Mixing is a stressful task. Get a good night's sleep before a mixing session. When in doubt, listen again. Don't be afraid to tell the engineer what you want but listen to any advice he or she may offer. Odds are that an experienced engineer has heard more sessions than you and your three closest friends put together.

When you mix your demo, you need at least four mixes:

• Minus one mix: This mix has the music, but no lead vocal; it is useful for trying different singers, singing over for your own CD project, and for karaoke night at the Antler Lodge.

• Radio mix: This version should be as close as possible to perfect; it's great for playing for the folks back home and for your personal listening pleasure.

• Vocal up mix: A mix with the vocals louder than normal, so publishers can hear the words.

• Vocal way up mix: An extra mix many songwriters are advised to make, in case the “vocal up” mix isn't as dramatic as you thought.

As you check your mixes, you may notice that your songs sound different on other systems than they did during mixing. All speaker systems sound a little different — in some cases, the differences are pretty dramatic. It's best to check your mixes on several different systems before sending them off for duplicating or mastering. Many studios have several sets of speakers for testing mixes. Also check mixes in your car, home, and anywhere else you can think of.