How to Use Reference Tracks When Mixing: A Mix Engineer's Guide
Mixing without a reference is a bit like painting in a room with the lights turned down. After a few hours your ears adjust to whatever you've been listening to, and you lose the ability to judge what's actually there. A reference track is the fastest reality check a mix engineer has.
At Blue Room Studios in London, referencing is part of how we mix. This guide covers exactly how to use reference tracks when mixing: what to check, how to set up your DAW, how many tracks to use and the mistakes that make a reference misleading.
What is a reference track in mixing?
A reference track is a commercially released song you use as a point of comparison. In mixing, you compare your own mix against it to check that it holds up in the same conditions.
It helps to separate two types of reference, because they do different jobs:
Creative reference | Technical reference |
Arrangement, energy, sound palette, mood | Tonal balance, vocal level, low end, brightness, width, punch |
Used while writing and producing | Used at the mixing and mastering stage |
Guides how the track is built | Guides how the finished track should sound |
For mixing, you want a technical reference: you're listening to music that's already been produced and trying to match its actual sound. Mix them up and you'll chase your tail without finding the right answers, or copy somebody else's work. (If you're still writing, see Itay's guide to using reference tracks when songwriting.)
Why reference a mix?
It exposes problems you've stopped hearing
If your vocal sounds drowned out compared to the music, you know something has been off all along. It could be a production problem, where all the instruments have been layered on top of the vocal, or simply a mixing choice. Either way, you'd never spot it without a comparison.
It makes you faster
Instead of endlessly tweaking, a reference lets you answer specific questions:
Should the vocal sit right on top, or slightly inside the track?
How bright is "bright" for this genre?
How much sub is actually there compared to what I think I'm hearing?
It gets clients and artists on the same page
A clear reference is the quickest way to agree on taste. Without one, you're guessing what the artist wants to hear.
What to check against your reference
Once the parts are down, the vocals sound good and it's time to wrap up, referencing becomes a sanity check. This is what I listen for:
Low end. How the kick relates to the bass, and how both sit in the context of the whole mix. Also the weight of the sub compared to the reference.
Vocal level. Does it sit correctly relative to the rest of the track, or does it need modification and further automation?
Snare and downbeat elements. Do they have the same weight and definition?
Mids and high mids. Mixes often build up in this area without us noticing. A strong reference helps eliminate it.
Stereo width and depth. Some elements may need widening or more accurate panning. Compare how wide your track is with others.
Ambience. Have you used the right reverbs, in the right amount?
Chorus lift. Does the energy come across with that sweeping feeling, or does something feel missing?
How to set up a reference track in your DAW
1. Match the levels
Level-match your reference to your mix inside the DAW. If the reference is louder it will always sound better, and the same is true the other way round. Without level matching you're not comparing sound, you're comparing volume.
2. Route your mix through a separate mix bus
Bus all of your mix through a separate mix bus rather than straight to the main stereo output. That way the reference track can play with no mastering plugins on it, and you can compare the two accurately.
3. A/B in short bursts
Switch between your mix and the reference in bursts of about 10 to 20 seconds, and be analytical about what works and what doesn't in your own track.
4. One question per pass
Don't try to judge everything at once. On one pass, listen only to vocal level and how it differs between the two tracks. On the next, low end and weight. Then snare and downbeat. Then the chorus lift.
How many reference tracks should you use for mixing?
One or two, not more. In mixing especially, you want one thing to reference. Jumping between lots of different tracks just pulls you in different directions.
The exception is a very specific element you want to replicate from another song. For example, you might want the music to sound like one band, but the vocal to have the effects and treatment of a different record. That's a perfectly good use of a second reference.
Choosing a reference that's actually comparable
A reference can lead you to the wrong decisions if it isn't really comparable to your track:
Arrangement density. A sparse arrangement against a busy one makes each element pop out very differently.
Vocal type. Different voices sit differently in different productions. A raspy singer set against a very clear one is hard to compare.
Era. Songs from the 80s and 90s often have drenched drums and less definition. Our ears are tuned differently now, so don't compare your mix to a completely different era.
Common reference-track mixing mistakes
Not level-matching, so the louder track wins every time.
Leaving mastering plugins on the reference channel.
Using too many references and jumping between them.
Comparing across genres, eras or vocal styles.
Referencing forever instead of committing to the mix.
Using a technical reference too early, before the song has its own identity.
Frequently asked questions
How do you use a reference track when mixing?
Import a commercial track you trust into your session, level-match it to your mix, and route it to the output without your mastering plugins. Then A/B in 10 to 20 second bursts, checking one element at a time.
How many reference tracks should I use?
One or two for mixing. More than that and you're jumping between different targets.
Why does my mix sound worse than the reference?
Very often it's level. If the reference is louder it will sound better, so match levels first. After that, compare one element at a time, such as vocal level, low end and mid build-up.
Should I put my reference track through my mix bus?
No. Route your mix through a separate mix bus and play the reference straight to the output, with no mastering plugins on it, so you're hearing it as it was released.
What should I compare against a reference?
Low end, vocal level, snare and downbeat weight, mids and high mids, stereo width and depth, reverb and ambience, and the energy of the chorus.
Mixing with Blue Room Studios
Referencing protects your mix's translation and keeps the tonal balance honest, but it doesn't replace experience. If you'd like a second pair of ears on your record, work with us at Blue Room Studios in London or get in touch.
Watch the full video, where Itay goes through creative and technical references:
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