Balance and Stereo Field in Modern DAWs Flashcards
What does balancing a mix involve?
finding appropriate levels and positions for the different instruments
Why is automation important in balancing a mix?
It is unlikely that all the parts will stay at the same volume throughout
How can reverb help to blend a whole track together?
By putting all of the instruments into the same acoustic space
If a project integrates live audio recording and use of MIDI timbres, the live parts will have a wider dynamic range and will require what?
Compression
What does panning refer to?
The placement of sounds in the stereo field
What does auto-panning do?
Instead of placing in one pan position for the whole song, auto-panning shifts the sound in the stereo field
Panning in the 1960s was commonly _____ .
Polarised
Where are lead vocals, bass guitars, kick drums and snare drums usually positioned in the stereo field?
Centre
Where are drum overheads usually panned in the stereo field?
Left and right
What is stereo widening useful for?
Creating width in a mix that is too busy, giving clarity to key elements like the lead vocal
Why can delay be used to create a wider stereo image?
Our brains don’t perceive very short delays as echoes or repeats, but as alterations in the position of a signal
What can stereo reverb be used for?
Giving mono tracks some sense of stereo width
