Start Mixing with Plugins: 7 Easy Steps. This way you’ll be able to hear your individual channels in the right context, and you’ll be able to make better mixing decisions when you go on to mix each of them individually.
Finish your mix down to a single stereo track. 'Mixing down' means taking all the tracks you've recorded and exporting them, or mixing them, to a single stereo track. It's important to do try and get your mix sound as good as it possibly can before mastering. This means finishing up any panning adjustments and finalizing individual track effects. Mastering is best utilized not as a track overhaul, but rather to serve as a soft glue that brings the whole track together.
- It is better to apply effects using a single stereo track than use the master bus on an entire session. The 'master bus' is the master volume channel for all of the tracks you record. Some engineers decide to apply mastering effects to this channel, but it is not advisable for novices.
- Make sure you have headroom on all of your faders. Any channel, buss, or send needs to stay out of the red. You want to make sure nothing in your mix clips. While it may not be apparent, mastering tends to make imperfections more obvious.
- Bounce your track using the the highest bit-rate possible. If you recorded at the recommended 32-bit rate, maintain this quality. You can convert the file to the CD-standard 16-bit rate once you've applied your effects and are satisfied with the track.