The same settings everywhere
Commercials, jingles, voice tracks, features and scheduled features all share the same Advanced settings (volume, intro / outro) accordion. Understand these four faders once and it serves you on every page.
| Setting | What it does | Range |
| Voice volume | Level of the voice in the final mix | 50 to 200 % |
| Intro | Silence before the voice starts | 0 to 5,000 ms |
| Outro | Silence after the voice ends | 0 to 5,000 ms |
| Music bed volume | Level of the music under the voice | 5 to 50 % |
Setting the music bed
This is the setting that does the most damage when it is wrong. The music should be felt, not heard.
- 10 to 12 %: long feature, podcast — listening stays comfortable over time
- 15 %: the default, a good compromise for a commercial or a voice track
- 20 to 25 %: a high-energy commercial where the music is part of the message
- Above 30 %: keep this for passages with no voice
Tip :
Always check your production on a small speaker (a phone, a kitchen radio) before signing it off: that is where level problems show up, not on headphones.
Intro and outro
Intro and outro silence determine how the element sits on air.
- 0 to 200 ms: tight transition, ideal for a jingle between two songs
- 1,000 ms (the default): lets the music establish itself before the voice
- 2,000 ms and above: useful if your automation system applies its own fade
Warning :
If your automation system already trims silence, set intro and outro to 0: you will avoid dead air.
Two versions every time
Every production generates two files: the mixed version (voice plus music bed) and the voice only version. The preview player switches between them.
Good to know :
The voice-only version is invaluable if your automation system applies its own imaging, or if you want to reuse the voice in an edit.
