How to Use Professional Tracks to Improve Your Mixes
One of the most useful habits a music producer can develop is regularly A/Bing their tracks against professional releases. A/Bing simply means switching back and forth between your track and a reference track to identify differences in the mix, master, arrangement, and overall sonic balance.
The important thing, however, is knowing what to listen for. A/Bing isn't about asking, “Does my track sound as good as the professional track?” It's about asking, “What is different, and is that difference something I should address?”
Choose the Right Reference
The first step is choosing a useful reference track. Ideally, it should be relatively close to what you're trying to achieve. If you're producing a melodic dubstep track, for example, comparing it to a professional melodic dubstep release will generally tell you more than comparing it to a completely different genre.
Pay attention to the instrumentation, energy, arrangement, and overall production style. You don't necessarily need ten reference tracks. One or two carefully chosen tracks can be much more useful.
Always Level-Match
One of the biggest mistakes producers make when A/Bing is comparing tracks at different volumes.
If your reference is noticeably louder, your brain will often interpret it as sounding better, more powerful, and more exciting—even if the actual tonal balance isn't necessarily better.
Before making comparisons, try to get the perceived loudness of both tracks reasonably close. This makes it much easier to judge the actual differences in the production rather than simply reacting to volume.
Compare Specific Elements
Don't just switch between the tracks and think, “The reference sounds better.” Try to identify exactly why.
Ask yourself questions such as:
- Is my kick hitting as hard?
- Is my bass taking up too much space?
- Does the reference have more or less low-mid energy?
- Are my vocals sitting at the right level?
- Is my high end too bright or too dull?
- Is my stereo image excessively wide?
- Does my track have the same sense of depth?
The more specific you can be, the more useful your A/B comparison becomes.
Compare the Same Sections
Whenever possible, compare similar sections of the songs. Compare the intro to the intro, verse to verse, or drop to drop.
This is particularly important with electronic music. A drop with a completely different arrangement or number of elements can naturally sound much bigger than another section, even if the mixing itself is perfectly balanced.
Looping a short section and repeatedly switching between your track and the reference can make subtle differences much easier to hear.
Look at Frequency Balance and Dynamics
A/Bing is primarily an exercise for your ears, but visual tools can help confirm what you're hearing.
Listen to the overall balance between the sub, low mids, mids, and high frequencies. If your track feels significantly darker or brighter than the reference, a spectrum analyzer can help you investigate why.
Dynamics are equally important. Listen to the punch of the drums, the movement between quieter and louder sections, and how much impact your transients have.
However, don't assume that you need to make your track as compressed or loud as the reference. A professional master may have been produced with a completely different artistic goal.
Don't Forget Width and Depth
Stereo width is another area where A/Bing can reveal problems.
Your track might sound impressively wide on headphones but lose impact when played in mono or on smaller speakers. Compare how the important elements are positioned in the stereo field and pay attention to the relationship between the center and sides.
Also listen for depth. Compare the amount of reverb, delay, and ambience used in the reference. Sometimes a mix feels more “professional” not because it has more processing, but because its elements occupy a clearer sense of space.
Use Different Listening Systems
Don't limit your A/B testing to your studio monitors or headphones. Try your track on earbuds, laptop speakers, your phone, or in the car.
This is where Rocket Powered Sound's free Car Test plugin can be particularly useful. Car Test lets producers quickly check how their music translates to a car-style listening environment without actually having to get in the car. It's a great additional reference point when you're trying to understand how your mix will translate outside the studio.
A/B Throughout the Production Process
Finally, don't wait until your track is finished before referencing it.
A/B during sound selection, arrangement, mixing, and mastering. Early comparisons can reveal problems before they become deeply embedded in your production.
And remember: your reference is a diagnostic tool, not a template. Your track doesn't need to sound identical to someone else's. Differences can be intentional and can be part of what gives your production its identity.
The goal of A/Bing is simply to become more aware of those differences—and make conscious decisions about which ones you want to keep and which ones you want to change.
