= Instrument Mix Notes

You are reading this page because you are playing an instrument and you have received (or are expecting) a mix with the recording of your instrument at a concert. This page explains what is in the mix, where it comes from, and what you could take away from the recording.

== Mix Layout

Normally, your instrument is in the left channel and the melody reference is in the right channel. The reference is usually the piano (or all of the pianos that are playing melody). The reference is mixed somewhat quieter overall than your instrument.

Most importantly, if you pan the track all the way left (or listen to the left earphone only), what you are hearing is what your microphone is picking up at that time.

== Intelligibility

If you listen to the left channel only and you are not hearing your instrument clearly, neither is the audience at the concert. Common issues are:

- The other instruments are louder in your mic than your instrument. This could be because the mic is too far away from your instrument, is too far off axis (sound coming from the instrument is passing perpendicularly to the mic body and not parallel, mics are less sensitive this way), or you are actually not producing much volume when you are playing.
- Sound is distorted. This is most likely an issue with gain setting in the mixer. See [#PreampGain Preamp Gain].

== Preamp Gain