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Mixing down from multiple tracks to stereo is the second step of the process involved in making a finished song. With the type of equipment usually used in home recording studios, you basically flipping a few switches on your multitrack recorder, turning it from a recording console to a mixing console. As in cooking, you add seasoning, such as effects and EQ, to your taste, set the panning of individual instruments the way you want them to sound, and copy everything to an external recording device in stereo.

(Note especially to people in South America, where apparently there's some kind of language difficulty about this: TASCAM manuals (and others) talk about mixing down to a 2-track recorder. This is not-very-technical language for a stereo recorder. You know, like a cassette recorder? Don't make things more complicated than they are already. Thank you.)

If you want a basic look at what the mechanics of mixing involves, jump to this screen (and come right back!)

While most people focus on the recording part (even the name of this site reflects that), most of the creativity and personal satisfaction of the entire process, for me, comes in the mixing session. It's the same reason some people would rather be film editors than cinematographers, I suppose. Mixing is where all the hard decisions get made, and can make the difference between a workmanlike recording and a masterpiece of sound...even starting with the same source material.

For serious mixing, you need studio monitor speakers. While mixing on headphones gives you a great experience, it won't translate to speakers correctly. Since headphones almost always have better bass and treble response than speakers, your final mix will sound dull and lifeless when you hear it "normally".

For some good mixing tricks, click here.

Some Useful Links

Mastering means to set up all the songs on a CD so they sound well together (and separately!). This takes some special skill. If you can't find what you want to know about mastering on this page, it doesn't exist!

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