Nailing Mix-Ready Background Levels

The world of background sound design is a fascinating one. Unlike dialogue or sound effects, there's no single "correct" volume for background ambiance.

They ebb and flow, creating a subtle tapestry of sound that enhances the emotional impact of a scene.

But how do you ensure your background levels are mix-ready before handing them off to your re-recording mixer?

Here's my proven process for achieving optimal background levels your starting point.

Step 1: Splitting Up the Sauce (If Possible)

The ideal scenario involves requesting "splits" from your offline editor when they deliver the picture lock. These splits essentially separate the sound design elements (dialogue, sound effects, and backgrounds) into individual files. This makes your life a whole lot easier!

Sometimes, you’ll be working with some picture editor superstars. Some editors are meticulous, providing perfectly categorized splits (dialogue/effects/backgrounds).

However, the reality check— Unfortunately, not all editors follow suit. If you receive a project with all the sound files jumbled together, don't despair! We'll address that situation in a moment.

Step 2: Dialogue as Your Guidepost

Let's assume you have a dialogue stem file (or were able to create one if you received a jumbled mess). Here's how to leverage it for perfect background levels:

• Taming the Dialogue: Dialogue levels often vary wildly. Apply an aggressive compressor to this track. Aim for a target LKFS range (loudness measurement) of -30 to -27 for film, or -27 to -24 for television. This process evens out the dialogue volume, ensuring a more consistent reference point for your backgrounds.

• Context is King: With a more balanced dialogue track, you can now clip gain your backgrounds intuitively. Remember, context reigns supreme – some backgrounds will naturally be louder or lower than others.

  • For example, if you’re in a bumping club, you might bring up the party walla up so it sits just right under the dialogue.

  • Or conversely, you’re in a horror flick, right before the jumpscare, all the ambiance play quietly leading up.

But what if you don’t have a dialogue stem? There’s a couple of ways to tackle this.

You could:

• Reach out to the dialogue editor (if that isn’t you) and ask for a mono dialogue stem export. Doesn’t have to be perfect, but allows you to have something to work with

• If the above option is not possible, then apply the aggressive compressor to your ref guide track that you would have applied to the dialogue stem. Just keep in mind the temp music and effects will be squashed, so you might want to turn it off for the non-dialogue driven moments.

Step 3: Supercharge Your Workflow with Clip Gain Hacks

Here's a pro tip to blazing fast background ninja:

• The Power of 3dB: By default, clip gain adjustments occur in 1dB increments. Head over to Preferences > Editing in your ProTools and change this value to 3dB. The science behind this? Our ears perceive volume changes more significantly in 3dB steps.

• Faster is Better: With 3dB adjustments, you can achieve your desired background levels in fewer clicks (think 6 clicks instead of 20!). Additionally, using your scroll wheel to fine-tune clip gain becomes a smooth and efficient process.

By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to delivering mix-ready background levels that seamlessly integrate into the final sound mix. No more guesswork, just perfectly balanced and impactful soundscapes!