Steps on How to Mix Music & Make Remixes Easy
- 1). Open your song file using a digital audio program, such as Logic, Cubase, Pro Tools, GarageBand, FL Studio or ACID. You can also find free digital audio programs online, such as Traverso and Ardour. Just make sure that the software you choose has multi-tracking capabilities. Also, some song files are specifically designated for a specific program, so if you download songs files from the Internet, check to make sure that your software is compatible.
- 2). Adjust the volume levels in each track so that every instrument and voice blends into the mix without drowning out other sounds or fading into the background. Your "tracks" appear as horizontal audio bars spanning across the screen stacked atop one another, each containing a different instrument or voice recording. As a general rule, you should set your kick drum at 0 db, your bass at -10 db, your synth pads and keyboard sounds at -20 db and your percussion sounds at -20 db. Adjust guitar and vocal tracks so that they blend into the mix without causing unwanted distortion sounds. The website Canadian Music Artists recommends this approach for smooth mixing, but depending on the types of instruments used, you may need to adjust the volume levels accordingly to get a nice balance. Just use the volume fader beside each track.
- 3). Change the settings of your tracks. For instance, if your song contains MIDI instrument tracks, you can change the sound of an instrument by double-clicking the track and switching to a different instrument setting on the list. For basic audio tracks as well as instrument tracks, you can add effects that include "Reverb," "Distortion" or "Chorus" settings to alter the sound of your mix. Just double-click the track you want to edit and choose from among the effects and settings from the options provided on your on-screen mixer.
- 4). Add new tracks. You can make the remix your own by adding your own beats and melody lines. Plug a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI device into your computer using a MIDI-to-USB converter cable and create a new software track by selecting "New Software Track" or "New Instrument Track" from your menu bar--usually under the "File" or "Track" menu. Just hit the "Record" button on your main window to begin recording in real time.
- 5). Add effects to your main mix. Each song file has a "Master Track," or a track that incorporates the entire mix rather than individual components. Typically you can access this track at the bottom of your tracks list, or under "Tracks" in your "File" menu. Select it and try applying different types of echo, reverb and EQ settings from the options provided on your screen.
- 6). Strip down your mix. You can create a stripped down remix by eliminating tracks that seem overwhelming, unnecessary or redundant. Just select a track you want to eliminate, highlight all of the audio regions by clicking them once with your mouse and press "Delete."
Source...