5 Signs Your Track Needs Professional Studio Mixing

You’ve recorded your hip hop track. The vocals, the beat, the snare - everything is in place. Except there’s something holding it back. The tracks need a higher level of polish. Here’s where mixing comes in. 

So what exactly is mixing? And why is it important for your music? As a hip hop recording studio in Los Angeles, we’ve prepared this list to help you decide when to seek a mixing session with a professional sound engineer. 

What is mixing? 

Mixing is a post-production process that comes before the final mastering of a record. 

It involves organizing and adjusting the many tracks that make up your song’s recording, helping them to fit together as a whole, whilst augmenting the best aspects to create a vibrant, polished recording. 

Mixing is an art form, and can be a learning curve for the most accomplished musicians. If you need professional mixing in Los Angeles, we offer sessions with experienced sound engineers, who will use our high-end equipment to create the perfect mix for you. 

Signs your hip hop track needs professional studio mixing 

1. Something feels missing, but you can’t pinpoint the problem 

The final touches to a recording are added in the mixing stage. It might be that more emphasis needs to be placed on a particular bar, or that the verse needs to be toned down to emphasize the drop. A professional mixing engineer can spot minute details that will make a dramatic difference to the quality of your recording. 

2. Your recording lacks balance 

If certain tracks, such as your bass, are too low, and others are too high, this can make the overall song sound unbalanced. Through EQs and audio compression, sound engineers can balance frequencies and dynamics to create a smoother sound. 

3. Your vocals are mixed too quietly 

This can be a real mistake for a hip hop artist, where vocals are of immense importance. Beats are vital for rhythm, but if they are mixed too loud, they can swamp your vocal output and drown out your lines. 

4. The track doesn’t flow with your vision 

Whether you’re influenced by trap or gangsta rap, every hip hop artist has a unique style to bring to their music. If your production doesn’t fit with your vision, it can be a real sign that some extra guidance is needed. If a track is over-mixed, this can hide the unique qualities of your sound. 

5. You need a different perspective 

Tackling production problems in a hip hop track can be a challenge, especially if you’re doing it alone. Musicians can become too close to a project, which obscures their awareness of what needs to be done. A second pair of eyes can transform a record from off-key tracks to a worldwide hit. 

We are a leading hip hop recording studio in Los Angeles, offering mixing solutions to turn your beats into bestsellers. Our highly experienced sound engineers and state of the art equipment make us the best recording studio for mixing in Los Angeles. Get in touch to book a studio session today.