Mixes are complex things and can take a long time to get right, but there are some things that will work on 95% of mixes, or put it another way here are 5 cheats for those who are just getting into mixing. I use these all the time, other people shared them with me over the years so try them and if they work for you then pass them on.

1. Roll Off Guitars At 100Hz
   Keep the bottom end nice and clean and leave space for the bass and kick by rolling off 100Hz hard on electric and acoustic guitars.
2. Using A Loop
   To stop loops fighting with other stuff, particularly when you use loops with live drums, I often roll off the top and the bottom and put a peak boost right in the middle to grunge it all up.
3. Magic Bass Guitar
   Simple as this… shelving boost at 100Hz then compress nice and hard.
4. De-Ess Cymbals
   Not a usual use for a de-esser, but if you have overheads or cymbals that are harsh then put a de-esser across them and then find a sweet spot using the frequency control and you’ll get them under control.
5. Use Pre-Delay Instead Of Long Reverb Times
   If you want to create space with reverbs without the whole mix becoming a splashy mess, then use a longer pre-delay and a shorter decay time. So instead of using a decay time of 2.5secs, try a longer pre-delay and about a 1 second decay.

Let me know how you get on. If you have any you would like to share your own then add them in the comments.