Mixing for DIY Artists: Why Balance is More Important Than Plugins

Many of the artists and bands I work with are DIY artists. This means they’ve often tried to mix the music they’re making before it gets to me. 

They tell me they’ve spent dozens of hours tweaking plugins, only to feel like their mix still sounds ‘small’ or ‘amateur.’ They know where it needs to be, but they can’t bridge the gap.

For this reason, I thought it might be helpful to share some mixing insights for artists and bands who are trying to mix their own music. 

It’s Always About Balance

One of the best ways to get a solid sounding mix is by just turning up the channels. No EQ, no compression, no FX – just getting a balance of the instruments and vocals that works.

1. I’m not a huge stickler for clip-gaining everything but it is important that your audio and MIDI sources are at a “usable” level so I spend some time making sure I have enough signal to work with before I start balancing. (more on this in part 2)
2. I generally start with the kick drum (for a full pop/rock arrangement). I’ll pop it at -6dB so the meters are peaking ⅔ of the way. This usually means my mix will be sitting in the sweet spot level-wise when I’m done adding everything else in.
3. Once the kick is in place, I’ll start to fill in the gaps with the rest of the kit. 
4. With the kit sounding balanced I want to creep that bass into position paying attention to its relationship to the kick. 
5. Now I might bring in the lead vocal and find the right spot for it. Now I’m ready to fill in gaps until all of the channels are turned up.

The Power of 3dB

I try to work in increments of 3dB and if I really need to I’ll split the difference with a 1.5dB move up or down. Slowly by making these incremental gain shifts I’ll land on a mix balance that works.

Why work in 3dB increments?

1. The Doubling of Power

A dB (decibel) is a logarithmic unit, not a linear one. In the world of audio engineering, a 3dB increase represents a doubling of sound power (wattage).

Mathematically, the formula for power is:

When you plug in a 2:1 ratio (doubling the power), the result is approximately 3.01. Because this represents a fundamental physical shift in energy, it serves as a natural “unit” of change when balancing different sound sources.

2. The “Just Noticeable Difference” (JND)

In a laboratory setting with a single pure tone, a human can often detect a change as small as 1dB. However, in the context of a complex musical mix with multiple instruments and frequencies masking one another, a 1dB change is often too subtle to be meaningful.

3dB is generally considered the smallest change that is clearly and unmistakably “different” to the average listener. By moving in 3dB steps, you ensure that every adjustment you make is a conscious decision that actually moves the needle, rather than getting lost in “micro-tweaking” that doesn’t translate to the final listener.

3. Perceived Loudness vs. Voltage

While 3dB is a doubling of power, it takes about 6dB to double the sound pressure (voltage) and roughly 10dB for a human to perceive a sound as being “twice as loud.”

Working in 3dB increments places you right in the middle of these milestones. It is a large enough jump to hear a distinct change in the “energy” of a track (the power doubling), but small enough that it doesn’t completely overwhelm the rest of the mix like a 6dB or 10dB jump might.

4. Decision-Making Efficiency

From a workflow perspective, 3dB acts as a “binary” check.

• Move up 3dB: Does the vocal finally sit on top?
• If yes: You found the spot.
• If it’s too much: Split the difference (1.5dB).

This prevents the “analysis paralysis” of moving a fader by 0.2dB increments for twenty minutes. It forces you to make bold, intentional moves that favor a natural balance over artificial perfection.

5. Perfect For Mixing in DAWs

Despite being a good vintage, I missed out on the “mixes are done on a mixing desk” era. I bought my first soundcard and DAW (eMagic’s Logic) at 19 and never looked back. I find balancing a mix by typing in 3dB increments fits perfectly with the DAW ecosystem. 

I also find it helpful when telling clients what I’ve done to their mix when doing mix revisions as they can pin down the change rather than a simple “turned the bass down a bit”. 

Finally I find this a quick and predictable method for getting a balanced mix. It’s especially helpful at the end of the mix process when I’m fine tuning balance and writing automation.

Who Told You To Put The Balm On?

One the quickest ways to destroy your mix is putting EQs and compression etc on everything because “that’s what you do”.

Alternatively by balancing the volume of a mix, you’re going to know what sort of EQ you will need to apply, what will need to be controlled by compression, how much and what type of reverb and delay helps each track sit in the mix etc. Your mixes will sound:

• Cohesive and natural (even for electronic genres)
• It will save you time
• The mix will make sense in your head and you won’t feel lost

Don’t Make Me Slap Your Hand Away

Don’t ever add a plugin because you think a plugin needs to be there. Especially if you’ve seen someone do it in a YouTube video.  

When I was a younger man I would load up EQ and compression on every channel because everything needs some EQ and compression right?

Nope.

If I’m 85% done with a mix and I have a channel without a plugin on it, I will check to make sure there’s no wayward frequencies, it’s not too dynamic and if it’s sitting in the mix fine, I will leave it as without a plugin and that’s just fine.

In Part 2, we’ll look at the one thing that can ruin a mix before you even hit record: The Source.

If you have questions about mixing or mastering I am always happy to answer them. Leave them in the comments or shoot me an email through the contact form.