Harbourside School of Audio and Music Production

MIXING TECHNIQUES and TOOLS - Just Hit Mute
One of the best tricks you can learn when developing you mixing skills is how to use the MUTE button. The mute button on your mixer or DAWS virtual mixer should be used for two main purposes.

The first and most important one is silencing unwanted noise from in between section in your tracks. For example if your recorded all three verse in one take straight through to the end there is probably some noise during in the background during the chorus where the action takes place on another track or tracks. You should use your mute button during this section so unwanted noise is not heard underneath everything The most common noises you’ll get rid of are things like some one breathing, a note book page of rhymes being turned or better yet the under lying tone of the room that starts build up as your track count increases. Using the automation of your DAW is essential to this step. Alternately you could edit out noise manually or try using a noise gate but right now the MUTE button is the star so show it some love. Using the automated mutes also makes it look cool when your mixes play back every one will thing you a pro engineer.