SOFTLINK — DIALOGUE MIXING GUIDE
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Version 1.0 | Softlink Editorial Team
Free for personal and commercial use

LOUDNESS STANDARDS
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Platform          | Target              | Standard
------------------|---------------------|---------
YouTube / Vimeo   | -14 to -16 LUFS    | Program integrated loudness
Streaming general  | -14 LUFS           | Most platforms normalize to this
Podcast           | -16 to -18 LUFS    | Program loudness
Broadcast (EU)    | -23 LUFS           | EBU R128
Broadcast (US)    | -24 LUFS           | ATSC A/85

EQ FOR DIALOGUE CLARITY
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Fundamental frequencies (80-200 Hz):
- High-pass filter: roll off below 80 Hz to remove rumble and handling noise
- Gentle -12 dB/octave slope is usually sufficient

Muddiness (200-400 Hz):
- Box-like or muddy tone often lives here
- Small notch cuts (-2 to -4 dB) can open up clarity

Presence / clarity (2-5 kHz):
- Gentle boost (1-3 dB) increases intelligibility
- Too much creates harshness

Sibilance (5-10 kHz):
- Harsh S sounds: apply a de-esser
- Target: usually 6-8 kHz, adjust by ear

COMPRESSION SETTINGS
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Starting point for dialogue:
- Threshold: -18 to -12 dBFS
- Ratio: 3:1 to 6:1
- Attack: 5-15 ms
- Release: 50-100 ms
- Makeup gain: restore average level to pre-compression

Add a limiter after the compressor:
- Set ceiling to -2 dBFS to prevent digital clipping

DE-ESSING
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Sibilance is harsh 'S' and 'SH' sounds.
In Premiere Pro: use DeEsser effect or dynamic EQ.
Set frequency range to 5-10 kHz.
Set threshold so it only triggers on actual sibilance.
Over-applying de-essing makes dialogue sound lispy.

ROOM REVERB
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Recording environment reverb is difficult to remove.
- Essential Sound > Reduce Reverb: helps for moderate reverb
- Adobe Enhance Speech (AI): can significantly reduce reverb
- Prevention (acoustic treatment, close mic placement) is far better than correction

FINAL CHECK
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□ Dialogue sits at -12 to -6 dBFS peak average
□ All clips consistent in tone and level
□ No clipping in the entire chain
□ De-essing applied where needed
□ Checked on multiple speakers
□ Loudness target met

CREDITS: Softlink Editorial Team