Lodewijk Vos Drops 10 Mixing Bombs: No Textbook, Just Street-Level Sauce

Breaking the Textbook: Streetwise Mixing Moves

Lodewijk Vos doesn’t just walk the walk—he mixes the mix. Right out the gate, he’s tossing the textbook out the window and showing us how breaking the so-called rules can get you closer to that pro sound. Instead of playing it safe, LØ’s approach is about prepping your tracks like a painter preps their canvas: bounce those stems, start fresh, and get your head clear.

He’s not afraid to cut against the grain—literally. The advice here isn’t just about what you should do, but what you shouldn’t be afraid to try. If you’re tired of mixes that sound like everyone else’s, this is your permission slip to color outside the lines. LØ’s style is all about finding your own groove, and honestly, that’s where the magic lives.

Get Your House in Order: Grouping for Clarity

Organization isn’t just for neat freaks—it’s the secret sauce for mixes that actually make sense. LØ groups his tracks into buses—drums, vocals, you name it—so he can EQ and balance whole sections with a flick of the wrist. This isn’t just about workflow; it’s about making your life easier when you’re deep in the mix and need to deliver stems without losing your mind.

If you’ve ever tried to untangle a spaghetti mess of tracks at 2 AM, you know this tip slaps harder than a fresh pair of sneakers on a studio floor.

EQ and Compression: The Early Bird Gets the Groove

Here’s where LØ throws a curveball: slap an EQ on your mix bus before you even start mixing. Yeah, you heard that right. Push those highs back up at the mix bus, not on every single track, and suddenly your mix has that silky shine without the harshness. It’s like adding hot sauce at the end instead of drowning every bite—way more flavor, way less regret.

Then, drop a compressor right after that EQ and mix into it from the jump. This isn’t your grandma’s set-it-and-forget-it compression. By pushing into the compressor as you go, your track breathes, swells, and gets that alive, aggressive feel when you want it, then chills out when you pull back. It’s a dance—a push and pull that keeps your mix unified and bumping. Forget waiting until the end to glue things together; LØ’s method is about building vibe from bar one.

"The next two points will be controversial, but trust me, once you do this it will change your perspective on mixing."

© Screenshot/Quote: Lodewijkvos (YouTube)

Depth, Layers, and the Art of the Sonic Sandwich

"This will bring depth to your track and you can use this as a storytelling tool."

© Screenshot/Quote: Lodewijkvos (YouTube)

Mixing isn’t just about left and right—it’s about front, back, and everything in between. LØ breaks it down into threes: foreground, mid-ground, background. Same goes for stereo: center, off-center, and way out on the sides. This isn’t just nerd talk; it’s how you tell a story with your sound. Ask yourself where every element belongs, and don’t be afraid to switch it up to keep your listeners on their toes.

Want your mix to feel like a living, breathing thing? Use depth and layering as your secret weapon. LØ’s advice: sometimes, making a track sound a little rough on its own is exactly what makes the whole mix slap. If you want to see how this layering magic actually plays out, you gotta peep the video—words can only take you so far when it comes to vibe.

Keep It Down: The Power of Consistent Volume

Here’s a tip that’ll save your ears and your sanity: set your monitor volume and leave it alone. LØ calls out the classic rookie move—constantly cranking the knob and fooling yourself into thinking the mix is getting better. Spoiler: it’s not. By sticking to one or two reference levels, you keep your ears honest and your decisions sharp.

If you’re feeling tired, drop the level by 13 dB and keep mixing. If it sounds good quiet, it’ll sound killer loud. Tape marks on your volume knob? That’s street-level genius. Trust me, this one’s a game changer for anyone who wants to mix smarter, not harder.