Top 5 Template Tools: Jeff Balding

With a career spanning more than four decades, six-time Grammy nominee Jeff Balding has become one of the most respected names in country music. Known for crafting mixes that feel both powerful and intimate, Balding’s immersive work has helped shape the sound of today’s biggest stars, including Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, Cole Swindell, Kane Brown, and Cody Johnson.

A lifelong innovator, Balding was among the earliest adopters of immersive audio, emerging as a pioneer in Dolby Atmos mixing. His workflow balances technical precision with artistic creativity, giving listeners a three-dimensional experience that pushes the boundaries of how music can be heard and felt.

“For me, immersive mixing isn’t all about flashy effects,” Balding explains to AudioTechnology. “It’s about using space to serve the song and hold the listener’s attention. If a track calls for theatrics and the production supports it, I’ll add them but it always has to be about serving the song and ensuring it translates faithfully across formats. The goal is for the binaural, MP4, and Apple Spatial fold-downs to translate and match the stereo mix as closely as possible, while still sounding great in the room on speakers.”

Jeff Balding’s Pro Tools session featuring his Top 5 template plugins.

That translation between formats is key, too. “What works on headphones doesn’t always work in a room, and vice versa,” he says. “Stereo mixes can’t just be forced into Atmos with the same plug-ins or settings. Sometimes less is more, especially on the master bus.”

Balding prefers the 7.1.4 format, though his own room is outfitted with a 9.1.4 setup and his Atmos template is designed to let him focus on the mix, not the setup.

“Dolby Atmos requires careful EQ, subtle compression, and harmonic enrichment,” he says. “Unlike stereo mixes – where mastering can handle some of the heavy lifting – in Atmos, most of that work has to happen during the mixing process. Waiting until mastering can affect instrument and vocal levels or cause translation issues. My template is simple and efficient, so I can get set up quickly and start being creative with minimal distraction.”

FABFILTER PRO-Q3

Surgical Yet Musical: “I use Pro-Q3 on individual tracks and the master bus, particularly for managing the LFE channel and fine-tuning overall mix tone. Multiple low-pass filters and customisable curves allow precise control, making translation across formats more consistent. Some label delivery specs require heavy but creative low-pass filtering, and Pro-Q3 handles this elegantly. For matching the tonal balance of a stereo master, iZotope Ozone Match EQ is another excellent tool – it gets you in the ballpark while allowing you to control how much of the matched signal you blend in. These tools are great for matching stereo masters but overuse can create major translation issues, so it’s important to continually check translation as you work.”

DYNONE

Multiband Magic: “This plugin can bring life to the mix and help match stereo masters without causing translation issues. DynOne is versatile, but it is important to use it sparingly to avoid over-processing. It can tame peaks introduced by the Dolby Renderer and help glue an immersive mix together, giving it the cohesion that’s natural in a stereo mix. Dynamic EQs, like DynOne, are particularly useful when searching for subtle ways to enhance balance and motion in a 3D space. Getting an immersive mix to feel cohesive, like a stereo mix, can be challenging. That’s when a multiband or dynamic EQ can really make a difference.”

SSL G-MASTER BUSS COMPRESSOR

Subtle Harmonic Enhancement: “Applied lightly, the SSL compressor adds tonal character rather than aggressive compression. As Atmos is forgiving when it comes to using the character of a plugin for enhancement, I rely on UAD Massive Passive, UAD Fatso Jr., and UAD Oxford Inflator for additional harmonic richness. The SSL compressor gently glues elements together, enhances punch, and brings out subtle nuances in vocals and drums. On the master bus, it can add cohesion without sacrificing immersive spatial imaging, ensuring the mix translates well across both stereo and immersive systems.”

FABFILTER L2 / IZOTOPE MAXIMIZER

Character Without Clipping: “These aren’t just for limiting in immersive mixes, I use them for tonal character as much as for peak control. Subtle limiting preserves dynamics while adding energy and presence to critical elements like bass, drums, and synths. FabFilter’s clean, punchy response and iZotope’s warm, harmonically rich profile provide extra dimension that keeps the mix alive. I need to emphasise that sometimes leaving peaks untouched works better than aggressive limiting – the character profiles themselves contribute to clarity, impact, and translation across formats.”

LIQUIDSONICS CINEMATIC ROOMS PRO & IZOTOPE SYMPHONY 3D

Expanding the Space: “These are my go-to immersive reverbs for creating depth. Reverberation is applied strategically – on the ceiling channels for air, surround speakers to ground instruments, and across stereo reverbs to create motion and spatial interest. Even from stereo stems, these tools breathe life into an Atmos mix. The importance of balance can’t be stressed enough: too much reverb can blur focus, while too little can leave the mix feeling flat. When used judiciously, immersive reverbs enhance the perception of width, height, and distance, making the mix feel expansive without compromising clarity.”