Learn from Rabbitology’s DIY folktronica process: making demo-ready mixdowns
in your dorm

The music industry and production have changed significantly over the years. Now, you don’t need a million-dollar studio to create and master hit records. The accessibility of music production tools and plugins has made it possible for anyone to produce professional-quality music from almost anywhere.

Rabbitology, a folktronica artist, exemplifies this shift. She’s creating hit records right from her dorm room. Her latest EP, Living Ghost, features six self-produced songs with a Midwestern gothic vibe, focusing on themes of stagnancy and escape. Her music, rich in texture and authenticity, shows that rawness and imperfections can be more impactful than pristine polish.

Rabbitology’s work proves that great music can be made with a minimal setup. We discussed how she achieves her sound using plugins, the impact of limitations on creativity, and some of her favorite iZotope tools.

Jump to these sections:

• How limitations of a dorm room affect a mixdown
• What does “demo-ready” mean for mixdown
• iZotope’s best presets for quality results fast
• Mixing unique elements that fit together
• Rawness vs. polish
• The biggest lesson Rabbitology has learned

Check out free iZotope tools below that Rabbitology uses in her music before diving into our exclusive interview with Rabbitology and the story behind her EP, Living Ghost, now out via Nettwerk Music Group.

Download Ozone Imager free

How did the limitations of your dorm room shape your approach to mixing and producing music?

Firstly, my dorm room was not optimized for any kind of recording – no acoustic paneling or anything of the sort, unless you consider the thick brick of a mattress on my loft bed.

I lived right next to the communal bathrooms, so doors were always slamming, no matter the time of recording.

And with 100 + vocal layers, you’re bound to capture that, among other noises, like cars driving outside, students chatting down the hallways, neighbor’s alarms going off. I had to accept that my mixing and production choices had to revolve around these limitations – either find a way to block out these extra inevitable noises with a plugin, with instrumentation, or both (it was usually both).

What does “demo-ready” mean to you, and how do iZotope plugins help you achieve that level of quality?

“Demo-ready” means that there’s nothing more my ears and skills can do to make my project sound closer to what I’m hearing in my mind’s ear. Before I got help with mixing and mastering, that meant I sent out my project online as a “dorm demo.” Now, it means I’m finally not as ashamed to send it off for mixing and mastering help  –  to add the finishing touches and clear up the song beyond my current skills.

As someone who takes pride in the fact that I’m a producer and an okay mixer, I try to make sure that I’m doing all I absolutely can do on my end, and letting those who can help me beyond that only when I need to.

I also use iZotope plugins to mix “demos” of songs that aren’t quite finished for online release, but I want to perform live. These plugins allow me to record vocals and have a performance-ready track finished in one (albeit long) night, right before the performance. It helps keep the energy I feel for a song high (I get to perform it right when I want to, without much waiting), and performances fresh for audiences.

Do you have a favorite preset or feature in iZotope plugins that consistently delivers great results?

My first introduction to iZotope was actually the free-to-download Vocal Doubler and Ozone Imager!

With so many layers in my mixes, the Vocal Doubler adds a dreamy, lightly distorted wideness to certain sounds that I want to stick out, but have blended into the mix despite EQing. I know it’s called the *vocal* doubler, but I use it on any type of sound that needs a wide dreaminess to it, whether that be the hum of a bowl, or the click of a rock.

Pro tip from Rabbitology: The more atmospheric a sound is, the wider I make it. It gives your mix that lushious “enveloping” feeling  –  like you’re in a little pocket dimension.

In one of my singles not included on the EP, but still beloved, “The Bog Bodies,” I used Ozone Imager on my frog and “bog” sound effects to its widest and most delayed setting so it feels like the “setting” of the song – those wonderful croaks and water sloshes – completely engulfs the listener’s ears.

For miscellaneous or background sounds, I can always rely on cranking the imager to high heaven, and letting it work its wide-soundy-goodness. Honestly, I couldn’t believe that this plugin was free, and if you ever somehow get into my Ableton files, you’d see that I use this Imager for practically every instrument.

Pro tip from Rabbitology: Push the bounds and even “break” your plugins. I’ve made so many weird sounds by playing around with settings that definitely shouldn’t be played with. It’s unique and a fun way to get to know your plugins better!

My total lifesaver is RX 11 Voice De-noise, which usually works perfectly on its adaptive mode surgical preset. I’ve found that with my strange voice type, dialogue works as well, if not better, than the “music” setting! Even though I’ve just started to get the hang of it, this handy plugin has reduced some of my fears of capturing too much strange background noise for sure.

