Simple Explanation

A way to control the volume of several audio tracks together with one fader.

Concise Technical Definition

A set of two or more audio signal channels combined into a single control path, allowing collective level adjustment or processing.

Layman-Friendly Analogy

Like a remote that controls a whole group of lights at once instead of flipping each one individually.

Industry Usage Summary

Common in mixing consoles and DAWs, subgroups let engineers manage levels or apply effects to multiple channels (e.g., all drums or backing vocals) as a single unit.

Engineering Shortcut

Channel bundle with shared fader and/or processing path.

Full Technical Explanation

In audio mixing, a group (also called a subgroup or submix) is a collection of individual audio channels routed together and controlled as a unit. Mixing consoles and digital audio workstations (DAWs) allow channels (e.g., drums, vocals, instruments) to be assigned to a group, enabling the engineer to adjust their overall level or apply shared effects using a single fader or processing chain. This simplifies mix control, improves efficiency, and maintains balance within grouped elements. Groups can be routed to the main output or other buses, and are fundamental in both live sound and studio workflows.