hey guys.

does anyone know of a rough guide to mixing levels?

say for example:- if the whole track should be -2db max(before mastering and maximising to 0db)..

what level should a kickdrum peak at when solo'd?

what level should a double speed high hat peak at when solo'd?

what should the main lead peak at solo'd?

snare solo'd?

etc etc etc...

i know this is a very liquid territory, but there must be a rough guide to getting a good balanced sound that can then be tweeked according to preferance..

anyone agree or know of something informative about this subject?

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it's impossible to have a "standard" level to anything but the master, as it all depends on the individual sounds.. You know, a lead in one track is miles different from the next, so is the drums etc. You've got the part about the master right tho..

i know what you mean. but you know when you hear a track with the best possible bass to kick level ratio. and when that snare sounds just perfect with the bass/kick combo.

i find my snares sound great real loud but they kill other parts. i just want like arough guide to how much headroom certain parts should take up compaired to the other elements in the mix..

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its all between ur ears.

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Honestly I think ive asked this question before maybe even twice and the answer i got was pretty much that there isnt a standard for anything and that each sound has its own volume,eq,etc.. usually for my kick snare. i try to keep them at an equal sound. maybe the snare a tiny bit lower so it doesnt over power anything.. I really just try to listen to it by ear. I know exactly what you are going thru because i am in the same boat right now. I am trying to really get those volumes to sound crisp. Try using Panning it really helps the hats to get a good feel and moving.. I usally keep the main Output volume at 0db and just build from there. That way its already maxed out and you can easily pick out sounds that arent sitting right. (EQ), High pass , Low pass, High Self,Low Self.. REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY Important i swear to you that it makes a WHOLE lot of difference to use them on your sounds. Getting rid of unnecc. freq. will make your track sound tight and will not interfere with other sounds.. High pass all your drum tracks except for the Kick obviously. trying throwing a low pass on the kick.

That is just my 2 cents.

rich, try doing this...solo out just your kick, bass, snare, then add your other percs, and listen to all your instruments. Mix the levels now, then unmute your leads, and work on those with all your percs and kick/bass, then your pads and then your atmosphere. Whichever order you choose, I prefer starting with the percs so that you get a good idea how low your pads and stuff should sound. Use them ears...they're the only really good things you have besides good monitors :P

Also. Ive heard many places that you should put the Kick Bass and any Bass sounds or low end sounds in MONO. and Others in Stereo. Frees up Stereo space i guess .

quote:

Originally posted by Biatchzxz Also. Ive heard many places that you should put the Kick Bass and any Bass sounds or low end sounds in MONO. and Others in Stereo. Frees up Stereo space i guess .

that's not for freeing stereo space (what it does, but more as a side-product) but because if it's pressed to vinyl and has a stereo bass the needle will start jumping all over the place :-)

at least, that's the reason I think

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Some ISHT like that. But i know it helps out in the long run and in your productions will be more "professional"..

Its all prefrence there arent any guidlines for writing your own music. whatever you like is whatever you will make that is the difference between you and another producer. Use your ears they will never lie to you.

Kick at -8.0 dB, master no higher than -3.0 dB - that's all you need to know.

Anything higher than -3.0 dB and you start running into problems with upward compression during mastering, unless of course you bring the output level down again, but I like to keep things simple.

Also watch the monitoring volume, because we don't hear all frequencies at the same level at different volumes. Start with the listening volume low so you just begin to hear things, and sweep the level up and down until you hear the sounds you're balancing at all volume levels. A good trick I've found helps is to listen at an average to high level for a few seconds, then pull the level down and notice how the sounds blend in, particularly when the volume gets really low. You want things to sound balanced at low volumes, but to work well at higher volumes.

It's all a matter of calibrating your ears, because there's the tonal balance to think about as well. The best way is to keep practising until you get it right, and no one can help you with that, except maybe for listening to the final result and suggesting where you went wrong.

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To be honest with you he is 100% its all practice practice. And your ears are most important. I usually burn the track to a CD and listen to it in my CAR. That is what makes me realize whats wrong. If it doesnt sound good in my CAR then something is wrong. and i realize the a lot more problems then i did in the studio.

theres a ver nice dvd by dave gibson called:

the art of mixing, even if its not designed for trance, but it gives u a great overall view on mixing and eq. is fun and its very digestable. get it man-!!