Mixing Tutorial — Why Less Processing Opens Up Your Mix
Posted by Jim Pavett on 2nd Jul 2026
The single most common question I get at recording seminars is some version of the same thing: my mix sounds flat and closed in. How do I open it up?
Nine times out of ten the answer is simple. Too much processing on too many channels. Compression on every track because someone said it should be there. Gates set during soundcheck and never adjusted. De-essers running on sources that don't need them.
Knowledge is power — not processing. Just because a tool is available does not mean it belongs on every channel. Before you reach for a compressor, ask what specific problem it is solving. If you cannot answer that question, take it off and listen to what you actually have.
The results usually speak for themselves.
Jim covers mixing philosophy for both recorded and live sound in the full tutorial below — including a real conversation with a multi-Grammy winning engineer about how he mixed one of the most complex live drum recordings in rock music.
Watch: Mixing Tutorial & Philosophies for Live and Recorded Sound →