Recording and mixing

A great performance can be spoilt by a poor recording. Producers use microphones, effects and mixing to make every part sound its best.

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Recording

Microphones turn sound into an electrical signal. Dynamic microphones are tough and suit loud sounds and live performance; condenser microphones are more sensitive and often used in studios for vocals. Condensers need power, usually called phantom power.
Multitrack recording records each part on its own track, so each can be edited separately. Adding new parts to existing ones is overdubbing.
A click track (metronome) helps performers stay in time.
If the signal is too loud, it clips and distorts, so set the recording level carefully.

Mixing

Mixing balances all the tracks into a finished piece:
ToolWhat it does
Volume (fader)Sets how loud each track is
PanningPlaces a sound to the left or right in stereo
EQ (equalisation)Boosts or cuts bass, middle or treble frequencies
ReverbAdds a sense of space, like a hall or room
Delay (echo)Repeats the sound after a short time
CompressionReduces the difference between the loudest and quietest parts

Finishing

Mastering is the final stage: the finished mix is polished and its overall level set so it sounds good on any speakers.
Humans can hear frequencies from about 20 Hz (very low) to about 20,000 Hz (very high); this upper limit falls with age.
Always use your ears: compare your mix on headphones and on speakers, and take breaks so your ears do not tire.
Worked example

In a mix, the vocals are hard to hear and everything sounds as if it comes from the middle. What would you change?

  1. Vocals hard to hear: raise the vocal fader or lower the other tracks (balance). EQ can also help the voice stand out.
  2. Everything in the middle: use panning to spread instruments left and right.
  3. Keep the lead vocal, bass and kick drum near the centre.

Answer: Raise the vocal level (or lower the backing) and use EQ, then pan other instruments left and right.

Key idea

Dynamic mics suit loud and live sounds; condenser mics are more sensitive and need phantom power. Multitrack recording keeps parts separate. Mixing uses volume, panning, EQ, reverb, delay and compression. Mastering is the final polish.

Key words
Panning
Placing a sound to the left or right in stereo.
Reverb
An effect that adds a sense of space, like the echoes of a hall.

All KS3 Music key terms and definitions →

Quick check

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Extra practice

2 more questions

Try each one, then tap to check.

  1. A guitar is panned fully left. Where will it be heard?

    1. Only from the right speaker
    2. Equally from both speakers
    3. Only from the left speaker
    4. It will be silent
    Show the answer

    Answer: Only from the left speaker

    Panning places sounds in stereo.

  2. Which effect makes a voice sound as if it is in a large cathedral?

    1. Panning
    2. Quantise
    3. Reverb
    4. Compression
    Show the answer

    Answer: Reverb

    Reverb imitates reflections in a space.

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Sources and references

Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.