10 Mixing Tips in 10 Days: Day Four - Reference Mixing

Today marks our fourth day into the mixing series 10 Mixing Tips in 10 Days. It's been insanely fun coming up with the mixing techniques and tips that I think are the most important and that have helped me the most when first starting out.

Today I want to talk about something that's less of a technique and more of just something you should be doing.

Mixing Tip: 

Use reference tracks when mixing your projects.

First and foremost, what is a reference track? A reference track is just simply bringing in an outside song that was professionally mixed into your DAW so you can reference your mix with theirs. Now you may be thinking, "I don't want my mix to sound like someone else's, so why would I want to use a reference track?" I get that. I really do. That's how I used to feel. But to be honest, reference tracks are not meant to take away from your creativity. They are simply meant to help you get an idea of where your song stands in comparison to a professionally sounding mix. 

Using reference tracks will help you in your mixes. Remember the goal is not to get your mix sounding the same, but to give you an idea of where you are in relation to other professional mixes. Also, reference mixing isn't just beginners. Even the professionals use reference mixes. 

When picking a song to use a reference mix, try to pick something that is similar to what you are going for. Pick a mix that you really like and that is within the same genre. This will help you to stay cohesive when mixing. Songs can be mixed very differently depending on the genre. Rap and hip hop will have a lot more low end with the kick and bass driving the song, where as rock will have heavy over driven guitars taking up the mix. So when picking a song for reference mixing, make sure you pick something that is similar to what you are working on. 

Reference mixing isn't always the most fun. Sometimes you realize how awful your mix sounds compared to a professional mix. But it will at least give you an idea of where you are and where you need to go. I promise you if you start using reference mixing, you will improve your mixes dramatically. So next time you're in your DAW ready to mix, find a track that is similar and that you like it, insert into your session, and start from there. I think you'll be happy with the results. 

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day! 

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