Mixing is an art, and it all begins and ends with balance. If your mixes are not well-balanced, nothing else matters. In a broad sense, everything you do during a mix is to achieve a well-balanced tonal mix.

In this article, learn about the basics of balancing a mix.

Audio frequencies interact with each other. When you listen to any instrument or frequency soloed, it will sound different as compared to playing it with other elements of the mix. There will be audible changes in audio levels and tonal characteristics because of the interaction of frequencies with each other.

Balancing is the process of adjusting sound levels and the panorama of different elements in a mix. Balancing helps different elements in a mix sound levelled, relative to each other, and translate well on different output systems.

Balancing is used to set the appropriate volume and panorama for each element in a mix and is the foundation to a great mix. If your tracks are nicely balanced, you won't have to resort to using any external components to achieve a cohesive sound.

Balancing is a mix is majorly a two-part process: -

The first aspect of balancing a mix is levelling. Let us first understand levelling.

Level Balancing or Levelling a mix simply refers to adjusting volume levels of different elements in a mix. Volume level adjustment can be done using the channel faders or other utility plugins. Setting adequate levels makes a mix sound balanced and refined, hence the term level balancing or levelling is used.

Human ears perceive sound signals based on the average loudness(RMS) of the signal. This is why at different sound levels, human ears are sensitive to the different sound frequency spectrums.

At low volume levels(