Mixing

Who this service is for

Mixing suits artists, bands, producers and podcast-adjacent music makers who already have solid recordings and want a professional balance. Solo acts with a beat and stacked vocals, bands tracked during live band recording, and home producers stuck on the last twenty percent follow the same path: clear brief, offline work, controlled revisions.

Mixing is not mastering. We aim for a punchy, transparent mix that still leaves headroom for mastering. Want both in one chain? Say so in your quote request; we can schedule mix and master back to back with the same contact person.

What to send us

Deliver multitracks as WAV files or a folder with readable track names. Include tempo (BPM), key and where bar 1 starts. Avoid clipping on buses and heavy limiting on the stereo mix we cannot bypass. Our stem and format guide covers sample rate, bit depth and how to hand off comped vocals.

• Reference tracks: two or three songs whose balance or space you like — they need not match your genre exactly.
• Lyrics or structure notes when there is spoken word or a busy arrangement.
• Optional MIDI for drums or synths if you want replacement or reinforcement.

If you recorded at Nikausync, we often already hold a session backup; you may not need to re-upload everything if we can link it internally.

How mixing runs at the studio

Mixing happens offline in the same control room we use for tracking, with diffusers and multiple listening positions. The engineer imports stems, checks phase and noise floor, and builds a rough balance before heavy processing. Edits (silences, breaths, timing) happen in the mix pass unless you explicitly want raw takes preserved.

Automation for level, sends and effects is written per section: intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro. We avoid one preset on everything; a rap vocal needs different choices than jazz singing or a guitar riff from our 42 m² live room.

Reference listening

After a first pass we listen on nearfields, a second speaker pair and a typical pair of headphones. That reveals whether bass feels heavy on a couch setup or thin on larger speakers. We note intentional deviations: some genres want more sub, others a drier midrange.

We do not promise platform-specific loudness during mixing — that is for mastering. We do keep peak room so the mastering engineer can move. For timing and file questions, see the FAQ as well.

Revisions and scope

By default, 2 revision rounds are included on the per-song or EP price, as long as feedback stays within the agreed arrangement. In scope: vocal a little louder, less muddy guitar, wider chorus. Often out of scope: a new recording day, instruments that were not in the delivery, a full genre change.

Extra revision time is €75 incl. VAT. Business clients may get 14 days to pay; consumers follow our terms and conditions, usually with a 30% deposit on confirmation.

Rates and what is covered

Guide prices for Mixing include 21% VAT. Net amounts appear on your invoice; as a guide, €198.35 excl. VAT per song up to 48 tracks.

More than 48 tracks, stem recovery from poor recordings or heavy tuning on every vocal is quoted upfront. Full list on Services.

Delivery formats and turnaround

We normally deliver a stereo mixdown as 24-bit WAV at your project sample rate (usually 48 kHz). On request we also send instrumental, a cappella or stem bounces for video or remixes — see the delivery guide.

Turnaround depends on the calendar and track complexity. A single song with tidy stems is often scheduled within a few business days after deposit; a four-track EP needs more contiguous time. We state an expected date in your confirmation email. Rush work may be possible outside Mon–Fri 10–22, Sat 11–18; call +31 20 244 89 17 to check availability.

What the mix price does not include

The mix fee does not cover new tracking in our vocal booth or live room, rebuilding an arrangement from scratch, mastering, distribution to platforms or sample clearance. Podcast editing sits under podcast recording, not music mixing.

Stems from other studios may carry fundamental recording issues we cannot erase without discussion: wrong mic placement or clipping in the source remains audible even if we soften it. We prefer honesty over impossible fixes.

Included

• Offline mix in our control room
• Edits and automation within the arrangement
• Reference check on multiple monitors
• 2 revision rounds in scope
• Stereo mixdown 24-bit WAV
• 24 months archive on our side
• Short delivery notes