Andrew begins the Collective Mix by opening the session exactly as it arrives, with no premix or notes. After hearing the track for the first time, he organizes the layout, imports his template, sets up routing, and establishes a clean workflow.
With the foundation in place, Andrew focuses on the drums and programmed rhythm elements. He enhances punch using parallel compression and harmonic tools, explores low-end weight, and checks the balance against the rough to understand the producer’s intent.
Key moments in this episode:
- First impressions and initial listening strategy
- Full session organization and color-coded workflow
- Template import, routing setup, and gain structure
- Early decisions on kick, snare, parallel chains, and drum tone
- Understanding what the rough mix gets right, and what it’s telling him
This is the groundwork that shapes the entire mix.