Audio masking is the reason quiet speech can become hard to pick out beneath a background. In a masked subliminal, the affirmations sit underneath music or another sound. Layering describes how the audio tracks are combined. Understanding those two ideas makes it easier to build a mix that sounds the way you intend.
Begin with a clear voice recording and a background you enjoy hearing. You can get to know those parts before adding more voices or optional tones.
What psychoacoustics means for your subliminal mix
Psychoacoustics concerns how people perceive sound. For your recording, one useful idea is that audibility depends on what else is playing. A voice can be easy to follow on its own and much harder to distinguish under a background.
The balance depends on the sounds themselves as well as their levels. A sparse piano passage leaves different gaps from a steady rain recording. A low bass sound can be loud while leaving parts of speech easy to hear.
That is why the same voice setting can sound different under two backgrounds. Start with the actual audio in your project and use the meters alongside listening.
Masking and layering have different jobs
Masking concerns how one sound affects the audibility of another. Layering is the production process of playing tracks together. Your layers might include one voice recording and a music bed, or several voices with background sounds.
Adding a voice layer changes the combined sound and its level. It also adds something else to check. A simple first mix makes it easier to hear what each control does.
If you're comparing two independent recordings in a player, playing them one after another is a playlist decision. Creating several layers inside one exported file is an editing decision. See how to organise multiple subliminals for ordinary listening.
Begin with clean speech
Listen to the voice on its own at a comfortable level. Follow the script and check for missing words or unexpected pronunciation. Fix distorted peaks at the source by recording or generating another version where needed.
Keep a copy of this voice recording. It lets you inspect the words directly whenever you need to, even after building a quiet mix.
Our voice comparison helps you choose between recording yourself and using a generated voice. Both workflows benefit from checking the speech before adding a background.
Set the voice against the background
Bring in the background and adjust the voice level within the editor. Keep your device's listening volume comfortable while you do it. The voice control sets the balance between layers; your headphone or speaker volume changes the whole mix.
In Subliminal Studio, the masking margin guide explains the suggested level range. Treat that reading as a production aid. The final audibility still depends on the recording and playback conditions.
Listen during a quieter passage in the background. Check an ending or fade as well. If the voice becomes more noticeable than you intended, adjust the mix or choose a background with a more even sound.
Check the mix when several layers play together
Combining tracks can raise the total level enough to cause clipping. The Audacity mixing manual explains how combined tracks can exceed the available level even when each track is acceptable on its own.
Listen to the combined output and leave enough headroom for the loudest passages. If it sounds harsh or breaks up when layers overlap, lower the appropriate track levels and check again. A loud mix doesn't need to be your target.
For multiple voice layers, keep the text and source recordings organised. Name each take so you know which wording it contains. A later script revision is much easier when you can find the exact layer to replace.
Keep masked and ultrasonic audio distinct
A quiet spoken layer under a background and Studio's optional ultrasonic layer use different production settings. Choose the format that matches the project you're making.
For Studio's ultrasonic option, follow the WAV export instructions. For an ordinary voice-and-background mix, MP3 provides a smaller listening file. Changing the filename extension doesn't convert the audio.
Listen to the finished export outside the editor. Check that the background starts as expected and that the file plays correctly in the device you'll use. If you plan to listen offline, try the offline playback check.
Choose how much production you want to do
Use the complete making guide when you're ready to build a recording in Studio. It connects the script and voice steps to the final export.
For a finished recording, the program library lets you choose a goal and hear the available samples. With Custom Subliminals, you can shape the script while Andy handles the audio production.