Mixig to a pink noise reference level

[TwilightOdyssey]

The new issue of Sound On Sound has THIS ARTICLE on mixing to a pink noise reference level. If you are not an SOS subscriber, I definitely recommend purchasing the PDF of the article.

I thought this would be a very interesting technique to try and it definitely yields very useable results; it's a great technique to use if you are mixing at low SPL since you have a definitive noise/level threshold you are mixing against. It's certainly not perfect, but will get you 80% of the way to a balanced mix in a very short while.

I took one of my recent mixes and applied the pink noise reference technique to it. A couple of things stood out -- first, I was surprised at how BALLSY the mixes sound when balanced this way. Second, it also adds a sense of urgency to the mix itself.

The pink noise technique won't mix the song for you -- depending on what stage of the mix place you apply it, it will have different results (example: low freqs eat up a lot of headroom and level, so if you set the level very early in the mix, expect to tweak the tracks again once your HPFs are in place). However, I have found this a great way to get a consistent level of APPARENT LOUNDNESS across my mixes. I am working on the 3rd mix now.

Here's an example of a recent track I re-balanced using pink noise.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Mixig to a pink noise reference level

Sound On Sound is the one "music" publication that I have bought consistently throughout my adult life. Various guitar, bass and synth titles have been and gone. SOS usually has useful articles and reviews - often for equipment that one cannot afford brand new today but which might become obtainable in future.

Contributor Hugh Robjohns has a wealth of broadcast and studio experience. He is especially good at explaining complex topics in terms that even a meatheaded guitaist can grasp.