AlecBeretz said:
The higher the level the more bits you are using. That means you have more audio information and a bigger dynamic range. In this mindset, you wanna get those peaks around 0.
It's a tricky mindset to follow for me. If there's an advantage to using more bits I can select 24 instead of 16. It's not a gain staging issue. Getting a clean signal with good signal to noise ratio doesn't require pushing levels to the point where there's no headroom. Depending on the crest factor of the source signal, getting those peaks around 0 dBfs by running hot levels in tracking can require you to overdrive
the preamp which will impart distortion. As an added bonus, if I have to attenuate such a signal by 12 dB to make it fit in the mix anyway, the imaginary dynamic range benefit will be removed but the distortion won't. Tracking such a signal with the peaks 12 dB lower seems like a reasonable alternative.
AlecBeretz said:
But at the same time, all your tracks could be at -30 and you could just crank the master... you get less dynamic range, but the song will be the same volume as something tracked at -10 or even 0.
If you're using cheap analog front end components with small power supplies in 24 bit format, that approach can still yield a dynamic range and signal to noise ratio in
excess of what analog tape is capable of. It will also be a huge help in preventing the front end from adding "artifacts". What pretty much all of the mastering engineers have posted about this subject boils down to clean
tracks with a ton of headroom and low distortion end up being able to handle post processing a lot better without breaking. This includes a final smash through a limter to boost RMS to unreasonable levels. If and when that happens, any discussion about dynamic range seems pointless to me.
There is
a sweet spot for tracking levels. Where the level ends up being once it's in the digital domain isn't hugely important. Avoiding crunchy artifacts on the way in is.
AlecBeretz said:
So, I aim for an RMS of -20 to -10 and a peak between -6 and 0
If it meets your needs that's good.
I look at the preamp and the interface, not the daw on the way in. Yellow is the new red. I aim for lots of
green and no yellow. Makes it difficult for anything except maybe percussion to come anywhere close to the -6 to 0 range. If there ends up being a small amount of yellow by accident, that's okay too because the system is running with enough headroom to allow for it.