-18dbfs = 0vu
- Thread starter davecg321
- Start date
Farview
Well-known member
Odbvu is an average level, not a peak level.
If you are peaking at -18dbfs, you are tracking too low.
-18dbfs should be the level of an average sustained note. The peaks can be whatever they are, as long as they aren't clipping. Different instruments will end up with different peak levels, depending on how strong the transients are.
If you are peaking at -18dbfs, you are tracking too low.
-18dbfs should be the level of an average sustained note. The peaks can be whatever they are, as long as they aren't clipping. Different instruments will end up with different peak levels, depending on how strong the transients are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlFERE1FoU0&t=338s
this guy is setting his gain staging so that absolute peaks are at -18dbfs
this guy is setting his gain staging so that absolute peaks are at -18dbfs
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
What's the purpose of adding a VU meter plug...when you already have metering...?
Also...is the VU plug set correctly?
That ferric TDS plugin isn't really a metering plugin...it's some sort of tape/saturation plug...and the inpute level settings and trim can totally change what you are seeing.
The guy in the video seems more preoccupied with having all his faders line up the same horizontally than with correct levels and metering, IMO.
because VU is an average level? and this is what we're more concerned with I guess...?
Farview?
Farview
Well-known member
Now that I'm at a computer, instead of my phone, and I've watched a little bit of the video...
There is absolutely no reason for this guy to line up all the peaks AFTER they are recorded, much less lining them up all the way down to -18dbfs. It is just pointless OCD behavior.
The only time that you have to worry about VU levels is during recording. That is because you want to run all the outboard analog equipment at that level, because that level is where you get the cleanest signal far enough above the noise floor. If you go roo far above that, the signal to noise gets better, but you start adding distortion in the analog chain.
Once everything is recorded and in the DAW, the levels don't really matter. Peak levels only ever matter if they are clipping, otherwise they are irrelevant. Average levels only matter in the analog world
Now, the only exception to this is when you are using plugins that emulate hardware. These plugins can be level sensitive, just like the hardware counterparts, so you would have to feed them with traditional analog-type gain staging.
There is absolutely no reason for this guy to line up all the peaks AFTER they are recorded, much less lining them up all the way down to -18dbfs. It is just pointless OCD behavior.
The only time that you have to worry about VU levels is during recording. That is because you want to run all the outboard analog equipment at that level, because that level is where you get the cleanest signal far enough above the noise floor. If you go roo far above that, the signal to noise gets better, but you start adding distortion in the analog chain.
Once everything is recorded and in the DAW, the levels don't really matter. Peak levels only ever matter if they are clipping, otherwise they are irrelevant. Average levels only matter in the analog world
Now, the only exception to this is when you are using plugins that emulate hardware. These plugins can be level sensitive, just like the hardware counterparts, so you would have to feed them with traditional analog-type gain staging.
Farview
Well-known member
In the analog world, the average level is what we are concerned with because analog equipment is designed to run at a standard average level. Too far above that and the signal saturates and distorts. Too far below and the self noise of the equipment becomes apparent. That's why VU meters are slow, so it tells you what the average power is, and doesn't react to the peaks.
In digital, you have peaking meters, because the main thing you need to worry about is shooting above 0dbfs. So you need to watch that the peaks don't do this.
If you don't have any outboard metering, you will need to learn how to use the peak meters to figure the average level of the signal, so you can set the mic preamps properly. If you record all your tracks to the same average level, there will be no need to line up the peaks, like that guy was wasting his time doing.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Either/or. Better yet use the analog gear's own metering for the analog part of the chain and confirm on the digital side with the digital metering. Make the analog gear happy by its own standards and be sure it isn't clipping in digital.
Article: Recording Levels And Gain Staging
Again another article saying to peak somewhere around -18 to -15 dbfs.
I'm just baffled where to set things. I've always aimed for -18 with absolute peaks around -8 dbfs
Again another article saying to peak somewhere around -18 to -15 dbfs.
I'm just baffled where to set things. I've always aimed for -18 with absolute peaks around -8 dbfs
ashcat_lt
Well-known member
In that case then "peaks less than 0" is all that really matters. These interfaces usually have low enough noise floor and are clean enough right up to digital clipping that you can pretty much set your levels anywhere you damn well please. I very often just leave the gain knobs all the way down and go. Then I know there won't be any clipping, and I can and will adjust things later down the line.
What's up with this? [scratches head..]
Do other DAWs not have a Peak + RMS metering option?
Sonar does.
I set the meter scale range to -24. From across the room' on a session I can see it's right. The average levels just poking through at the bottom, check. Peaks safe? Yea / Nay?
Done
Do other DAWs not have a Peak + RMS metering option?
Sonar does.
I set the meter scale range to -24. From across the room' on a session I can see it's right. The average levels just poking through at the bottom, check. Peaks safe? Yea / Nay?
Done