Level Balance Is Most of the Mix

Faders decide what sits forward and back, and many tone problems disappear with balance.

Related

BusAutomationVoiceDrum Kit

The problem

The fader is the cheapest and strongest tool, yet many reach for EQ first. Change the level relationship and the same EQ is heard differently.

Goal and judgement

Each part should appear when needed and step back when not. The test is simple: nothing is hard to find in the full mix. Balance is not equal loudness; it is each part sitting where it belongs. If a track needs 6 dB more to be audible, the problem is usually arrangement or spectrum, not the fader. Lead vocal, kick and bass normally sit forward; pads and ornaments give way.

Method

Begin at the chorus. Set the vocal against the drums, add bass so kick and bass take turns in the low end, bring chords down until harmony is felt rather than heard, then add ornaments. Move one fader at a time and return to the whole mix for ten seconds. Drop the master by 6 dB to check whether balance depends on loudness.

What to listen for

Whether the backing jumps up between vocal phrases; whether bass and kick cover each other; whether the melody survives at very low volume.

Common misconceptions

Using faders to fix EQ problems; believing every track must be audible; expecting one balance pass to be final.

Sources

• Bobby Owsinski, The Mixing Engineer's Handbook, fader balance chapter — background checked, not quoted
• David Gibson, The Art of Mixing, visual mapping of level and pan — background checked, not quoted

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.