The Home Studio Mixing Cheat Sheet
Digital Download

The Home Studio Mixing Cheat Sheet

Every instrument's full chain in one place — the exact EQ moves, compression ratio, attack, release and gain reduction. Plus panning, effects and a complete mastering chain. Written in plain English.

€10 · instant download · yours forever
Get the Cheat Sheet → 15 pages · PDF · works with any DAW
Or start with the free one-page version →

Sound Familiar?

You've got a good take. Now what?

You open a compressor and stare at it. Attack? Release? Ratio? You move a knob, it sounds different but not better, so you move it back. Twenty minutes later you're still on the same track.

The information is out there — but it's buried in 40-minute videos and forum arguments, and none of it tells you the actual numbers to start from.

This sheet does. Find your instrument, read the numbers, dial them in, then use your ears for the part that actually matters.

What's Inside

15 Pages. No Filler.

🎤
Vocals — Done Properly
Lead and backing chains, de-essing, parallel compression, doubling and width, plus the sidechain-ducking trick that keeps reverb huge but the words clear.
🎸
Guitars & Bass
Acoustic, electric and heavy doubled rhythm guitar. Bass EQ that survives phone speakers, and how to carve bass and kick so they stop fighting.
🥁
Full Drum Mixing
Kick, snare, toms, hats, overheads and room — with ratios, attack, release and pan for each. Works with sampled kits, loops or real drums.
🎹
Piano, Strings & More
Three different piano treatments depending on the part. Cello, violin and big drama strings. Harmonica for that country-blues bite.
🌊
Reverb & Delay
How to build FX sends that sound like a record — decay, predelay, EQ-ing your reverb, and the pre vs post-fader rule most people get wrong.
🎚️
The Mastering Chain
Six stages in the right order, with settings for each — plus 2026 streaming loudness targets and why crushing your master loses you nothing but punch.
🔍
"Find It Fast" Index
Page one is a lookup table. "I need to mix a vocal" → go here. Built for mid-session, not for reading cover to cover.
🔧
Problems & Fixes
Muddy? Boxy? Harsh? Vocal buried? A symptom → cause → cure table for when you know it's wrong but can't name what's wrong.

See For Yourself

A Look at the Actual Numbers

This is a slice of the compression quick-reference — one of several tables in the guide. Every instrument in the sheet gets this level of detail, plus its own full chain.

InstrumentRatioAttackReleaseGain Reduction
Lead vocal2:1–3:15–10 ms80 ms / auto3–6 dB
Acoustic guitar2:120 ms150 ms2–3 dB
Bass4:115–20 ms140 ms4–6 dB
Kick4:110–15 ms120 ms3–5 dB
Snare4:15–10 ms100 ms4–6 dB

Plus the reasoning: slower attack keeps the punch, release should breathe with the music.

Questions

Before You Buy

Do I need specific plugins?
No. Every setting is described by tool type — "an EQ", "a compressor", "an opto leveller" — not brand names. Stock plugins in any DAW will do all of it. If you own premium plugins, the numbers are identical.
Which DAWs does it work with?
All of them. Cubase, Logic, Ableton, Reaper, Pro Tools, Studio One, FL Studio — the settings are about audio, not about software menus.
I'm a complete beginner. Is this too advanced?
It's written in plain English and explains the why behind each move — what attack and release actually do, where each frequency range lives, what to cut and why. You'll follow it. It's also detailed enough to stay useful once you're not a beginner.
What format is it?
A 15-page PDF. Instant download after purchase — read it on a laptop, tablet or phone, or print it and keep it on the desk.
Who made this?
JP Storm — musician and engineer at Darkstorm Studios in Kassel, Germany. These are the settings actually used on real sessions, not theory copied from somewhere else.

Get It Now

Stop guessing. Start finishing songs.

Instant download. Keep it open while you mix — you'll use it on every song from here on.

€10 · one-time · yours forever
Get the Cheat Sheet → Or have JP mix it for you instead.