Simple mixing and recording guidelines

In no order, what so ever… uhm, well, maybe the last one is actually the most important (so I out it in bold).

• If it peaked, throw it out.
• It’s not a good idea to record with effects on. It might seem smart at first, but you might wan’t to get rid of that thick reverb later.
• Make sure lyrics are understandable. Just because you know what you sang, doesn’t mean others can figure it out.
• Do not compress and limit sound until the very end – drag this as long as you can.
• ‘Wall of sound’ it with extra real recordings, don’t just copy and paste.
• Delay backing tracks just a bit. A BIT!
• Just because you think cheap wandering stereo automation is cool, doesn’t mean anyone else will.
• Never stereo pan more than 25 – unless it’s a complete left/right pan.
• Give lyrics a EQ boost toward the high end if you need presence/
  sounds dull.
• Never put effects on single tracks before everything else is recorded, premixed and done. Then start mixing and adding.
• Importance: 1. the musician … 2. the instrument – and no, I didn’t get it wrong!

I

• f you sound bad on a Shure SM58 – don’t go out and buy an expensive Neumann U89I… rather: if it sounds good with the Shure, you may be able to make it sound great with the Neumann.
• Keep it simple, find something that works – you can always mess it up later. Harder to do it the other way around.

Listen, don’t use shitty automated lists like this.