The Michael Brauer mixing method, known as Brauerize©, replaces the single compressed mix bus with several independent busses, labeled A, B, C, D and E, plus dedicated vocal busses. Each group of instruments is compressed and colored on its own bus, so pushing the bass or drums no longer pulls the vocal down. The result is a mix that stays loud and emotional without the whole track pumping as one block.
Key takeaways
- The problem: one compressor on the stereo bus reacts mostly to the low end, so turning up the bass can make the vocal drop.
- The idea: split the mix across busses A to E plus vocal busses, each processed and calibrated on its own.
- The busses: A is Sustain, B is Foundation, C is for guitars, D is the Widener and E is unprocessed.
- The evolution: ABC on an SSL 6000, ABCD on an SSL 8000 at Electric Lady, then a fully in-the-box template.
- The goal: understand why the architecture works, then build your own version.
What is the Michael Brauer mixing method?
It is a multi-bus compression system: instead of compressing the finished stereo mix with one processor, you process groups of instruments separately, then sum them. Michael Brauer, the award-winning mixer and Campus mentor behind records for Coldplay, John Mayer and Bob Dylan, developed it across decades of console and in-the-box work.
- Mix bus: the final stereo channel every track sums into. A compressor here is what people mean by mix bus compression.
- Multi-bus compression: sending different groups of the mix to different busses, each with its own compressor, before they reach the mix bus.
- Parallel processing: blending a heavily processed copy of a signal with the original.
- VCA: a control fader that moves the levels of a group of tracks without passing audio itself.
Why did Michael Brauer stop relying on one mix bus compressor?
Because a single compressor on the stereo bus makes every element fight over the same gain reduction. Brauer hit that wall while mixing Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love," and the fix became the foundation of his method.
Each time Brauer brought the bass up, Aretha's vocal started to come down in level. The cause was the setup itself:
"Everything just goes to the stereo buss and gets compressed." — Michael Brauer
A compressor reacts to the total energy it hears, and low frequencies carry most of that energy. As Brauer puts it, "We all know compressors are activated by the low end, not the top end." Raise the bass and the compressor turns the whole mix down, including the vocal. Splitting the mix across separate busses fixed it:
"Let the vocal do their thing. And when you're pushing all of those, they're not affecting the other guys. It was independence." — Michael Brauer
| Single mix bus compression | Brauerize multi-bus compression | |
|---|---|---|
| What gets compressed | The whole mix, through one compressor | Groups of tracks, each on its own bus |
| What triggers gain reduction | Mostly kick and bass | Only what is routed to each bus |
| Side effect | Pushing one element pulls others down | Elements can be pushed without ducking the rest |
| Tone | One character on everything | A different flavor per bus |
| The vocal | Shares a compressor with drums and bass | Has its own vocal busses |
Brauerize doesn't throw the mix bus away; the course still covers mix bus choices and master fader processing. It just stops asking one compressor to do every job.
How did Brauerize evolve from ABC to an in-the-box template?
It grew in three stages: Brauerize 1.0 used three busses on an SSL 6000, Brauerize 2.0 added a fourth on an SSL 8000, and the current version runs entirely in the box.
| Stage | Where | Busses |
|---|---|---|
| Brauerize 1.0 | Right Track, SSL 6000 | A, B, C |
| Brauerize 2.0 | Electric Lady, SSL 8000 | A, B, C, D |
| In the box | Any professional DAW | A, B, C, D, E plus vocal busses |
The move from console to computer wasn't a one-to-one copy. The course works through a hybrid stage and a listening discussion on what it calls the "rubber sheet effect," then builds the in-the-box structure: routing folders, an SSL channel strip plugin on each channel, and VCAs with audio trims.
What do Brauer's A, B, C, D and E busses do?
Each bus is a destination with its own processing and personality, and you route a source to the bus whose character suits its role. The course names most of them by the job they do.
| Bus | Name in the course | Lesson focus |
|---|---|---|
| Bus A | Sustain | Create, calibrate, work with sustain |
| Bus B | Foundation | Create, calibrate, work with the foundation |
| Bus C | Where guitars come to life | Sculpting guitar tone |
| Bus D | The Widener | Harnessing stereo width |
| Bus E | Unprocessed | A clean path |
| Vocal busses | Multi-bus lead vocal | Routing, tone and "floating" the vocal |
Each bus has its own flavor, and one lesson is dedicated to the combined sound of A, B, C and D. Every bus is created and calibrated before music goes through it, so you know what each one does when you start mixing.
This is not a preset. The course builds Brauer's processing for each bus step by step, with the emphasis on why it works.
Splitting the bass. In his info session, Brauer explains that he splits the bass into "the neck and the body." The neck has much of its low end removed and is compressed and EQ'd around 800 Hz to 1 kHz "for real articulation"; the body is the warm bottom that sits with the kick. In a verse he can pull the body down and bring it back in the chorus, or lift only the neck to bring out a melodic line without adding low end.
Leave the busses alone. Once the A to D busses are set, Brauer doesn't touch them: "ABCD, once it's calibrated, you leave it alone." Vocal rides happen on the source vocal; see vocal riding and fader automation. The full session is free on Campus Replays.
How does Brauerize treat the lead vocal?
