Mixing Techniques - Just Hit Mute

Mixing everything The most common noises you’ll get rid of are things like some one breathing, a note book page of rhymes being turned or better yet the under lying tone of the room that starts build up as your track count increases. Using the automation of your DAW is essential to this step. Alternately you could edit out noise manually or try using a noise gate but right now the MUTE button is the star so show it some love. Using the automated mutes also makes it look cool when your mixes play back every one will thing you a pro engineer.

The other secret and mysterious power of the mute button is using it to sculpt the arrangement of your track. Use the mute button to turn of sounds during sections of a track. Every instrument in a beat or song doesn’t need to play the entire way through the track. Use the mute button to create breaks in the drum patterns or open up sections of the song. Doing this will help add interest to your mix and bring out the form of the song. Maybe if you just came out of a heavy section of a song like the chorus you could mute out a few instruments at the beginning of the verse so they dynamics of the track change and contrast a bit. Then as the verse continues slowly add instruments back in building back up to the chorus. The possibilities of what you can do with your beats and songs in endless and so are the amount of interest it will add to your mix.

The Author:
Peter "Jazdout" Weis
Producer and Engineer Jazdout
GNX Music Website http://www.gnxmusic.com

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