Catherine Marks shares her preferred mix bus chain, emphasizing a top-down approach by setting up her mix bus processing early in the mixing process. This method allows her to efficiently glue the mix together from the start.
Her chain includes the Thermionic Culture Fat Bustard as a summing mixer and for initial EQ boosts, followed by the Dramastic Audio Obsidian compressor, the Manley Massive Passive EQ, and finally the Inward Connections Vac Rac TEQ-1. Marks highlights the importance of consistency in her settings, particularly on the Massive Passive, to maintain a stable tonal balance.
She employs multiple stages of EQ to shape the mix, with notable boosts at 10kHz and 50Hz on the Fat Bustard, and additional adjustments on the Vac Rac and Massive Passive. The Obsidian compressor is set with a classic SSL-style slow attack and fast release.