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Chapter 10 Mixing and Adding Effects 73
Setting Track Volume Levels
The instruments and loops you use in your project may have different volume
(loudness) levels. In order to hear all the parts you’ve added, you balance the volume
levels so that no track overwhelms the others, and no track is lost in the mix.
This doesn’t mean that every track should be set to the same volume level. In
commercial mixes, certain tracks (typically the lead vocals, drums, and lead or solo
instruments) are louder, while other tracks (the backing instruments and vocals) are
softer.
To set track volume levels:
m For each track, drag the volume slider left to lower the volume level, or drag it right to
raise the volume level.
Setting Track Pan Position
Setting different tracks to different positions in the stereo field (panning) helps make it
easier to distinguish each track in the mix, and create a sense of three-dimensional
space to your project.
In commercial music, the most important tracks (typically the lead vocals, drums, and
lead or solo instruments) are panned to the center or close to center, while other tracks
(the backing instruments and vocals) are panned left and right. Panning tracks no
farther than 50 percent left or right creates a natural sense of space, while panning
tracks to the extreme left or right creates a more unusual, artificial sound.
To set track pan positions:
m For each track, drag the pan dial left to pan the track farther to the left, or drag it right
to pan the track farther to the right. You can also click along the edge of the dial to set
it to a specific position.
Using Volume and Pan Curves
In addition to setting track volume and pan, you can add volume and pan changes
over time using volume curves and pan curves. Making changes over time is called
automation, and GarageBand lets you automate volume and pan changes for each
track.
To turn on a track’s volume or pan curve:
1 Click the triangle to the right of the Solo button in the track’s header.
A blank row for the track’s volume and pan curves appears below the track.
2 From the pop-up menu on the left side of the row, choose Track Volume or Track Pan.