Mix Trick or Trash: Lu Diaz Episode 6

Jul 22, 2026 | 10 Views

The mixing debate continues. In this episode of Mix Trick or Trash, we’ve put multi-platinum mix engineer Lu Diaz in the hot seat to tackle 20 of the most argued mix tricks in the game. From a straight-shooting takedown of over-complicated gain staging to his thoughts on AI and why Michael Jackson proves your vocal reverb rules may need rethinking.

0:31 - High-pass everything
0:45 - Always mix with reference tracks
1:04 - Mixing in mono
1:19 - AI in mixing is the future
1:40 - Checking your mix in the car
2:07 - Mix through your master chain as early as possible
2:30 - Tempo sync reverb controls to your song's BPM
2:50 - Never boost EQ, only cut
3:16 - Tune every vocal
3:36 - Sidechain compression
3:53 - If the mix sounds good on AirPods, it'll sound good on anything
4:19 - Use just one reverb for the entire mix
4:42 - Pan your backing vocals away from your lead vocal
5:10 - Parallel compression
5:38 - Always mix at low volumes
6:07 - Proper gain staging is non-negotiable
6:46 - Automate volume on lead vocals
7:17 - LUFS are overrated
7:44 - Magic is in the mid-range
8:10 - Vocals must have at least some reverb to sound good
8:29 - Gated reverbs belong in the past
8:49 - Preamps don't matter

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