bus | 1–3 dB | Density. |
| Break/drop contrast | 3–6 LU | Impact of the drop. |
| Master loudness | −9/−6 LUFS club, more dynamic for streaming | Level. |
Frequencies to watch
| Range | What to do |
|---|---|
| 40–60 Hz | Kick fundamental: the mix reference. |
| 60–150 Hz | Bass sidechained from the kick. |
| 300–500 Hz | Mud of synths and pads: broad cuts. |
| 2–5 kHz | Kick click, presence of the vocal and leads. |
| 6–10 kHz | Hats: bright without harshness. |
Example chain
| Step | Tool | Settings | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | EQ → transient → clipper | 1–2 dB | Punch. |
| Bass | Sub + mid → saturation → sidechain | 6–12 dB | Pumping and clarity. |
| Synths | EQ → suppressor → OTT → imager | HP 150–300 Hz | Big leads. |
| Space | Reverbs and delays ducked by the kick | Filtered returns | Depth that breathes. |
| Master | Glue → clipper → limiter | −9/−6 LUFS | Level. |
How to check the result
- Sub and Bass bands Side/Mid at −25 dB or lower.
- Master crest factor 6–9 dB (house 7–10 dB).
- Drop short-term 3–6 LU above the break.
- High-mid band no higher than the references at matched loudness.