When it comes to music production, mastering the art of mixing in REAPER can take your songs to new heights. As an engineer working in REAPER daily, I’m excited to share my personal tips on the DAW and my workflow to get you mixing quickly!
If you don’t have your own tracks to download, grab a free set of multitracks, courtesy of Pro Mix Academy at the bottom of this tutorial. Having quality recordings to practice mixing is key to honing your craft.
What Do We Mean When We Talk About Mixing in REAPER?
For beginners, explaining what mixing IS and what it IS NOT is essential. When I was starting out, one thing that was blurry for me was the difference between mixing and mastering. So let’s address that right now.
Mixing vs Mastering in REAPER
Whatever DAW you are mixing or mastering in, the information is the same. Mixing involves blending individual tracks together.
The goal of mixing is to create a cohesive sound.
It focuses on adjusting each track’s levels, panning, EQ, and effects. The goal is to achieve clarity, separation, and an overall polished sound.
On the other hand, mastering is the final step that takes the already-mixed track. It prepares it for distribution.
The goal of mastering is fine-tuning the overall sound of the mix.
While mastering you are:
- ensuring consistency across multiple playback systems
- optimizing levels
- applying final EQ adjustments to the whole mix
- adding the finishing touches to achieve a professional and commercially viable sound.
While mixing focuses on the individual elements of a song, mastering takes a holistic approach. Making the track sound cohesive, balanced, and ready for various playback systems. In this tutorial, we will only be focusing solely on mixing in REAPER.
REAPER Offers A User-Friendly Interface For First-Time Mixers
REAPER stands out as a top choice for beginners venturing into mixing. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate, allowing you to focus on the creative aspects of mixing rather than getting lost in technical complexities.
Mixing In REAPER 101: How To Get Started With Mixing in REAPER
Now that we understand the goal of mixing and it’s importance, let’s look at the essential steps of getting started with mixing in REAPER. Based on my own experience, here are some essential tips to help you get started:
1. Ensure You Have A Proper Mixing Environment
It’s crucial to create a suitable mixing environment when it comes to achieving professional-sounding mixes – whether you’re mixing in REAPER, or any other DAW. This step has a lot of detail, but I think it’s one of the most critical, so take your time with it.
This oversight plagued my mixing ability for years because I neglected it. And so many amateur mixers do the same.
Simply put, if you are hearing an accurate representation of your song, you will never be able to get a pro-quality mix. The space you mix in can greatly impact the accuracy and clarity of your decisions.
To ensure you get a professional mix from your REAPER project, here are a few key considerations:
- Acoustic Treatment: You’ll want to minimize unwanted reflections and resonances in your room by adding acoustic treatment. This includes things like bass traps, diffusers, and absorbers. This helps create a more balanced and accurate listening environment.
- Monitor Placement: Position your studio monitors properly, following the manufacturer’s recommendations. The rule of thumb is to maintain an equilateral triangle between your listening position and the two speakers for an optimal stereo image.
- Noise Control: Reduce external noise sources, things like your air conditioning, street noise, etc. This allows you to hear subtle details and make precise adjustments without distractions.
- Calibration: Calibrate your studio monitors to ensure accurate frequency response. Use reference tracks to compare and fine-tune your monitoring setup, helping you make more informed mixing decisions.
By paying attention to your mixing environment and implementing these tips, you can create an environment that promotes accurate and reliable mixing in REAPER. Remember, an accurate mixing environment enhances your ability to make informed decisions and achieve pro results in your mixes.
If You Can’t Set Up A Proper Mixing Environment – Use Quality Studio Headphones
If you can’t complete the steps above, don’t worry – just use a quality pair of studio headphones when you’re mixing. A few budget-friendly pairs I love are the Audio Technica ATH-m40x and the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro.
One of our Pro Mix Academy mentors, Warren Huart, goes through some top headphone picks in this video if you need to purchase some.
A lot of engineers will tell you not to mix on headphones, and I agree that it is not IDEAL – BUT, it’s going to be BETTER than mixing on monitors in an imperfect environment.
2. Remember: A Good “Mix” Starts At The Recording Stage
Capturing high-quality recordings is the foundation of a great mix. That doesn’t mean you need an expensive mic or preamp. But there are some fundamentals you’ll want to familiarize yourself with:
- Ensure proper microphone placement
- Optimize gain staging
- Aim to capture clean signals
Investing time and effort in the recording stage will pay off in the final mix.
3. Keep Your Project Organized From The Start
From my experience, maintaining organization in your project from the outset is crucial. REAPER offers excellent organizational tools like:
- track folders
- color coding
- customizable naming conventions.
Staying organized’ll save time and avoid confusion as your mix progresses.
4. Don’t Underestimate The Power of EQ When Mixing in REAPER
Equalization, or EQ, is a powerful tool that allows you to shape the tonal balance of individual tracks. In REAPER, the stock plugin is called ReaEQ, and it contains basic EQ parameters to sculpt your sounds. From my personal experience, I suggest using subtractive EQ to remove unwanted frequencies and additive EQ to enhance desired elements, ensuring a balanced mix.
To take this a step further, don’t be afraid to utilize tools like multiband compression, which allows you to sculpt the tonal balance of individual tracks with precision, and sidechain compression, a powerful technique to create dynamic and cohesive mixes by controlling track levels based on input from other elements.
If you’re looking for an in-depth breakdown of using EQ in REAPER, check out our video, as Glenn breaks things down for you:
5. Pay Attention To Panning & Volume
Remember to consider the impact of panning and volume adjustments on your mix. REAPER provides precise control over panning and volume automation, allowing you to position each track in the stereo field and shape its dynamics. Experiment with these features to achieve clarity, depth, and separation within your mix.
6. Mix The Whole Song, Not Just Individual Tracks
One valuable lesson I’ve learned through my mixing journey is to always focus on the song as a whole rather than getting lost in the details of individual tracks. Remember, mixing is about creating a cohesive and captivating sonic experience. Take the time to listen to your song from start to finish, paying attention to transitions, dynamics, and tonal balance. Make adjustments that serve the complete piece of music.
Looking For More REAPER Tutorials?
If you’re eager to dive deeper and master the art of mixing in REAPER, check out our comprehensive “Ultimate Guide to Reaper” course. This complete course is designed to take your REAPER skills to the next level, providing expert guidance, hands-on demonstrations, and insider tips from industry professionals. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, this course covers everything from the basics of setting up your projects to advanced mixing techniques and workflow optimization. Take advantage of this opportunity to enhance your mixing skills and unlock the full potential of Reaper. Enroll in “The Ultimate Guide to Reaper” course now and take your mixing abilities to new heights.
