We all say it: “It’s muddy.” “Needs glue.” “Give it more space.” But what does that actually mean in practice? In this episode, we translate the most common mixer speak into specific moves you can make today, then answer a listener question on adding space without using reverb.

You’ll Learn:

• Where “mud” actually lives (150–200 Hz for many sources, 250–500 Hz for mix buildup)

• What “glue” really is (bus compression, shared ambience, subtle EQ)

• How to create space without reverb: panning, subtractive EQ, smart delays

• The difference between stems and multitracks (and when to send which)

• Why “musical EQ” and “vibe & character” are real, even if you can’t meter them

Topics & Stories:

• Muddy vs boomy vs woolly (and why tiny cuts move mountains)

• The smiley-face EQ era: why it sounded great… until it didn’t

• Depth, width, and density: front/back/left/right as arrangement tools

• “Crush the drums”: parallel, ceiling/floor, and when distortion equals energy

• Filtering the send into a delay for cleaner “felt, not heard” space

• Stems vs multitracks: live tracks, post, and keeping the “makeup” on

• The “depth” pronunciation debate, dad jokes, and a drum “skin head” moment 🤦‍♂️

  
  Huge thanks to Audient Audio for supporting the show 👉 https://audient.com
  
  

Listener Q&A:
How do I add space without reverb?
Our go-tos:

• Panning first, then subtractive EQ (150–200 Hz and 2–8 kHz real estate)

• Slapback or short stereo delays you feel more than hear

• High-pass/low-pass the send feeding the delay for natural results

Final Takeaway:
Great mixes aren’t just louder or brighter, they’re organized. Give each element its own frequency lane and its own spot in the panorama, then use tiny bus moves to make the whole song breathe together.

👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

Ever finish an album and realize every song sounds… just a little different?
Yeah... we’ve all been there. In this episode, we dig into how to keep a full record sounding cohesive without killing the vibe or getting lost in “template land.”

We share our real-world album mixing workflow: how we craft a strong “first-song” mix, build a flexible mix template, what actually carries over between songs (and what definitely doesn’t), and how to reference yourself as you go so your record feels like one connected piece of art.

Then we switch gears into room correction, do you really need it if you’ve already “learned” your room? We talk about what works, what doesn’t, and why acoustic treatment still beats software (but both can play nice together).

You’ll Learn:

• Why the first song sets the tone for the entire album

• How to mix faster using a smart, flexible album template

• What to copy between songs (drums, bass, lead vox) and what to rebuild

• How to prevent “album drift” and keep your sound consistent

• The truth about room correction vs. room treatment

• How calibration tools can actually help dense rock or punk mixes

Topics & Stories:

• The joy of “Select All → Delete” to build a new mix template

• Why we still reference earlier songs while mixing

• Ballads vs. rockers: when reverb and ambience should change

• Different studios, different drummers—how we tie it all together

• The Denny’s breakfast redemption arc (we went back!)

• Chris’s clouds are almost on the ceiling—progress!

• Audient iD44 goes on a Euro trip: high-quality preamps in carry-on form

Listener Q&A:

Shoutout to Arthur from MCC for the album consistency question,
and to Tomas from Norway for asking about room correction and calibration tools.

Final Takeaway:

Make your first mix the North Star for your album.
Use smart templates, reference often, treat your room first, and let every song serve the record.
Consistency doesn’t mean boring—it means connected.

👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.

Ever record with delays, reverbs, and panning to “get the vibe,” then wonder if you should wipe the slate clean before the final mix? In this episode we unpack where the mix actually begins—during tracking or at mixdown—and how we decide what to keep, what to reset, and why. Then we answer a great listener question about routing: should your FX sends (like drum reverbs) return to the drum bus or go straight to the mix bus?

Huge thanks to Audient Audio for supporting the show 👉 https://audient.com

You’ll Learn:

• The benefits (and risks) of “mixing as you go” while recording

• When we hit RESET at mix—and the few things we keep from the rough

• How to build a recording template that sounds good with low latency

• Why cue-mix psychology matters: give performers what helps them sing/play better

• FX routing 101: returning sends to the instrument bus vs straight to the 2-bus

• A simple VCA workaround if your FX aren’t following bus automation

Topics & Stories:

• Chris finally mounts the studio panels (they’re straight, which means… outside help 😅)

• Tracking with performance-defining delays (hello, The Edge)

• Steve’s take: compression/reverb in the cans can mess with feel (for some artists)

• Jazz vs pop/rock: when we skip the drum bus—and when we go tight/together

• Templates that won’t choke your session during tracking, but scale for mixing

• Sponsor shout: Audient’s ORIA Mini gets a mention

Listener Q&A:

Shoutout to Neil Higgins! His question: “Should my FX sends return to the instrument bus (e.g., drums) or straight to the mix bus?”

Short answer: Both can work. If FX return to the drum bus, they’ll ride and pump with drum-bus processing and automation—tighter, more cohesive. If they go to the mix bus, they’ll bypass drum-bus processing—often more open and independent. Choose by ear; a VCA pair (drum bus + drum FX) can keep automation in lockstep when split.

Final Takeaway:
There’s no single “correct” starting line for a mix. Be intentional: track with enough vibe to inspire, then decide whether to reset or build on it. For FX routing, pick the path that best serves how your buses are processing—and how you want elements to move.

👉 Got a question for us?
📩 Submit it here: Form Link
We’ll answer as many as we can in upcoming shows.