Apple Soundtrack Pro 3 - Manual (Page 306)

Steps in Mixing
Mixing a project typically involves the following tasks:
• Balancing relative volume levels
• Panning tracks to create perspective
• Adding EQ, compression, and other processing using effects
• Using automation to create changes over time
• Setting the overall project volume and eliminating clipping
You can perform these steps in any order, and move back and forth between them as
you create the mix. In most situations, you finish mixing the individual tracks before
making changes to the overall project.
The following suggested order provides a guideline that may be useful for common
situations:
Stage 1: Mixing Main Dialogue Tracks
Solo the main voice tracks and pan to your liking. Add any EQ, compression, or other
processing. Adjust relative volume, leaving some headroom (typically around -6 dB) for
peaks in the signal, in case you need to raise levels later.
Stage 2: Mixing Other Dialogue and Middle Ground Tracks
With main voice tracks still soloed, solo the other dialogue, ADR, and voiceover tracks
one at a time and adjust volume and pan relative to the main voice tracks. Add any
processing if needed.
Stage 3: Mixing Background Tracks
With the previously mixed tracks still soloed, solo the background tracks one at a time
and adjust volume and pan relative to the other tracks. Add any processing if needed.
Stage 4: Making Changes to the Overall Mix
Once you have mixed all the individual tracks in your project, add any EQ, compression,
or other processing to the overall project. Adjust the overall volume to an appropriate
level and remove any clipping before exporting the project.
Structuring an Audio Post-Production Project
To organize their projects, most video and motion picture sound editors combine the
signals of related tracks and busses into submixes (also known as stem mixes). Then they
combine these submixes to build a final mix. Soundtrack Pro is designed with this workflow
in mind.
306 Chapter 12 Basic Mixing in Soundtrack Pro