Hi Phil. Great article! At the moment I'm really trying to get my head around starting levels when mixing so this article has been incredibly useful. I so have a few questions for you if that's OK?
As a starting point you mention getting the drums to hit around -18dBFS on the stereo bus. Is this -18dBFS peak or RMS?
Is the -18dBFS the combined level of all the drums or simply what each drum part (i.e. kick, snare, etc.) should be registering when soloed?
I understand that these are simply starting levels but love the fact that you've suggested levels that are relative to each other. This makes it easier to pick a part, i.e. drums, vocals, or bass, that will act as a level 'anchor, allowing everything else to be mixed in relation to it.
Thanks again!
Stone