Considering how good the presets are, I can’t wait to figure out how to maneuver this in ways that are perhaps unconventional in the future.

As stated earlier, Ozone 11 is my go-to for singles that aren’t quite mixed yet, but I want to perform live. Many secret songs have been performed using this technique, as Ozone 11’s software is easy to use, and has many juicy and diverse presets all in one. Oftentimes, it condenses what should be a multiple-day-spanning mix-session into about 20 minutes of work, prepped to rumble the speakers of an upcoming venue.

Pro tip from Rabbitology: Use your ears, even after plugins do their “work.” Your plugins, especially more intelligent or adaptive ones, may make your mix “clean,” but it’s still up to you to fix it to your mind’s ear, even if that perspective is less “perfect.”

When mixing tracks with unique instrumentation, like on ‘Butcheress,’ how do you ensure everything fits together?

Imperfections and rawness are a welcomed feature in any Rabbitology song.

Despite what “they” (they? who’s they? I don’t know…) try to convince you, I’m not a professional  –  when I make a song, I have a dream and an idea, and while my skills have increased in these past few years, I still generally have no idea what I’m doing.

I think that speaks to what my project is, though, it’s real  –  it’s meant to capture who I am and what my life is right now, and this life is imperfect and raw.

I also make my music with the hope to inspire others to also make their own creations. There wouldn’t be as much to grab onto if there weren’t a bit of detuned vocals, or a slightly-off drum: that’s human, and it makes my work feel so much more tangible.

It’s not produced in some fancy studio with the highest-trained ears; it’s made by someone who just wants to create. My sound feels a lot more possible and achievable that way.

Do you ever let imperfections or rawness remain in your mixes intentionally, and why?

I always use Raum’s Low Cut parameter to remove low-end frequencies. Since my tracks tend to emphasize the mid-range, I also apply sidechain after adding reverb. Balancing the dry and wet is quite difficult and I often struggle with it.

It’s also important to reconsider whether applying reverb is genuinely necessary.

For this, monitoring in various environments is essential. I check my tracks in my home studio, at clubs where I can confirm at high volumes, as well as using iPhone speakers and inexpensive $20 earphones. This is not just for reverb but is a vital aspect of mixing overall.

Pro tip from Rabbitology: Plugins are a helper, not a savior (though some can come close!). Unfortunately, like everything, you do need practice and to develop talent in order to make your mixes and productions sound professional. No plugin will instantly fix an ear that needs to develop, practice, and play. Enjoy this process! It’s difficult but very rewarding, and tools like iZotope can make the adventure more interesting and helpful for sure.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about mixing while creating Living Ghost?

If you have a project with 400+ tracks, just send it to someone else to mix to preserve your mental state.

Teasing!

Though, once again, I must thank Zhengxi Zhang for refining my demos of “Intro,” “Preybirds (Watcher Song),” “Butcheress,” and “Wildfire (Gone, Gone, Gone) / Death Song” beyond what I could do in the refines of my dorm + the time restraints I have being a student (you can blame Econ 101 and other math classes for having this EP come out a year later than I planned!)

The real lesson I’ve learned is that each song’s mixing and production has an “ugly phase”  –  where the frequencies rub the ears in just the wrong way, where the percussion doesn’t hit like you want, where the bass leaves your ears ringing, but you swear it still isn’t strong enough. What I always keep in mind – as I’m holding onto a demo I’m ashamed to send off, and the deadline creeps closer and closer – is that it’s gotta get worse before it gets better.

Don’t be discouraged when your first “rough mix demo” pass sounds worse than the unmixed or unproduced version. Sometimes you need to redo the whole thing, but at least now you know what the song absolutely should not sound like. It may be long and difficult, but as you slowly learn how the tools and techniques improve your track’s character, it’ll get better.

Pro tip from Rabbitology: Sometimes a good project takes time. Sometimes a good project takes no time at all. Each mixing and production process is different, and trust it no matter what path it takes. Don’t try to rush, don’t try to take it too slow.

Practice your craft – wherever you are

A huge shoutout to Rabbitology for showcasing how to create hit-ready, texturally-focused folktronica music right from her dorm room, using plugins like Ozone.

This interview made it abundantly clear that you don’t need expensive hardware, perfectly treated rooms, or even quiet spaces to create impactful music. In fact, those imperfections can add an authentic, human quality that sets your work apart from overly polished productions. It’s all about using these tools to bring the heart and soul of your music to life in your DAW.

Rabbitology uses iZotope’s suite to do just that, and we’re grateful she shared her process with us. Thanks again to Rabbitology for joining and showing us her magic!

Download Ozone Imager free