SIGNALS
Amplifying theory and exploring technique
002: MIXING BEYOND THE BOX
Noah Pred
Navigating the Mix as a Relational System
Behind our 4D Mixing Guide and the 4D Resolver RackThe fourth dimension, he liked to say, encompasses the three dimensions and consequently puts them in their place, that is, it obliterates the dictatorship of the three dimensions and thereby obliterates the three-dimensional world we know and live in... The fourth dimension, he said, was expressible only through music.
— Roberto Bolaño, 2666
Mixing advice is everywhere. Scroll through YouTube or music forums and you’ll find endless top ten lists, plug-in walkthroughs, and one-size-fits-all tips. Some are helpful, but most are disconnected fragments - a technique here, a trick there - without much unifying structure to explain when to use them, or why they might work better in some contexts than others.
As producers, we’ve all been there: a mix feels cluttered, certain sounds seem to disappear. The instinct is to reach for EQ, compression, or another shiny effect. Sometimes this works, but often, it doesn’t - and you end up stacking more and more processing without ever addressing the root cause. Over time, this approach can eat CPU, erode clarity, and leave you second-guessing decisions you made hours before.
In contrast, I wanted to provide a different kind of resource: not a scattered assortment of tips, but a framework for decision-making. Without an approach that addresses the fundamentally relational aspect of elements in a mix, it’s difficult to apply techniques with purpose. This 4D Mixing guide comes from a desire to share a repeatable, adaptable method for diagnosing and resolving problems in any mix.
But it’s not a secret recipe to be followed blindly. It’s a workflow built to help you make informed choices in context, starting with the most efficient, least destructive options and freely moving onto more resource-intensive ones when needed. I’ve taught this framework to hundreds of students in numerous institutions over the years, but applying it in your DAW is another matter - so alongside the DAW-agnostic guide, I’ve also developed the 4D Resolver, a custom Audio Effect Rack for Ableton Live 12 and above.
It’s not a magic bullet of course: the rack won’t make decisions for you. But along with the guide, it will help you make mix decisions faster, more clearly, and with greater intent. And if you need more processing than the rack provides? You’ll have a better sense of what else you might need - and why.
If you’ve ever felt lost in the noise of online mix advice, or if you just want to spend less time tweaking blindly and more time making music, this guide and rack were built for you. Download our 4D Mixing Guide with the 4D Resolver Audio Effect Rack today.
The 4D Framework originated in Noah Pred and Jay Hodgson’s 2013 paper, The Four-Dimensional Sonic Continuum: A Comprehensive Framework for Mixing Audio.