The Optimal Mix? Presentation Order Affects Preference Ratings of Vocal Amplitude Levels in Popular Music

Abstract

Mixing popular music is a complex task requiring the consideration of artistic goals, as well as preferences of both the mixing engineer and potential listeners. Vocals are of particular importance in the mixing process. Here, we tested whether listeners possess stable preferences for the mixing level of vocals, whether these preferences are subject to order effects, and the extent to which individual differences between listeners play a role. In Experiments 1 and 2 participants rated which of two mixes in a pair of song excerpts (unchanged reference versus comparison mix with adjusted vocal level) they preferred. Each excerpt pair was presented in two orders – reference first and comparison first. Generally, listeners preferred increased vocal levels and showed pronounced primacy effects, yielding higher ratings for the mix that was presented first. To circumvent order effects, Experiment 3 presented and asked for a rating of only one excerpt at a time and showed ratings similar to reference-first excerpt pairs in Experiments 1 and 2. No systematic influences of demographic variables were observed. However, we found two clusters of participants that differed in their overall preferences, with one group showing stronger preferences for higher vocal levels. The present findings underscore the role of listening history of the immediate past in complex auditory tasks such as evaluating the level of a salient sound source in a musical mixture.