Stem mixing and mastering

Additionally, as each stem-bus usually has its own inserts, sends and returns, the stem-mix (sub-mix) can be routed independently through its own signal processing chain, to achieve a different effect for each group of instruments.

The reason for this is to leave more space in the mix to make the mastered version sound cleaner and louder[citation needed].

Dialogue, music and sound effects, called "D-M-E", are brought to the final mix as separate stems.

[1][2][3] The dialogue stem is used by itself when editing various scenes together to construct a trailer of the film; after this some music and effects are mixed in to form a cohesive sequence.

Stems prepared in this fashion may be blended together later in time, as for a recording project or for consumer listening, or they may be mixed simultaneously, as in a live sound performance with multiple elements.

Image of Sub-group (stem) buses on a mixing console.
Image of group assign features on individual mix channels of a mixing console. Green arrows indicate group assign buttons.