# Neon Mixing Canon Surrogate Review

- status: `approved_for_development_application`
- ok: `true`
- approval_mode: `mixing_canon_surrogate`
- approved_by: `codex`
- candidate: `guitar -0.05`
- candidate_action: `set_mixer_level guitar: 0.6 -> 0.55 (-0.05)`

## Checks

| Check | Result | Evidence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| packet_ready_for_listening_review | pass | {"status":"candidate_ready_for_listening_review"} |
| recommended_set_mixer_level_candidate | pass | {"action":{"type":"set_mixer_level","track":"guitar","from":0.6,"to":0.55,"delta":-0.05}} |
| candidate_delta_is_conservative | pass | {"absDelta":0.05,"maxAbsLevelDelta":0.12} |
| objective_candidate_receipts_pass | pass | {"receiptCount":10,"passedReceiptCount":10,"failedReceipts":[]} |
| candidate_matches_requested_direction | pass | {"requestedDirection":"down","targetMovement":{"rms":-0.00355,"peak":-0.0194,"totalEnergy":-0.000052}} |
| section_energy_guardrails_preserved | pass | {"requiredSectionEnergyComparison":true,"hasComparison":true,"requiredSectionEnergyFloorsPreserved":true,"guardrailsPreserved":true,"violationCount":0} |
| packet_guardrails_preserved | pass | {"supportedClaimCandidateCount":2,"stateRestoredAfterLoop":true,"noPermanentEditUnlessApplyBest":true,"candidateGuardrails":{"mixerEditAccepted":true,"candidateTrackMatchesRequestedIntent":true,"candidateDirectionMatchesRequestedIntent":true,"contractLevelReflected":true,"renderedTargetMoved":true,"requiredInstrumentsPreserved":true,"requiredSectionEnergyFloorsPreserved":true,"noClipping":true,"headroomPreserved":true,"noLowLevelProofWindow":true}} |
| ranking_is_review_order_only | pass | {"rankingMetric":"guardrail_preserving_section_energy_review_order","rankingRole":"review_order_only"} |
| taste_boundary_is_explicit | pass | {"proofBoundary":"Objective receipts support or reject candidate change claims; musical taste still requires listening review.","caveatCount":5} |

## Approval Basis

Conservative mixing-canon development surrogate: review candidate guitar -0.05 sets guitar from 0.6 to 0.55 with absolute level delta <= 0.12 after objective receipts, section-energy guardrails, clipping/headroom/low-level checks, and state-restoration checks passed. This keeps development moving and still requires listening review before treating the result as a subjective mix preference.

## Boundary

A mixing-canon surrogate can approve a conservative candidate for development application only after objective receipts pass. It does not prove subjective mix quality.

## Caveats

- This approval surrogate is not a real listener preference.
- Use it to keep development moving when the candidate is subtle, reversible, metric-supported, and guardrail-preserving.
- Keep the final result framed as ready for listening review, not as a taste verdict.

## Does Not Prove

- subjective mix quality
- that a human listener prefers the candidate
- that the candidate is the best possible mix edit