Character of the mix
UK garage: 130–135 BPM, 2-step shuffle drums (irregular kick that skips beats, snare on 2 and 4, hi-hats and percussion with pronounced swing), “organ” or “warp” basses that jump between notes, organ chords or jazzy pads, R&B vocals cut up, pitched, and rearranged into chops. The mix is bouncy, with an important but agile low end and crisp high-mids.
Typical balance
| Element | Level relative to the mix |
|---|---|
| Kick | −6/−8 LU |
| Bass | −5/−7 LU |
| Snare/clap | −7/−9 LU |
| Vocals or vocal chops | −5/−7 LU |
| Hi-hats, shaker, rim | −10/−14 LU |
| Chords (organ, pads) | −9/−12 LU |
Groove and mix
The shuffle is the heart of the genre: swing (55–65% on sixteenth notes) should be applied consistently to hi-hats, percussion, vocal chops, and often the bass. The mix must let the micro-timing be heard: defined hi-hat and rim transients, short tails, ghost notes at a low but audible level.
EQ
- Kick: 50–80 Hz, click 3–5 kHz; short to leave room for the bass.
- Bass: organ bass or light reese, fundamental 50–100 Hz, harmonics 300 Hz–1 kHz for audibility; light sidechain from the kick.
- Vocal chops: HP 150–200 Hz, presence 3–5 kHz, air; pitch often raised (brighter formants).
- Hi-hats and rim: HP 300–500 Hz, bright but not harsh.
- Chords: HP 150–250 Hz, moderate presence, space for the vocals.
Dynamics
- Drums with moderate compression (2–4 dB) to preserve the shuffle.
- Bass at a constant level (3–6 dB of compression or a clipper).
- Vocals/chops: 4–8 dB of compression, de-esser.
Space and stereo image
- Kick, bass, vocals in the center; hi-hats and percussion spread out to make the groove “turn”.
- Short reverbs on the drums, plate on the vocals, dotted-eighth delay on the chops.
- Speed garage and bassline: more distorted and prominent basses, always mono.
Reference loudness
Master −9/−7 LUFS, true peak −1 dBTP. Recent productions (UKG revival) reach −7/−6 LUFS.
Reference tracks
MJ Cole “Sincere”, Artful Dodger “Re-Rewind”, Craig David “Fill Me In”, Sweet Female Attitude “Flowers”, Burial “Archangel” (dark, atmospheric version).
Common mistakes
- Quantizing everything rigidly: the shuffle disappears.
- Long reverbs on the drums: the groove gets muddy.
- Bass without mid harmonics: it can't be heard on small speakers.
- Vocal chops too loud and harsh at 3–5 kHz.
Starting settings
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Swing | 55–65% on sixteenth notes | Genre shuffle. |
| Drum compression | 2–4 dB | Groove preserved. |
| Bass | Constant level, mono | Agile low end. |
| Drum reverb | Short | Audible micro-timing. |
| Master loudness | −9/−7 LUFS | Genre level. |
Frequencies to watch
| Range | What to do |
|---|---|
| 50–100 Hz | Short kick and bass alternating, light sidechain. |
| 300 Hz–1 kHz | Bass harmonics: audibility on small speakers. |
| 3–5 kHz | Presence of vocal chops and kick click. |
| 8–12 kHz | Hi-hats and rim: they define the shuffle. |
Example chain
| Step | Tool | Settings | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drums | Swing → EQ → bus → light glue | 2–4 dB | Defined shuffle. |
| Bass | Synth/organ → saturation → sidechain | 2–4 dB | Audibility and space for the kick. |
| Vocals/chops | Pitch → EQ → compression → de-esser → dotted-eighth delay | 4–8 dB | Vocal hook. |
| Master | Glue → limiter | −9/−7 LUFS | Level. |
How to check the result
- Master crest factor 7–9 dB: the shuffle needs transients.
- Bass band: energy at least 2–3 dB above the Low-mids.
- Correlation +0.3/+0.8; Sub and Bass Side/Mid at −20 dB or lower.
- Air band (8–16 kHz) present but without sibilance peaks from the chops.