Questions about: Preparation of basic volumes

Audio Production
1

I have some doubts about the volume settings in the mixing of jingles etc.

Let’s assume we have audio backing tracks (generally pop / dance songs with 0db output volume, original mastering volume)

How many db of our voice over volume must be produced before mixing with the backing track? 0 db?

so I would have:
Track 1 → 0db volume base
Track 2 → 0db volume voice

when the voice enters above the base the ducking of how many decibels must lower the volume of the classic -18db base?

and if I had more overlapping of bases, how should the volumes be?

Or advise us to adjust to different volumes, which I know lower?

2

A great question. I usually find a 6-9dB difference between voice and music is a good starting point. I go on to talk about other differences and also how EQ may help in this video:

3

@Mike excellent technique, using the dekka rule “Sum of sound pressure levels”
having a base of -9db + a -6db entry I have an output of -4.2db
if instead I have three vocal tracks of -6db I get a maximum output of -0.6db (below the distortion threshold) but with an incredible boost on the voice. I could also use the L / R panning technique to amplify stereo and presence and / or a slight offset between them for a minimum of reverb.

Let’s come to the practical considerations:

  1. This works well if I have example a 30 "jingle where the base serves only as a sonic filler to my voice, and if instead I would have an announcement between songs (with the background song) I should do some automation right?
    In practice, always have the 3 vocal tracks layered on top of each other at -6db each, and have the base at 0db when the song sings, and lower the volume level to -9db when the vocal track intervenes ??

  2. In your videos, in your presets you DO NOT use this technique of layering the vowels to increase their consistency, and you do not use automations.
    All this translates into 1 vocal track 1 music track and automation is given by auto ducking with a compressor that if I’m not mistaken lowers the music to -24db (not -9db) …
    So how to give three-dimensionality to the voice using a single track instead of using 3 overlapping?
    And how much will ducking turn the music down?
    Practically if for each V.O. we should duplicate it in 3 tracks we make night! Although it can be done at the end of the whole montage of a single vocal track and at the end we duplicate it all to create the magic.
    Would there be a way, a filter that doubles the overlap of a track?

4

Nicky,
I think your approach is too theoretical! Just listen to the levels. Listen like a listener would do. Are your vocals loud enough? Also let your jingle listen to someone else, ask if they understand what the purpose of the jingle is.

1 Like
5

Hi, surely in my answer I mixed a bit of theory (which never hurts), I agree with you that the answer given by our ears and intuition is better than any theory. Clearly in the initial part there was a short theoretical answer to the video illustrated by MIke, and the subsequent questions (1,2), it seems to me there is no theory but only requests for clarifications for a practical approach …