How do I make my mix sound wider?

Width comes from contrast between mono and stereo. Keep kick, bass, snare, and lead vocal up the centre. Pan guitars, keys, and background vocals wide. Use short stereo delays or the Haas effect on doubled parts. Mid-side EQ can boost sides above 5kHz for air.

Why does my mix sound muddy?

Mud usually lives between 200-500Hz where multiple instruments stack up. High-pass filter everything that doesn't need low end. Cut 2-3dB around 300Hz on guitars and keys. Solo instruments together in pairs to find which ones are masking each other.

What is the best compressor ratio for vocals?

Start with 3:1 or 4:1 for most vocal styles. Lower ratios (2:1) work for gentle levelling on jazz or acoustic. Higher ratios (6:1 to 8:1) suit aggressive rock or rap vocals where you want the vocal locked in place.

How do I get more depth in a mix?

Depth comes from volume, reverb, and frequency. Upfront elements are louder, brighter, and drier. Background elements are quieter, darker, and wetter. Use pre-delay on reverbs to separate the source from the space. Low-pass filter reverb returns to push them back.

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