Preparing MIDI For Mixing: Step by Step Guide

1. Disable Plugins
The first step is simple: remove all plugins from your MIDI tracks, EQ, compression, reverb sends, everything! This isolates the raw sound of the composition, preventing unintended effects on your mix from adjustments made during composition.
Are there exceptions? Yes! If an effect is integral to a sound's character, like a synth pad that you've added a trance gate to that defines its function as a pulse instead of a pad, leave it in place. Removing it would drastically alter the sound.

2. Centre Tracks
Now centre all your tracks in your DAW mixer. This might seem counterintuitive if you've already established a stereo image, but it allows for precise positioning during mixing and a clearer understanding of how instruments interact.

3. Preserve The Balance
Keep the rough balance created during the composing stage, don't reset everything! This initial balance is a valuable starting point. Composers often develop an intuitive sense of arrangement; preserving this is recommended.

4. Naming Your Tracks
Clear file naming and organisation are vital for efficient mixing. Make sure that all your instrument tracks are labelled correctly and intuitively so it's easier to navigate when you do the export.

5. Setting Locators
Before exporting, set your locators correctly. Add a bar of silence before the start and after the end of your piece to provide headroom for any tails, preventing the audio from starting too late or cutting off too abruptly.

6. Exporting Your Audio
Select the correct sample rate and bit depth for your project and save the stems into a dedicated folder labelled something like "Stems". Many DAWs give you options to include channel numbers in your export names (e.g. "31 Bass Drum"). This helps you import them in the same order they were exported, and avoids generic labels. A little organisation upfront saves significant time and frustration later on. Now you should have a tidy folder with all of your stems in.