We all love listening to a big, wide mix.
And we all work hard to make our mixes sound as wide and clear as we can.
But not all of us know why our mixes don't sound as wide as we would like, or how to improve them.
We even sometimes do things that seem helpful but are actually the opposite.
So today I want to share with you my 7 tips for getting width and clarity in the mix.
Don't Use Too Many Stereo Tracks
It may seem a bit counter intuitive, but using too many stereo tracks will make your mix muddy and unclear.
If every track is stereo, it will "cover up" the stereo field, and nothing sound will wide.
You'll end up with a "big mono".
If you have a lot of stereo tracks in your session, try to make them mono and pan them wide.
This applies especially when dealing with a lot harmonic tracks like synths, keys, and guitars.
Don't Double Track Everything
This is a very common mistake.
You want everything to sound super wide and powerful so you double track it and pan it hard left and right.
We all know that it sounds great, but if you do too much of it, you'll end up hurting your mix.
For example, if you have 2 guitar parts playing at the same time, don't double track both of them, simply pan each one to a different side, your mix doesn't have to be symmetrical.
Use Only Hard Panning
This is called LCR Panning (left, center, right).
It's a simple principle that says to pan tracks only 100% left, 100% right, or center, nothing in between.
While it might sound weird to you, this is guaranteed to make your mix wider.
Tracks that are panned in between the sides and the middle can often take too much space and make our mix seem narrow.
You don't to take this rule to the extreme, you can still leave a handful of tracks panned in between.
Create Different Sounds
This one is very often overlooked.
We double track things all the time, to get a stereo sound, but we forget that stereo is essentially hearing a different sound in each ear.
I see so many people saying "I double tracked my guitar but it doesn't sound wide and stereo".
This is simply because you use the same sound.
When you double track an instrument, it's very important to use different sounds on each track.
Different instrument, different gear, different mic, different mic position.
You can even change the part you play a bit.
Just do something to change the sound.
The more different the tracks, the wider they sound.
Use EQ To Create Separation
People don't always get it, but EQ is probably the most powerful tool to get separation and width in your mix.
Cutting overlapping frequencies (masking) is one of the most important things in the entire mixing process.
Listen to your tracks and cut frequencies that covers up other tracks.
It creates clarity and lets every instrument be heard, regardless of where it's panned.
Don't Use Phase Tricks
One of the worst things you can do to your mix is use phase cancellation tricks to fake width.
It might sound cool on your headphones or in your mixing sweet spot, but your mix will suffer badly everywhere else.
Frequencies get canceled, volumes levels get messed up, and tracks can even get muted completely.
You have plenty of ways to get great and real width in your mix, while actually improving it, so don't waste your time on ruining your mix for a bit of fake width.
Don't Use Too Much Reverb
We often use reverb to create a sense of space, width, and depth in our mix. But if you use too much of it, it can sound "washy" and cover up your entire mix, ruining the clarity we work so hard to achieve.
Here are a few ways to better control your reverb:
Don't make the reverb too loud or obvious, make it subtle.
Try different "pre-delay" settings to keep the reverb "in the back".
EQ your reverb, cut out frequcnies that build up and cover up the mix.
Try using delay instead of reverb.
All of these tips can really make a big difference on your mix, helping you create a bigger, wider mix, with better separation and clarity.
How do you create width and clarity in your mix?
Did you find these tips useful?
Let us know in the comments down below!