Purpose
- Glue rhythm and lead guitars
- Create cohesion
- Save CPU with shared processing
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Guitar Bus Mixing Cheat Sheet
Glue, control, and enhance
Bus Purpose and Signal Flow
Signal Flow
- Tracks -> Guitar Bus -> Mix Bus
- Use bus processing only when the grouped guitars need shared tone or control
Level Targets
- Individual tracks: -18 to -12 dBFS
- Bus peaks: -6 dBFS max
- Master peak: -1 dBTP ceiling
EQ Guidelines
| Range | What It Does | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 20-80 Hz | Sub and low-end build-up | High-pass if needed |
| 80-150 Hz | Boom and thump | Cut if muddy |
| 150-400 Hz | Boxiness and mud | Use broad cut |
| 2-5 kHz | Presence and pick attack | Boost carefully |
| 5-8 kHz | Fizz / pick edge | Control distorted-guitar fizz before boosting |
| 6-10 kHz | Clean-guitar air | Use only when clean guitars need sparkle |
Compression Starting Points
Glue Only if Needed
- Distorted rhythm guitars may not need bus compression.
- Try 1.5:1 to 2:1 and 1-2 dB gain reduction when multiple guitar layers need cohesion.
- Use automation or clip gain when a single part jumps out.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-compressing and killing dynamics
- Over-saturating and losing clarity
- Making guitars too wide (phase issues)
- Ignoring gain staging and clipping