The quickie guide to mixing, Part 6

In Part 5 of this series, we discussed subgroups and how they make overall level adjustments easier. Let’s talk about those adjustments and when not to make them. We tend to group drums and backing vocals more than anything else in pop music and the rules for the two are pretty much the same. The overall level of your drum kit should remain for the most part constant throughout the song. Changes in dynamics from verse to chorus, etc., will have been taken care of by the drummer. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t experiment with raising the overall level slightly during a chorus to create a little more excitement, and pulling it back a little on the verse. This is most useful when working with MIDI sequenced drums however, rather than recorded acoustic kits.