Album Mix: The Riverside Sessions
Full album mixing and mastering for indie rock band, focusing on analog warmth with modern clarity
Overview
Mixed and mastered an 8-track indie rock album for The Riverside Sessions. The goal was to capture the energy of their live performances while achieving radio-ready polish. Key outcomes include improved stereo imaging, consistent loudness across tracks, and enhanced low-end definition.
This project involved mixing and mastering an 8-track indie rock album over a 6-week period. The band had tracked the album in a professional studio but needed mixing expertise to bring their vision to life.
The Challenge
The raw recordings had great performances but suffered from:
- Muddy low-end from overlapping bass and kick frequencies
- Harsh upper midrange in the guitars during choruses
- Inconsistent vocal levels across verses and choruses
- Limited stereo width making everything feel cramped
Approach
My approach centered on three principles:
- Surgical EQ - Carving out frequency space for each instrument before adding any color
- Parallel Processing - Maintaining dynamics while adding density through parallel compression
- Automation - Riding faders and EQ throughout each song rather than relying solely on compressors
Technical Details
- DAW: Pro Tools with outboard summing through an SSL Sigma
- Key Plugins: FabFilter Pro-Q 3, UAD 1176/LA-2A, Soundtoys Decapitator
- Monitoring: Focal Trio6 with Sonarworks Reference correction
- Mastering Chain: Custom analog chain with Dangerous BAX EQ and Elysia alpha compressor
Before & After
Listen to the transformation from raw mix to final master. Toggle between versions to hear the improvements in clarity, punch, and overall balance.
Final Result
The mastered track ready for distribution:
The Riverside Sessions - Track 1 (Final Master)
Results
The project achieved all of the band’s goals:
- Streaming Ready: Meets LUFS standards for Spotify (-14 LUFS) and Apple Music (-16 LUFS)
- Vinyl Master: Separate vinyl-optimized master delivered for their limited pressing
- Band Satisfaction: “Finally sounds like we imagined it” - Lead vocalist
- Critical Reception: Featured on local indie radio rotation
Lessons Learned
This project reinforced the importance of communication. Regular check-ins with the band prevented any surprises in the final stages. Their feedback on the first mix revision (wanting more “air” in the vocals) led to the high-shelf approach that became a signature of the album’s sound.