Welcome to Sage Audio. Today we’re covering how to make a warm mix. To
get the most from your music, watch the entirety of each chapter for a complete
understanding of the topic. But first, If you have a mix that you need mastered,
send it to us to receive a free mastered sample of it with the link in the description.
Chain Overview
If you’re looking to make your mix warm sounding, let’s look at a chain that’ll
work well - it includes 6 inserts, each of which will be used subtly.
This chain is great for some finishing touches on your mix, before sending it off for mastering.
It starts with a Gullfoss EQ to ensure everything is balanced before amplifying the signal,
then saturation, upward compression, and a low-frequency shelf. We’ll then cut and
amplify some of the sides to make it a little cleaner and fuller on the side.
Then it ends with some subtle parallel optical compression to smooth out the sound.
Let’s listen to the full chain.
Start with Gullfoss EQ
The Gullfoss EQ will dynamically attenuate and boost frequencies
to balance out the sound - it works well first since it levels out the frequency spectrum
so that when we make it warm with the subsequent processing,
it doesn’t become overbearing. Subtle settings work really well here, only about 10 percent.
Use the mastering version of this plugin to ensure the effect is only a couple dB shifted at most.
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Warm Transformer Saturation
A transformer-based saturator will be great for warming up your mix since it adds a strong
second-order harmonic - which we can observe by running a sine wave through it. One great free
option for this is MSaturator by Melda Audio, with which you can control harmonics easily.
We can either use the Soft Mode and increase the Analog slider
or increase the value of the 2nd harmonic slider. Either way, you get a warmer mix.
Since this is on your mix bus, keep the amount low or use the wet/dry to blend it in.
Low Hz. Upward Compression
With the FabFilter MB compressor, or with another multiband dynamics processor, we can
isolate our low frequencies, use a positive range and compression settings to amplify the quietest
aspects of the signal. This way the signal is amplified whenever it falls below the threshold.
This may increase the noise floor, but it shouldn’t be too noticeable.
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Mid-Channel Low Shelf
Although this is really straightforward, a low shelf is a really powerful tool - we can use
an analog emulator like a Pultec-based plugin to create a distinctive slope, or we can use
a parametric EQ for more control. Either way, try not to amplify the section more than 2dB.
If the plugin you have lets you, make the band dynamic.
Also, if the EQ is mid-side, place the shelf on the mid-channel.
Side Channel Cut and Boost
If you have an EQ that lets you affect your mid and side separately,
use a high pass filter on the side channel to make your lows more mono - this will
keep the mix driving and make the low end focused. Then we’ll amplify around 300Hz.
This combo results in a clean and direct sound, that definitely helps warm the mix.
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Parallel Optical Compression
Last up let’s use a compressor with a wet/dry effect and achieve about 1dB of attenuation
while using automatic makeup gain. If we use the internal side-chain filter to remove highs
from triggering the compressor, the compressor will trigger whenever the lows are loud enough.
The auto make-up gain will basically cause the lows to become denser
without losing much impact. As a result, we get a warmer sound.
Let’s listen to each insert, enabled one by one.
If you have a mix that you need mastered, send it to us to receive a free mastered sample of it
with the link in the description. Thank you so much for watching.