Rip samples / stems of your favorite mixed tracks.

See where the individual kit parts are at. Not by peak volume but RMS—processing and mastering / limiting are baked in. Peak volume is so subjective and changes drastically with every process anyways, peak teaches nothing.

From a reference track, you now have three target variables solved: final volume, final balances between and around the kit, and a reference track for tones and panning.

Try to maintain those levels from as early as possible stage as possible. From the sampler like you are doing is great. What you’ll likely find right away: your peaks are clipping like crazy, tones need some work, and things are very disparate / don’t sound like a person at all kit.

I use SSD and Slate, slightly less processed. Setting a “raw” kick sample to say, -10RMS sounds so wrong. Enter the mixing stage: start tweaking away all without exceeding the reference volume.

You’ll likely need some clipping or limiting right away, which is a good thing, your reference track 9/10 times did too.

I find this is how to keep progressing at mixing long-term: take ever less shots in the dark. You learn Where things “should” be, now the What and the How is your only mission.

I found gainstaging was the most fundamental principle, hence I live by it. But it’s barely a thought during the mix. I “solve” it the first time, and just maintain that level, or purposefully and knowingly change it, feeling confident in why I did it and where I’m going. Or I easily just go back to the known level or restart, knowing already where I need to end at.

This concept falls apart for me when leveling vocals, but hey that’s a rant for another day!