Mixing - Audio and Music

In your PSA, you will have an audio track with spoken word and music "behind" it. Why do you think we say the music is behind it? Right, because the music should be more quiet than the voice. The spoken words are the most important thing for the listener to hear because they have the information you are trying to relate. It should be the loudest track and the music should be more quiet, "behind" the voice in the mix.

1. Adjust your track levels using the volume sliders on the individual tracks. Mixing is an art and it can take a lot of practice to get the levels just right. It is always good to have an extra set of ears (a partner to listen) to help you and give you feedback.

2. Quick Fades. When you have spoken word with music behind it like in our PSAs or in a radio commercial for example, you will often hear the music quickly fade down (go down in volume) when the voice comes in. The music starts at a nice loud volume and once the voice starts, the music goes into the "background" and the voice becomes the main focus.

a. Click on the little triangle to the right of the volume sliders. This will open the track volume automation. 

b. Zoom in nice and close using the zoom slider in the lower left corner. 

c. Click twice on the volume automation line to create two dots side by side, right before the voice begins. 

d. Pull down the dot to the right just a bit to create a quick fade as the voice begins.

If there are points during your project that the voice pauses for a long time, you may want to fade your music back up to its original level. Or if the music plays alone at the end after the voice ends, you should fade it back up to its original level there. 

Good Luck!  :)