Definition
A mix has three dimensions: height (frequency), width (stereo) and depth (front/back). Depth is the sensation of distance from the listener: some elements “in your face”, others far away. Without depth the mix is flat like a photo with no perspective, even if it is well balanced.
The distance cues (how the ear uses them)
- Level: farther = quieter (but level alone is not enough).
- High frequencies: air absorbs the highs; a distant sound has less brightness above 5–8 kHz.
- Direct/reverb ratio: close = lots of direct sound and little ambience; far = more ambience relative to the direct sound.
- Pre-delay and early reflections: a sound close to you and far from the walls has a longer delay between direct sound and reflections (long pre-delay = closer); a distant sound has direct sound and reflections almost fused (short pre-delay).
- Transients: close = sharp attacks; far = smoothed attacks.
- Dynamics: close = more dynamics and detail (breaths, finger noises); compression and saturation make things sound “present”.
- Width: a close sound can be wide (a piano in front of you), a distant one narrower and more point-like.
Techniques for bringing forward
- Dry sound or short reverb with long pre-delay (60–120 ms).
- Presence: +1/+3 dB at 2–5 kHz, air at 10–12 kHz.
- Compression (parallel or serial) and light saturation for detail.
- Transient shaper that emphasizes the attack.
- Slightly higher volume.
Techniques for pushing back
- More reverb send, short pre-delay (0–20 ms), reverb with more early reflections.
- LP or shelf: −2/−6 dB above 6–8 kHz.
- Transient shaper to soften the attack, or compression with a fast attack.
- Less dynamics, lower volume.
- Stereo: narrower (or mono) and perhaps slightly off-center.
The three planes
| Plane | Typical elements | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Foreground | vocal, kick, snare, bass, lead | dry/short reverb, presence, controlled dynamics |
| Midground | guitars, piano, main synths | moderate room/plate reverb |
| Background | pads, backing vocals, FX, background strings | hall reverb, fewer highs, less attack |
Reverbs as “rooms”
A classic strategy is to use 2–3 send reverbs as depth ambiences: a short one (room, 0.6–1 s) for the foreground, a medium one (plate, 1.5–2 s) for the midground, a long one (hall, 2.5–4 s) for the background. All elements on the same plane go to the same reverb: this creates spatial coherence. Return EQ: HP at 200–400 Hz, LP at 6–10 kHz.
Delay and depth
A filtered delay (LP at 3–4 kHz) at a low level extends depth without “fog”; a slapback (80–120 ms) makes a vocal present but “in a room”.
Example in A minor
Electronic ballad at 80 BPM over Am – F – C – G:
- Vocal: in front, compressed, plate reverb with 80 ms pre-delay, 100 ms slap at −20 dB.
- Piano: midground, 1.8 s plate, soft highs.
- Pad and backing vocals: behind, 3.5 s hall with 10 ms pre-delay, −4 dB shelf at 8 kHz, slow attack.
- Kick and bass: in front, dry. A distant shaker on the right with lots of reverb to give the feeling of the “room”.
Common mistakes
- The same long reverb on everything: everything far away, no perspective.
- Random pre-delay: if you want the vocal close with reverb, a long pre-delay is essential.
- Background elements too bright: they “come forward” and cover the vocal.
Exercise
- Take a mix and draw a stage map on paper (width × depth) with the position of each element. Then recreate that map with level, EQ and reverbs.
- Take a single track (vocal) and create three versions: close, medium, far, using only EQ, pre-delay and direct/reverb ratio.
Related topics
“Space in the mix: reverb and delay”, “Stereo, panning and image”, “Psychoacoustics in mixing”, “Slotting and interlocking”.