Echo, E J Rios

[Roy]

I'm not sure it's the case in this mix but I've usually found in programmed/pop songs the general levels of the tracks are printed at the level the producer was hearing them. Instead of getting each track to be the same level maybe try bringing up all the faders to the same level. If that makes sense.

Interesting!

It's not a hard and fast rule, certainly. But I've noticed that throughout writing/preproduction there's a lot of internal balancing already going on. Especially with individual instruments, like kicks or snares or string sections etc. Plus these days we're not concerned with each track hitting, say +6/250nWm on tape. Sometimes just bringing up the faders to zero is how they were hearing the song initially. Sometimes not. But it's a decent starting point. Then use your ears.