ABSTRACT
Preliminary mixing is a worthwhile step in the mixing process, especially if we are having our film mixed at a rerecording studio. The premix can be done using all of the sound groups of dialogue, automated dialogue replacement, walla, sound effects, ambiences, Foley and music, at onetime in one session, or we can divide it up into a separate mix each for dialogue, music and sound effects. Virtual mixing is what is commonly done on films today. Virtual mixing happens in Digital Audio Workstations or in-the-box. The sounds are mixed and played back, but they are not recorded into a separate file until the end of the process. A level is an objective amount of sound at which an audio signal has been recorded, while loudness is a subjective measurement of a sound. An audio fade is used to smoothly increase the volume entering into a sound or to smoothly decrease the volume exiting a sound.
