# Initial balances

**URL:** <https://community.mwtm.com/t/initial-balances/1300>\
**Category:** Tom Elmhirst mixing Travis Scott\
**Created:** [November 15, 2023, 10:25am UTC](https://community.mwtm.com/t/initial-balances/1300 "2023-11-15T10:25:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![James\_McLean](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.mwtm.com/james_mclean/32/79_2.png) [@James\_McLean](https://community.mwtm.com/u/James_McLean)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 10:25am UTC](https://community.mwtm.com/t/initial-balances/1300/1 "2023-11-15T10:25:18Z")

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Hi Tom,

Thanks so much for all the advice so far, its really great to have all of this information!

I feel like I often fall at the first hurdle of creating an initial balance between the instruments. I was just wondering if you have any tips on getting better at this as I understand how important it is. I find it difficult sometimes to tell whether one instrument is much too loud even when referencing.

Do you visualise a stage and instruments coming towards you and going further back as you push and pull faders?

If there is a frequency that is poking out in a particular instrument do you set the level to this initially then bring up other frequencies if needed?

In the same vein do you set the level to the transient/peak of the sound then compress to bring up the body of the sound?

Thanks again in advance!  
Ben