Do you ever second guess your volume levels near the end of a mix? Yeah, I tend to lose my mind on this when mixing. You think you have a track at the best volume level possible, but you aren’t sure. It can be maddening.
Finding The Sweet Spot
One simple and effective way to find that volume sweet spot of a track is to implement the 4db “rule”. It’s not so much a rule as it is a helpful framework for fine tuning your mix.
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My name is Graham Cochrane and I'm the founder of The Recording Revolution, one of the world's most loved audio recording and mixing blogs with over 200,000 readers each month. 
Great tip.
It’s funny that on the second example (guitar) I was expecting you to say that it was still loud after the 4 dB cut, but I believe this is a matter of personal preference (and probably the fact that I’m hearing it on InEars. 😉
Thanks
Hey, just wanted to say I’ve recently discovered your site and I’ve been spending the last couple weeks working through your archives. You’ve got some great ideas and you’ve helped me finally get motivated to actually MIX some songs rather than just record ideas and move on.
I’ve decided to try to focus on one mix a month, and for January I’ve pretty much stuck with different tips found on this site to see what it all adds up to. Given my lack of mixing experience, the song is definitely rough-around-the-edges but I’ll say it’s a lot clearer and more cohesive than my previous mixes. And I managed to write, record, and get the current mix of the song in two weeks, so not terrible. If you’re interested, the working version is here: http://soundcloud.com/john-thomas-mumm/ascend-return
Anyway, thanks for a lot of great ideas. I’m sure I’ll stay tuned.
YEAH!!!
Thank you so much Graham… this is the TIP that i been waiting for a long time. I always lose my mind with relative volume…’
VIVA MEXICO!!!
Hey Graham!
I am an Urban Gospel Producer, songwriter, and engineer.
Thanks for sharing your gifts with us. I am being perfected by listening
to the tips you share. Keep on letting the Lord use you. God bless man!
Glad to help!