I'm going to chat a little about procedural setups, because once you really dive deep into mixing, a lot of what you do to get results winds up being habit - how you approach your mixes. These days, I work from the end to the start. I address the two bus first.
Most folks want to hear the end result as they mix, and I'm little different. I do too. Accordingly, the first thing I do is arrange the end of the output chain into settings that will give me a consistent result. There are a lot of mastering plugs. I lean towards the Wave AG Mastering ... and then because I like the enhancement, I follow that with the Ozone 9 Elements plug. The limiter (Maximizer) in that plug is wonderfully transparent. I always tweak the "full master" preset - allowing for more bass and less mid than the preset default setting is.
Also, before I do any drum mixing, I set up the master drum bus ... again by simply knowing what achieves the sound I want - while appearing natural. There are five distinct components:
>Light compression
>Trimming the transients (limiting)
>Heavier compression on the bus output
>Parallel compression on the bus output
>Parallel compression (light) on the kick/snare
Once that's established, I mix drums and bass - ONLY. The DRUMS establish the level. The buss is set -14db ... which is where most digital allows 0dbv. Again just habit and experience ... but the settings also don't overload the mastering on the two bus - which you want peaking at less than 0db. It's the drums that will always overload the two bus, so it's best to address them first.
Balancing the bass against the kick so it is clearly heard (crucial) is merely a quick set prior to folding in the other elements.
Panning is your friend when it comes to high frequency instruments. Fold in on sonic stage across the l-r spectrum. The aim is blend w/o interference. Always remember that in mixing, two competing frequencies become indistinct. Separate for distinction. Set the bed accordingly.
The LAST thing I address in mixing is the most forward thing: The vocals. They are always out front and ride on top.
They are also the most important thing.
But that's a whole thread unto itself. In that, they need to be "wide and ride".
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