UNDERSTANDING AND

CRAFTING THE MIX

3RD EDITION

Establishing Accurate Playback

A reasonable-quality, accurate playback system that is located in an acceptable listening environment is needed to experience and learn the material discussed in Understanding and Crafting the Mix. It is important for the recorded examples to be heard as intended—with a minimum of change from the playback system and the room. This is needed to fully learn the materials being discussed, to develop accurate listening skills, and ultimately to craft the recordings you wish to create.

The reader may be tempted to study the book’s examples and audio tracks from this website on headphones, earbuds or their computer speakers. Headphones are not a suitable substitute for accurate listening to nearly all of the examples, nor are earbuds; the wearer’s perception of spatial information is distorted and they are inaccurate in reproducing amplitude and frequency-related aspects of the recording. Even high-end computer monitors alter the sound qualities of recordings, as they are intended for pleasing consumers, not providing the sonic accuracy required for audio professionals.

High-resolution monitors in an acoustically neutral environment and an impeccable signal chain are required for many activities performed by professional recordists. It is not at all realistic to expect a beginner in the industry, a student, or an interested amateur to have such a system. It is, however, necessary for the reader to hear the website tracks and the commercial recordings cited throughout the book with some semblance of accuracy.

Putting together a quality sound system and establishing an accurate playback environment are covered in detail within Chapter 15. Topics presented there are:

  • Components and specifications for a high-quality playback system to provide unaltered, detailed sound
  • Loudspeaker placement and listening-room interaction
  • Listener distance and orientation to loudspeakers
  • Monitoring levels

Review the performance specs of the components in your playback chain. This system should produce sound with a high level of clarity and detail, strong time/phase coherence throughout the listening range (especially around the loudspeaker crossover frequencies), accurate tracking of dynamic changes (especially for high-pitched sounds with fast attacks), and a flat frequency response (especially in the lower octaves and above 10 kHz). The monitors should supply stable imaging and not draw the listener’s attention to the loudspeaker locations. It is important to recognize if any alterations to sound quality are a product of the components of the playback system, or if they are being created by the interaction of the loudspeakers and the listening room.

Near-field and direct-field monitoring seek to minimize or eliminate the influence of the listening room on the performance of the loudspeakers. Near-field monitors are typically two-way speakers with dome-shaped tweeters and 6-inch woofers, and are designed to be located 3 to 4 feet from the listener. Direct-field monitors are typically a bit larger (8-inch woofers are common) and are usually placed 4 to 5 feet from the mix seat (monitoring location) but can be somewhat further away depending on the listening room. Quality, accurate, and reasonably priced monitor systems have brought detailed and accurate reproduction systems to be widely accessible for homes and small studios.

Freestanding direct-field and near-field loudspeaker relationships to the listening environment and the listener location.

The reader should develop consistency of listening levels. A change in monitor levels will alter many aspects of the sound of the recording. Calibrating your monitor system for 85 dB SPL at the monitoring location to match 0 VU reference, or your listening nominal level, will assist this greatly.

The most desirable range for monitoring is 85 to 90 dB SPL; a nominal listening level of around 85 dB with peaks reaching to 90 dB (or very slightly beyond) is a fairly loud home-listening level, but it is still a level that can be sustained throughout a work day and is sonically accurate. Recordings made while monitored in this range will exhibit minimal changes in frequency responses (≤5 dB at the extremes of the hearing range) when played back as low as 60 dB SPL. Monitoring at this level will also do much to minimize listening fatigue during prolonged listening periods (recording and mixing sessions).

If readers are uncertain about having a suitable playback system, they are encouraged to look over the Chapter 15 material before playing any of the listening examples.

The Playback System Set-Up and Calibration section below can help you evaluate your current system. It is strongly suggested you do so in order to know the performance of your system, and to ensure it is properly set up. 

It is also recommended you acquire a simple, inexpensive sound-level meter. The meter will not only assist you in evaluating your system, it will also help you to work through a number of exercises in this book. If used regularly, it will help you to establish accurate and healthy monitoring practices.

Playback System Set-Up and Calibration

The following tracks are presented to assist the reader in evaluating the quality of their playback system and to help them prepare for accurate listening to the audio tracks and to the musical examples cited in Understanding and Crafting the Mix. 

Your playback system should not have a loudness button or tone control engaged. Loudspeakers should be located away from walls and reflective surfaces (see above), and the listener seated appropriately.

Track 54:         Setting an appropriate listening level.

Pink noise is played in two 8-second segments. The first segment should be at a nominal listening level. The second segment is 5 dB higher, and represents loudness levels that might typically be reached during an average music recording.

Set your loudness level so that the first segment is at a comfortable, though somewhat loud level. If a sound-pressure-level meter is available it should read approximately 85 dB SPL. This will be your nominal listening level, and should become the average level of the program material you will hear.

Do not adjust the level. The second segment will be noticeably louder, but it should be tolerable and should not cause distortion to your playback system. If it is not tolerable, lower the level and listen to the first segment again. If you are noticing a distortion in the sound, your playback system is in need of attention. You must address this situation before using the playback system for listening exercises.

Track 55:         Evaluating the loudness balance between left and right loudspeakers.

Pink noise is now directed to individual channels. In 5-second segments, pink noise will appear at the left speaker, the right, then center (each speaker equally). This sequence is repeated three times. All sounds are at the same loudness level and should be played back at your nominal listening level that was set while listening to track 54.

Use these pink-noise segments to ensure that the loudness relationship between the two speakers is correct, and that radical room interference or alterations to sound are noticed. Any reversed loudspeaker polarity should be apparent. Listening carefully, one should try to determine that there are no differences in spectrum (sound quality) and amplitude between the speakers and when they are combined. Any detectible differences between the left and right channels are cause for concern and need to be traced. Your SPL meter will be very useful for balancing the loudness levels of the two speakers.

Track 56:         Evaluating frequency response.

Six 5-second sine tones are presented in the following order:

1 kHz
100 Hz
5 kHz
500 Hz
15 kHz
40 Hz

All sounds are at the same sound-pressure level, and you should be playing them back at the same nominal listening level that was set in track 54. The first four tones should be readily apparent, and near the same loudness level—depending upon your nominal listening level. If this is not the case, a serious problem is present in the monitoring system that must be corrected before using the system to evaluate sound.

The last two tones are at the extremes of the hearing range and are likely near (or just beyond) the limits of your playback system. These two tones will appear significantly softer, though they are recorded at the same SPL as the other four. While this should not cause alarm, readers must be aware of the limits of their playback systems as well as their own hearing. These tones provide a first step that will lead to that knowledge.

NOTE: While many of the aspects above will hold true for the set-up and calibration of surround-sound systems, use these as a point of reference to evaluate your system. For proper operation, you should carefully follow the manufacturer-specific instructions that came with your system.