mixing question

imDCStar

imDCStar

New member
i would like to know how loud or quiet should we mix so there is enough room for mastering.

I've knowledge about it but confused. Some people say it should not good above 3Db some say 6Db some say 0Db.

Also, let's say you're mixing a hip hop track. What should be the loudest thing (Snare i guess) and what levels you give to Melody and 808Bassline.

E.g in Old school beats Melody is really quiet. But in modern hip hop it is prominent. But how quiet and how prominent. Are there any guidelines or depends on taste.
 
It just can't go over -0dBFS. Any mastering engineer worth half a spit will adjust the level for their signal chain anyway. All this stuff you hear about -3 or -6 is really just because most amateurs go above zero so if you tell them -3 or -6 they stay far enough away to prevent accidents.

That said, I would never advocate trying to get anywhere close to zero. My mixes usually peak anywhere from -10dBFS to -6dBFS. I don't really pay attention to where they hit because I'm never anywhere remotely close to -0dBFS to have to watch the meters.

As to your second question, there is no general rule of thumb and what's considered "loudest" in a song is a subjective thing because it depends upon context. Best way to learn is to simply compare your mixes to other mixes that you like.
 
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