# Building your mix · zvuk

zvuk v1.14.1 · MIT · https://zvuk.schmooky.dev/guides/mix/

The shape of a five-bus production mix. Pick the buses, declare them at construction, route everything through them.

Guide

# Building your mix

The shape of a five-bus production mix. Pick the buses, declare them at construction, route everything through them.

## Pick your buses up front

Most game-style apps land on the same five-or-six buses. Don't over-think this on day one. You can always rename later.

-   **music** holds looped background tracks. One voice at a time, occasionally crossfaded.
-   **sfx** holds gameplay one-shots. Dense and polyphonic.
-   **voice** holds dialogue and alerts. Usually exclusive, one at a time.
-   **ambience** holds looped environmental textures.
-   **ui** holds clicks, hovers and modal opens.

## Bare-bones declaration

ts ts

```
createEngine({
  buses: {
    music:    { level: 0.7 },
    sfx:      { level: 1.0, concurrency: { max: 32 } },
    voice:    { level: 1.0, concurrency: { max: 1, steal: 'none' } },
    ambience: { level: 0.4 },
    ui:       { level: 0.6 },
  },
  master: { headroom: -3 },
});
```

## What it looks like

bus graph

## Add FX inserts

ts ts

```
import { Compressor, Reverb } from '@schmooky/zvuk';

engine.bus('music').addFx(new Reverb(engine.context, { wet: 0.2 }));
engine.bus('voice').addFx(new Compressor(engine.context, {
  threshold: -18, ratio: 4, attack: 0.005, release: 0.15,
}));
```

Reverb on music is for atmosphere. Compressor on voice levels out dialogue without losing presence. Don't put reverb on SFX — individual hits sound smeared.

## Master headroom

ts ts

```
// Master gets -3 dB of headroom. Lifts the ceiling for transient SFX
// without clipping. If you hear pumping or clicks, drop to -6.
createEngine({ master: { headroom: -3 } });
```

## Live mixer

engine.state = cold

0 voicesPop out

music

mute

level: 0.80

sfx

mute

level: 1.00

ui

mute

level: 0.70

chimemusicbellsmusicdice-rollsfxdice-shakesfxgemuiheartui

Each sample is shipped as `.webm` (Opus) +`.m4a` (AAC). The engine picks whichever your browser supports.

Unlock audio & load samples

## What about ducking?

Sidechain a target bus from a source bus. When the source is loud, the target dips. See the [ducking guide](/guides/ducking/).

## Pitfalls

Don't declare buses you don't use.

Each bus is two GainNodes. Negligible cost individually, but ten unused buses is a yard sale.

Don't expose the master gain to UI.

Master is for mix headroom and mute (e.g. tab visibility). User volume belongs on a bus or a parameter. Most users want a music slider, not a global knob.