Correct Sound Mixing Levels and Headroom in Preparation for Mastering

This an of import beginner guide in audio mixing. This is all nearly setting right levels and headroom for your sound mixing projects. If you ignore the importance of setting proper levels and setting headroom, the mixdown ends upwardly squashed, poor in dynamics and non prepare for mastering. For recording and tracking (not in mixing); yous can read these tips on setting proper levels in your recording and preventing clipping. The following are the rules that you should e'er remember every time you are setting the proper levels in your sound mixing project. Let's start.

Headroom Settings for Individual Tracks in the Mix

Rule#1: No audio clipping on individual tracks. Your individual tracks/channel or bus in mixing has its own volume level meters. Take a look at those in your DAW (Digital audio workstation) software. It should not clip. Clipping occurs when it hits above 0dB and it will become red in the level meters. See examples below:

Clipped channel audio examples

The kick drum channel is clipped at +1.3dB and the level meters indicate it as red. It exceeds the maximum allowable level of 0dB. As a rule; the peak level of private tracks should not exceed -3dB to accept some little headroom for the track. As a definition, peak level or amplitude is maximum volume level detected on the entire track. The audio runway also has its ain boilerplate level. At that place is where virtually of the runway volume settles. You can judge information technology from your audio waveform (however accurate measurement of peak amplitude and average level volition exist discussed afterward):

Maximum and Average level in audio waveform

Maximum and Average level in sound waveform

Why avoid clipping? This results to ugly/unwanted distortion of your individual tracks which can be obvious during and afterwards mastering stage. For example, y'all are not enlightened that the vocal aqueduct is clipped. When your track gets mastered, it volition result to distorted vocals when played at loud volumes.

Rule#2: Conservative EQ boosting and Track fader adjustment. If yous noticed some clipping after implementing effects that could boost the volume (such as EQ boosting); then effort lowering the volume of the track using its fader. All the same it is all-time to apply a reasonable boost on EQ. It is not wise to apply +12dB or more than boost on using EQ and employ the rail fader to lower down the volume to compensate increase in levels.

Instead, utilise but a conservative amount of +3dB to +6dB boost on any frequency ring merely rely more on cut audio frequency problems. Yous can read these EQ techniques for clarity. You volition notice that only by cutting problematic frequencies is much safer because it won't increase the track levels/book. Too much EQ boosting can result to unnatural sound which is undesirable. In some cases, if it requires too much EQ boosting during mixing, it is best to re-record the track and adjust desirable EQ settings before it volition be recorded.

Headroom Settings for Principal Aqueduct

Rule#iii: No clipping on main channel. Almost DAW features a master channel level meters where this is the summing volume of all the tracks in your mixing projects. This should non be clipped also or else serious distortion problems tin occur later (such as in mastering). Employ the following rules on headroom for the master aqueduct:

1.) -3dB maximum elevation book.
2.) -30dB to -20dB average SPL

More than about the above rules volition exist discussed later. If you noticed some clipping on your master coach, and then conform the master fader by lowering information technology down. But ever remember Dominion#1 and Dominion#2. If you have some extreme EQ boosting and clipping on your private tracks that also caused the master channel to clip; and so it is always advisable to right these private issues first.

Rule#4: Implement correct headroom for mastering. If y'all are at present very happy with your mix, you are at present ready to mix down the project into a single waveform gear up for mastering. It is ever a expert practice to double check your moving ridge statistics before submitting to the mastering engineer. Double bank check your results vs. Dominion #3. Let's have an instance:

ane.) Supposing yous have a stereo mixdown wave that looks like below:

stereo mixdown audio wave

stereo mixdown audio wave

2.) It is non enough to simply look at the wave and conclude it's ready for mastering. Y'all should check the waveform statistics and make up one's mind whether the headroom is right. In Adobe Audition 1.v, you lot can check the waveform statistics of the mixdown moving ridge by going to Clarify – Statistics. For instance you see the results below:

waveform statistics for examining headroom

waveform statistics for examining headroom