Start by plugging in the basic gear you'll most likely need, e.g. primary reverb, delay, and a stereo compressor (if you have one) between your console and your 2-track recorder (DAT, CD, etc.) Even if you start with the compressor in bypass, it should be plugged in. As you build your mix, you should occasionally check your levels to the recorder (see "setting 2-track levels") When you're ready to push up the faders (i.e. ready to listen to the tracks), you have a couple of options: 1) if you have a full arrangement (e.g. vocal, guitar, piano, bass & drums), imagine you're building a house. Start with a solid foundation - first the drums, then bass, then the rest. But remember that the vocal is the most important instrument in a song - as you build your mix, push up the vocal every now and then to make sure the track will ultimately support the vocal and not overwhelm it. 2) If you have a relatively sparse arrangement (e.g. acoustic guitar, vocal and violin), start with either the vocal first or the most important supporting instrument.
If you think of songwriting and recording as an artistic process, it's not hard to draw an analogy between mixing a song and painting a picture. Let's say you're looking at a painting of some French farmland. Your eyes move from the green rolling hills, to the creek winding past the red farmhouse, to the farmer greeting the cow as the sun shines above. Now think of your mix as a "musical landscape." Every element is distinct but integrated, flowing into each other. A great mix allows the ears to wander from one sound to the next but always focusing back on the main elements - the melody, the hook, etc. In your painting, the frequencies are your colors. Allow your instruments to stand out, with some colors brighter than others. The more tracks you have recorded for your song, the more information there is competing for space on just two tracks when you mix down.
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