Stem Prep Checklist

Bounce your stereo mix first

Before you touch anything, bounce your final stereo mix exactly as it sounds right now. 24-bit WAV at whatever sample rate your session is running — 44.1k, 48k, doesn't matter, just don't change it. If you've got mastering plugins on the master bus, leave them on for this bounce. It gives me a reference point for how the mix was sounding at your end.

Create a folder, name it after the song, and drop the mix in there. Name it something clear: Your Song Name.wav.

Strip the master bus

Now remove anything on the master bus that was added purely for level. Anything that's there just to make it louder — limiters, maximisers — take it off.

But here's the important bit: if you've mixed into a compressor and it's integral to the sound, leave it on. Same with EQ or stereo enhancement that's genuinely part of the vibe. The stuff you “threw on” at the end to make it wider and brighter? That can go. The stuff you actually mixed through? Keep it.

Create your stems

Without changing any levels, plugins, automation, or anything else — start muting tracks and bouncing stems through your normal stereo bus.

Here's how it works: mute everything except the kick. Bounce it. Name it 1.Kick.wav. Then mute the kick, unmute the drums, bounce that. And so on.

If we've already discussed what stems I need, follow that list. If we haven't, these six will cover most tracks:

1. 1.Kick
2. 2.Drums (hats, snare, claps, percussion)
3. 3.Bass
4. 4.Synths / instruments
5. 5.Vocals
6. 6.FX / atmospherics

If you're happy with your mix, keep it simple. The better your mix sounds, the fewer stems you need. If you're unsure about something — maybe the bass feels off, or the vocal isn't sitting right — separate it out as its own stem so I can give it proper attention.

The rules

Check your stems

This is the step most people skip, and it's the one that causes the most problems.

Open a fresh DAW session. Import all your stems. Play them back together. They should sound the same as your stereo mix — just a bit more open and less compressed (because the master bus compression isn't squashing everything together anymore).

You might see overs on the stereo meters. That's normal — the transients come through more without the limiter. Don't worry about it.

What you're checking for: nothing is missing. Every element in your mix, every plugin, every automation move, every musical component should be in the stems. When I recombine them, they should add up exactly to the stereo mix.