Character of the mix
Synthwave reinterprets the sound of the 1980s: drum machines (LinnDrum, DMX, TR-707/909) or electronic drums with a huge snare and gated reverb, synth basses in eighth notes, analog pads and leads (Juno, Jupiter, DX7, Prophet), arpeggios, solo saxophone or guitar, vocals with lots of reverb. Tempo 80–120 BPM (darksynth faster and more aggressive). The mix is wide and bright, with obvious reverbs and a slight “vintage” veil (saturation, chorus, tape).
Typical balance
| Element | Level relative to the mix |
|---|
| Snare (with reverb) | −5/−7 LU |
| Kick | −7/−9 LU |
| Synth bass | −6/−8 LU |
| Lead / vocals | −5/−7 LU |
| Pads and arpeggios | −9/−12 LU |
EQ
- Snare: body 200 Hz, crack 3–5 kHz; gated reverb (plate or room with a gate at 200–400 ms) for the typical sound.
- Kick: 50–80 Hz, click 2–4 kHz; short.
- Eighth-note bass: 60–200 Hz, HP 30 Hz, harmonics 500 Hz–1.5 kHz; light sidechain from the kick.
- Pads and leads: HP 150–250 Hz, moderate presence 2–4 kHz, air 8–12 kHz; Juno-style chorus on the pad.
- Vocals: presence and air, often sitting a bit further back in the mix than in pop.
Dynamics
- Drums compressed for density (drum bus 3–5 dB).
- Light to moderate sidechain on bass and pads (2–5 dB).
- Mix bus with glue and tape saturation.
Space and stereo image
- Obvious reverbs: gated on the snare, long halls (2–4 s) on pads and leads, dotted-eighth delay on the arpeggios.
- Very wide pads and arpeggios (chorus, ensemble), bass and kick mono.
- Tom fills with gated reverb and panning from right to left (drummer's perspective).
Layering
- Snare: electronic sample + clap + printed gated reverb.
- Lead: two synths in unison (one with a soft attack, one brighter), or synth + saxophone.
- Arpeggios in different octaves with different delays.
Reference loudness
Master −10/−8 LUFS (darksynth −8/−6), true peak −1 dBTP.
Reference tracks
Kavinsky “Nightcall”, The Midnight “Sunset”, FM-84 “Running in the Night”, Carpenter Brut “Turbo Killer” (darksynth), The Weeknd “Blinding Lights” (pop with a synthwave aesthetic).
Common mistakes
- Gated reverb too long: the snare covers the whole groove.
- Too much “vintage” saturation: the mix loses definition.
- Wide pads with full bass: mud and instability.
- Vocals too dry: breaks the genre's aesthetic.
Starting settings
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|
| Gated reverb | Plate/room with gate at 200–400 ms | 1980s snare. |
| Pads | Juno-style chorus, very wide | Atmosphere. |
| Bass | Mono, sidechain 2–5 dB | Clear eighth notes. |
| Lead reverbs | Hall 2–4 s, dotted-eighth delay | Typical depth. |
| Master loudness | −10/−8 LUFS | Genre level. |
Frequencies to watch
| Range | What to do |
|---|
| 60–200 Hz | Eighth-note synth bass; separation from the kick with sidechain. |
| 200 Hz | Snare body. |
| 3–5 kHz | Snare crack and lead presence. |
| 8–12 kHz | Air of pads and leads; bright chorus. |
Example chain
| Step | Tool | Settings | Why |
|---|
| Drums | Drum machine → EQ → gated reverb → bus | 3–5 dB | Big snare. |
| Bass | Analog synth → saturation → sidechain | 2–4 dB | Pulse. |
| Pads and leads | Synth → chorus → EQ → hall | Wide | Atmosphere. |
| Mix bus | Glue → tape saturation | 1–2 dB | Vintage color. |
| Master | EQ → limiter | −10/−8 LUFS | Level. |
How to check the result
- Master crest factor 8–11 dB.
- Low-mids band no higher than the Bass band (pads and reverbs under control).
- Correlation +0.2/+0.7; Presence and Air bands wide (Side/Mid −8/−2 dB).
- Upper bass band (120–250 Hz): snare and bass peak without buildup more than 3 dB above the references.