The lead vocal gets its own multi-bus treatment: it is split into several compressor mults, each named after a part of the voice or a quality, and blending those layers shapes the final sound. The course calls the goal floating the vocal. For a general single-track vocal chain, see how to mix vocals.
- "Face": Softube Summit TLA-100
- "Throat": Korneff Audio Pawn Shop Comp
- "Lush": Kazrog True Dyn P41-A
- "Intensity": UAD 1176 Rev A Blue Stripe
- "Nose": UAD Distressor
- "Chest": UAD Fairchild 660
- "Clarity": UAD Manley VoxBox + Sonnox Inflator
Same logic as the busses: you can bring up the "Chest" or the "Clarity" of a vocal without driving the whole vocal harder into one processor. Michael explains his vocal compressor flavors in Vocal Parallel Compressors on Puremix.
What else is in the Brauerize mixing template?
Beyond the busses, the template holds a named effects section, parallel pathways and a finishing stage, each built in its own lesson.
- Effects: six delays, from "Ampex" to "Binson," and six reverbs, from "GoldPlate" to "Bricasti."
- Parallel chains: compressors such as "Federal" and "Tchad Drums," and processors such as "Dimension D" and "Portico."
- Instrument inserts: drums, basses (including a neck/body technique for splitting the low end), guitars, keys and orchestral parts.
- Finishing: master fader processing, gain staging and automation.
This is where parallel bus mixing comes in: the A to E busses decide how groups are compressed, while parallel returns add punch, density or color on top.
How do you set up a Brauer-style multi-bus template in your DAW?
Start with routing, not plugins. These steps give you the skeleton of a multi-bus session, not Brauer's own settings, which the course builds with you.
- Create the main busses. Add stereo aux tracks named A, B, C, D and E, plus vocal busses, all routed to your mix bus.
- Give each bus a job. Put a different processing character on A, B, C and D, with compression and saturation at its heart, and leave E unprocessed.
- Group tracks with routing folders. In Pro Tools, a routing folder is a folder and a bus in one track; elsewhere, use folder tracks, summing stacks or group channels.
- Standardize the channel. Use the same channel strip plugin on every track. The course uses an SSL channel strip.
- Add VCAs and trims so you can ride whole sections and automate without rebuilding the balance.
- Calibrate. Gain-match each bus so you judge character, not loudness.
- Test drive it. Move one source between busses to hear each flavor.
Practice exercise: can you hear the single mix bus problem?
Yes, in about 20 minutes, with any mix that has a clear bass line and a lead vocal. This recreates the "Freeway of Love" problem on a small scale.
- Put one compressor on your mix bus, set for roughly 3 to 4 dB of gain reduction on the loudest section.
- Loop a section with vocal, bass and kick. Raise the bass fader by 3 dB.
- Watch the gain reduction meter and listen only to the vocal. Note how much it drops, and whether the snare sinks too.
- Undo. Create two busses, one for bass and kick, one for everything else. Put a similar compressor on each and remove the mix bus compressor.
- Raise the bass by 3 dB again. Level-match both versions and note what changed in the vocal and drums.
Two busses isn't Brauerize, but it makes the principle audible: once the low end stops driving the whole mix's compression, the vocal holds its place. It is one of the 10 common mixing mistakes we see most often.
Is the Michael Brauer mixing method right for you?
It suits mixers who already understand EQ, compression and routing and want a stronger mix architecture. It is not a first introduction to those tools. If you need that foundation first, start with Foundations of Compression.
The full system is taught in The Brauerize© Mixing Method, a 26-hour, advanced, on-demand course with Michael Brauer. In Module 2 you receive the complete Brauerize template, then fill it in alongside Michael, creating and calibrating each bus, vocal mult, effect and parallel chain, before a final mixdown and certification. You get video lessons, readings, quizzes, exercises and discussions, a teaching assistant, community forums and lifetime access. Read what students say on the reviews page.
Frequently asked questions
What does "Brauerize" mean?
Brauerize is Michael Brauer's name for his multi-bus mixing method. A Brauerized mix runs through his A, B, C, D and E busses and dedicated vocal busses, each with its own processing and character, instead of relying on one compressor on the stereo bus. It began on SSL consoles and now runs fully in the box.
Is Brauerize the same as parallel compression?
No. The core of Brauerize is dividing the mix into groups that are processed on separate busses before they reach the mix bus. Parallel compression, where a compressed copy is blended with the original signal, is a separate layer of the method, with its own set of parallel compressors and processors on top of the A to E busses.
Do I need an SSL console or a specific DAW?
No. Brauerize started on SSL 6000 and 8000 consoles, but Michael Brauer now works fully in the box, and the concepts translate to any professional DAW. You need a computer, a DAW, headphones or speakers, and the plugins listed in the course's Required Materials PDF. The template places an SSL channel strip plugin on each channel.
How long is the Brauerize course, and who is it for?
The Brauerize Mixing Method runs about 26 hours across 11 modules plus certification and is rated advanced. It is designed for intermediate and advanced recording, mixing and mastering engineers who know EQ, compression and routing. It is on-demand with lifetime access, a certificate of completion and digital badge, and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Where can you learn the Brauerize method?
If your mix bus compressor keeps forcing you to choose between a big low end and a steady vocal, Brauerize was built for that problem. Learn it from Michael Brauer himself, at your own pace, in The Brauerize Mixing Method on Campus @ Puremix. Flexible payment plans are available.
