Mixing analog and digital synths is a recipe you’ll always get out of a little warmer and a little tighter. Analog gives you that low‑end bite, subtle drift, and a bit of harmonic bleed that feels alive, but it can bite on the mix if you’re not careful with its level. Digital is clean, you can layer hundreds of sounds, but it can feel sterile if you don’t add some character. The trick is to let the analog sit in the core, the backbone of the track, and use the digital for textures, FX, or the upper mids where you need precision. In practice, the analog will bleed a bit into the digital domain when you route them through a shared bus or an EQ that bridges the two, giving a cohesive feel. If you keep the analog on its own track with a gentle compressor, and then slap a delay or reverb on the digital track, you’ll get the best of both worlds. Don’t be afraid to EQ the analog higher on the low‑end and the digital higher on the high‑end so neither steals the spotlight. It’s all about balance—analog warmth, digital clarity, and a clear mix that lets both shine.

My go‑to analog gear is a cheap, reliable little 1975 Moog Minimoog. It’s got that raw, fat 12‑pole filter that just won’t quit, and it’s loud enough to push through a big room. I also keep a Roland Juno‑106 on standby for those classic chorus pads, and a small Nord Lead‑like analog synth for gritty leads. If you’re on a budget, the Behringer Model D is a great copy‑cat that still gives that warm analog feel without the price tag. Keep it simple, keep it loud, keep it honest.

First, set the analog to sit in the low‑mid zone, let it drive the groove. Cut its high‑shelf a little so it doesn’t clash with the digital. Then lock the digital pads into the high‑end, use a wide stereo image, and keep them clean with a low‑cut to avoid muddiness. When you hit the bus, throw a mild tape hiss or a subtle chorus for cohesion, but don’t over‑process; let the analog keep its character. Use a shared EQ on the bus to align the low end, maybe a gentle low‑mid boost, and a high‑pass on the analog track to clean up any hiss. Keep the levels tight—analog at about -6dB, digital at -12dB, then bring the bus up to -3dB. That gives you a unified feel without sacrificing each instrument’s bite.