[Jessica080806]

Hey NGR family!

I’m an unsigned indie artist (alternative/electronic-leaning) who’s been grinding in my home studio for the past year, but I’m hitting a wall with my mixes. Everything I produce ends up sounding flat, thin, and lacking that full, professional punch

—even after EQ, compression, and some saturation. I know the basics (sidechain, proper gain staging, reference tracks), but I feel like I’m missing something in the layering, stereo imaging, or low-end management that indie producers often nail on a budget.

Has anyone else dealt with this “thin mix” curse?

What are your go-to tricks for adding warmth, width, and perceived loudness without squashing dynamics or introducing mud?

Specifically:

* Favorite free/affordable plugins or stock DAW tools for subtle harmonic excitement or tape emulation?

* How do you approach parallel processing (compression, saturation) on buses?

* Any quick wins for making vocals/instruments sit better in the mix without heavy carving?

* Tips for checking mixes on different systems (phones, car, earbuds) to catch thinness early?

I’m totally open to feedback

—happy to share a snippet if anyone’s willing to give honest ears. This forum has been a lifesaver for motivation and real talk, so thank you in advance for any advice, personal stories, or resources.

We’re all in this indie grind together

—let’s help each other sound bigger than our setups!

Much love and respect to everyone here.

[Author]

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