5 grouping strategies to speed up your mixing and mastering workflow.

Grouping tracks can really streamline your workflow, make mixing more manageable, lower the load on your CPU, and help you focus on creative elements without being disrupted by technicalities.

1. Group by instrument type or sound categories:

This is the standard practice I've seen other producers use. Group tracks by types such as drums, bass, synths, vocals, effects, etc.... You can go further by creating Sub-Groups for similar sounds or layered sounds like kicks, snares, hi-hats, and percussion. This allows more control over individual drum sounds while maintaining cohesion when you adjust the main drum group.

2. Group and color by frequency content:

You might want to control tracks’ signal by frequency content. Your hi-hats and bright FXs can be in a ‘hi-frequencies’ group, while your kicks, basses, sub, can be in the ‘low frequencies’ group. I go further and color my tracks using the spectrum of colors as a reference (where red are the low frequencies, and violet the high frequencies) this way you can visualise from the get-go how balanced your mix is. Here is a frequency map I designed and you can use as a reference. Enjoy.

3. Parallel processing groups:

Use groups to set up parallel processing, such as parallel compression on drums, bass or vocals. Set up a parallel compression group channel, then send the signal to a return track/aux containing your preferred compressor. Here is a tutorial to learn more about parallel compression.

How to Make Drums Or Bass Thicker and Full With Parallel Compression [Video]

Once you learn this trick, you will use it for all your mixes. My advise is to use it after you’re done Sound Designing and you are ready to master your mix.

Kick Punch SlapDavid Contreras

4. Group by dynamic range

Instead of grouping by frequency, you may wish to control or modify sounds that sit within similar range of dynamics. For example, hats and transient- heavy elements go to a ‘sharp’ or 'dynamic' group, but pads and ride layers may go to a ‘flat’ group. This helps keep more of a handle on dynamics when using compressors.

5. Create a premaster channel:

Pre-route all track signals to a final ‘Premaster’ group channel so that you can apply all the effects required in mastering to the entire track, but leave your master channel free. This is particularly helpful when you use a reference track which can be routed straight to the master avoiding your master processes.

Note from David:

If you're reading this, thank you!

If you enjoy what you see and find it valuable, please consider subscribing and sharing it with other fellow music producers. Subscribers will also receive an email with the latest and greatest. For now, I'm trying to post at least once per week and sending an email with the latest and greatest on Wednesdays (Sydney time). I'll be keeping new posts available for ~4 weeks, beyond that you will need a free subscription to access the content.