How To Make Your Drums Hit Harder in Your Mix

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How To Make Your Drums Hit Harder in Your Mix


Mar 4, 2023


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If you want your drums to hit hard in the mix, there are a few things that you will need to do. Mixing is an art and it can take years of experience before someone knows how to get a good drum sound. Here are some tips that will help make your drums punch through the mix:


  • Mix your drums with other instruments. It's not just the mastering engineer that will affect how loud a song can be before it starts to distort - you have control over this too! If you listen to a professionally mixed track, everything in the mix is balanced and nothing overpowering one another. Try mixing your drums along side some of your favorite tracks from popular artists or bands similar to yours. You might learn something new about what they did on their album by doing so, which could help influence the sound of your own songs.
  • Use compression. A compressor will help to tame the dynamics of your drums and make them sound more consistent throughout the song. This is especially important when you have a busy mix with lots of instruments competing for space. By using a compressor, you can ensure that your drums are heard at all times without having to worry about them getting lost in the mix
  • EQ'ing is key! The frequency spectrum of your drums will play a big role in how they sit in the mix. You 'll want to use an EQ to sculpt their tone so that they compliment the other instruments, rather than compete with them. There's no one right answer when it comes to EQ 'ing drums - it's all about finding what works best for your song. But, as a general rule of thumb, you should try to cut away at the frequencies that are overpowering your mix and creating unwanted noise (such as cymbals), while boosting the frequencies that aren 't being heard enough or need more attention in order to be brought out into the open.
  • Mixing is about experimenting! Mixing isn 't something where there's one right answer - it's all about trying new things and seeing what works best for each situation. If these tips don't work well with your songs, keep mixing until you find what does! You may even want to enlist the help of an audio engineer if this sounds overwhelming - having another pair of ears on board could really speed up the process. Mixing is a long and sometimes tedious process, but with time you 'll be sure to find the right sound for your songs.
  • On the other hand, sometimes people use too little reverb, which can make their mix sound dull and lifeless. It's important to find the right balance between using enough and not using too much reverb. You want to add just enough to give your mix some life without going overboard.
  • Mixing isn 't as easy as it looks! Mixing can seem like an impossible task if you don't have any experience doing it - especially when there are so many conflicting opinions on how things should sound. You may hear that one track has too much bass or another doesn't cut through enough, which could leave you scratching your head wondering what's really important in getting that perfect mix. The answer? It all depends on the song! What sounds good on one track might not work well at all for another, so try out different combinations of techniques until something clicks! When paired with the right song, your drums can sound absolutely massive in the mix.
  • Another mistake people make is using too obvious of a reverb setting. If you use one that's way off from what other engineers might be doing, it will draw attention to itself and end up ruining the balance within your mix. It's important to choose something that fits into most typical situations so that you don't attract undue attention to yourself for choosing an unusual type of reverb.


Mixing is an art and it takes years of experience before someone knows how to get a good drum sound. By following these tips, you 'll be on your way to finding that perfect balance for your songs. Keep mixing until you find what works best for you and don't be afraid to experiment! Good luck!

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