Dance Music Mixdown
Electronic music producer pro Chris Herrera presents an in-depth video tutorial series on mixing dance music. See how to get that professional, modern sound out of your dance tracks. You also get the stems from the featured song so you can follow along and mix on your DAW!
Videos
• Intro (02:24) - Chris signs on and gives you an overview of the series.
• The Mix As Is (04:55) - Get a quick play through and overview of the track you'll be mixing together.
• Mistakes (05:24) - Chris points out the major errors and weaknesses of the current mix.
• Pre-Fader Metering (03:31) - By putting your DAW into pre-fader metering we can start the mix over and create a bigger and better sound.
• The Mix Trick Pt. 1 (08:27) - Here Chris discusses the core concept of his mix technique to take a finalized production and ensure its quality is maximized.
• The Mix Trick Pt. 2 (09:43) - A further explanation of how to truly start to mix a completed track.
• Mixing the Clap (07:31) - Without the kick/sub backbone in place we now start addressing more core elements of the track such as the clap sound.
• Mixing Percussion (04:16) - Percussion gives us drive and groove. Here we look at getting this important element to sit perfectly.
• Finalize the Backbone (05:37) - With our core elements in place we now can feel confident the track is punching nicely. Let's address the last few of the core rhythmic elements.
• Synths Pt. 1 (08:43) - In this section we begin getting into great detail on the synth elements in the mix. With the backbone groove of the track in place we now ensure the melodic elements sit perfectly.
• Synths Pt. 2 (06:06) - A continued explanation of how the synths are treated including EQ, Compression, and Bussing.
• Synths Pt. 3 (06:28) - Let's go even deeper into our synths and look at Velocity Editing, Gain Staging, and Sidechain Compression.
• Synths Pt. 4 (04:38) - More details on our synths part including appropriate Automation Curves.
• Synths Pt. 5 (07:14) - Let's conclude our look at the synths by mixing our lead melody last, which is in essence the hook or "vocal" of the track.
• Workflow Tip (01:21) - Chris interjects a little workflow philosophy here encouraging you to rest after hitting a certain point.
• The Breakdown Pt. 1 (05:03) - With fresh ears, we resume mixing by giving special attention to the breakdown of the track.
• The Breakdown Pt. 2 (06:00) - Chris now we concludes treating and mixing the breakdown section.
• Incidentals Pt. 1 (07:37) - Incidentals and FX share a role in a dance track. Chris talks about what the difference is to him and starts treatment.
• Incidentals Pt. 2 (09:34) - Here we complete the last few tweaks on the incidental elements of the track.
• FX Pt. 1 (07:59) - Moving onto the FX in the track, we look at Risers, Sweeps, and Noise Effects.
• FX Pt. 2 (02:19) - Here we complete our FX treatments and mixing to feel "hands off" on the important FX elements of the track.
• Last Few Elements (11:17) - With the groove, synths, and FX/incidental elements in place, we see there are still a few last stems to be treated. Let's look at what they are and why now is the time to work them.
• Render Down & Take Notes (02:42) - Chris shares his secrets on the end game of the track. Here, we render down the mix and take notes on the last few things that pop out to be addressed.
• Final Comparison (11:21) - Having taken and applied our notes we now have a final mix! Let's put the old mix next to our new one and enjoy how far our track has come!