Apparent Volume Level (AVL) Mix Priority

Reference: AVL-01. Every other guide in this section is about signal mechanics — gain staging, feedback, EQ correction. This one's different: it's where to actually start each instrument in the mix before you fine-tune anything, so you're not building a balance from a random starting point.

"Apparent volume" is about perceived loudness in the mix, not the actual dB reading on a channel's meter — two sources can measure the same and still feel completely different in the balance depending on their frequency content and how much space they occupy.

Starting Priority Order

Bring instruments up roughly in this order, checking the balance against what's already in as you go, rather than setting every fader blind and hoping it gels:

Source	Starting note
Emcee / lead vocal	Loudest element in the mix — everything else sits underneath it, not the other way around.
Backing vocals	Present but clearly subordinate to lead — audible as support, not competing for attention.
Piano / keys	Wide frequency range — watch for it fighting vocal or guitar space rather than just pushing it louder.
Bass	Boost ~40Hz and ~1kHz as starting reference points — low end for weight, upper-mid for note definition and audibility on small speakers.
Synth / pads	Treat as texture/fill — easy to over-commit fader travel to something that should sit in the background.
Acoustic guitar	Cut ~600Hz to control boxiness/mud before boosting anything else.
Electric guitar	Leave headroom for solo/lead moments — a rhythm-guitar level that's already maxed has nowhere to go when it needs to cut through.
Drums	Balance kit internally (kick/snare/overheads) before setting its level against the rest of the band — a kit that's uneven with itself stays uneven no matter where you put the fader.

Source: Newman, Brian. Live Sound Basics, "Creating a Mix." Rewritten in Ryan's own words from the source material.