In this article, we will guide you on how to prepare your tracks effectively for a successful mixing process. Whether you're working with us or another music production studio, by implementing these steps, you can enhance collaboration with your mixing engineer and achieve the sound you envision.

Preparation for Mixing:

1. Organize Your Session

   To facilitate easy navigation and enhance collaboration with your mixing engineer, it's essential to organize your session effectively. Start by ensuring that all your tracks are properly labeled and grouped into relevant folders such as drums, guitars, vocals, and so on. This simple step can save you and your engineer precious time searching for specific elements within the session.

2. Set Proper Gain Staging

   Achieving a consistent level across your tracks is crucial for a balanced mix. Before exporting your tracks, take the time to set proper gain staging. This involves adjusting the gain of each track to ensure the levels are consistent and avoid any potential clipping issues. Aim for an average level of around -18 dBFS to provide enough headroom for additional processing during mixing.

3. Clean Up Your Audio

   To maintain a professional and polished sound, it's crucial to remove any unwanted noise, hum, or clicks from your audio tracks. It is also an opportune moment to apply quantization to the tracks. These distractions can negatively impact the mixing process and the final product. Additionally, ensure that all tracks start and end at the same time, creating a seamless flow throughout your music.

4. Add Metadata

   Including relevant metadata in your session helps the mixing engineer understand the context of your project. Information such as tempo, key, time signature, and any other crucial details can be invaluable for delivering the intended creative vision during mixing. Don't overlook this step, as it can make a significant difference in how your music is interpreted and mixed.

5. Prepare Reference Mixes

   To communicate your desired sound to the mixing engineer, it's beneficial to provide a reference or a list of reference tracks. These tracks should encapsulate the sonic characteristics you aim to achieve in your own music. By listening to these references, the engineer can better understand your artistic vision and apply it effectively in the mixing process.

Exporting Your Tracks:

6. Export the Session as Audio Files

   Depending on your digital audio workstation (DAW), you have several options when it comes to exporting your tracks. Export each track as an individual WAV or AIFF file. Ensure that the exported files are of high quality, preferably in at least 24-bit, 44.1 kHz or higher resolution, to preserve the integrity of your music. Ensure that all tracks start and end at the same time, creating a seamless flow throughout your music. Each track should start at the same time (bar 1, beat 1) and be the same length.

7. Backup Your Files

   Before handing over your tracks to the mixing engineer, it's essential to create a backup of all your audio files. This precautionary measure will give you peace of mind, knowing that your hard work is safeguarded should any unexpected issues arise during the mixing process.

8. Include Mix Notes

   To provide clear instructions and guide the mixing engineer towards your artistic vision, consider including mix notes for each song. This could be a simple document outlining information about the desired balance, effect processing, and overall goals for the mix. The more detailed and specific your mix guide, the better the chances of achieving the desired sonic results.

9. Send the Files

   When it's time to share your prepared tracks, utilize a reliable file transfer service such as WeTransfer, Dropbox, or Google Drive. To ensure easy transfer and organization, compress all your files into a single zip file. Alternatively, some platforms allow you to upload the tracks directly to the mixing engineer. We make this process extremely simple if you're working with us. Simply upload your tracks here, and we'll receive the tracks on our end.

By following these steps, you can significantly improve the quality of your tracks before they enter the mixing phase. By putting in the necessary effort to prepare your tracks properly, you increase the chances of a successful mixing process and ultimately achieve the sound you envision. Best of luck with your project!