Mixing With The Masters [updated] Jun 2026

Chris Lord-Alge famously relies on his SSL console bus compressor. However, he revealed that for high-gain rock, he duplicates his mix bus. One bus has the master processing (EQ + compression); the other is completely dry. He then fades in the dry signal to add back the transient attack that the compression killed. This keeps the "loudness" of the master but retains the "punch" of the raw mix.

The roster of tutors includes the most successful names in music history.

If you want to take your audio production skills further, tell me: What do you primarily mix? What Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) do you use? mixing with the masters

If you want your tracks to compete on a global scale, you have to understand the techniques, mindset, and workflows of the greats. Here is how you can start mixing like a master.

You can't get to the destination if you don't know what it looks like. Import into your session. These are your benchmarks. Use them to A/B your mix, comparing overall tonality, stereo spread, the level of the vocal relative to the drums, and the density of the reverb. As the experts at iZotope advise, "always mix with intent. Every move should be in service to the song's emotion and structure". Chris Lord-Alge famously relies on his SSL console

: Identify the most important element of the track (usually the vocals or the main groove) and build everything around it.

If you watched a pro work, you’d notice they spend a significant amount of time on organization. Mixing with the masters starts with a clean slate. He then fades in the dry signal to

What (like the low-end or vocal clarity) gives you the most trouble? What DAW and primary monitoring setup are you using?

This feature bridges the gap between watching a tutorial and actually mixing a song.

Choose one master to emulate for a week. For example, you could watch several of videos and then try to mix a track using his aggressive compression and parallel processing techniques. You're not copying his exact sound; you're trying to understand his philosophy of "punch."