Select all "top-level" folders

"Clip gain" is called "Take Volume" in Reaper

Thanks, I used the Pro Tools term because I couldn't remember the Reaper term.

Except even -12 seems way low for a final mix.

I figure as a starting point that will accommodate some level creep. My monitoring path doesn't have a problem with mixes peaking at -18dBFS so I am happy to keep levels conservative, but I can see how that might be less than ideal for others.
 
Is that "-20dB" on the fader or on the meter? On the meter that would be fine but you probably don't want your faders starting at -20. So put the faders at 0 and use clip gain to rough in a mix peaking around -16 to -12 on the meter.

On the fader. The problem ends up being that I compile a number of parts into those folders. e.g. All the rhythm guitars will end up in one folder together. If I've got 4+ guitars hitting -12 individually (and pretty consistently - I use a lot of distortion), it tends to clip the folder.
 
On the fader. The problem ends up being that I compile a number of parts into those folders. e.g. All the rhythm guitars will end up in one folder together. If I've got 4+ guitars hitting -12 individually (and pretty consistently - I use a lot of distortion), it tends to clip the folder.

On distorted guitars the level is more average than peak so I'd put them so they each average around -18dBFS or even a little lower when soloed. Every doubling of track count gets you approximately 3dB of gain, so with four guitars all mixed at the same level they'll be about 6dB louder together than individually. So all four at that -18dBFS average level should come up to -12dBFS average, but if you have pan law set to -3dB that should come back down to perhaps -15dBFS average*, all very approximate of course. When you've got a lot of tracks it's good to start with a lot of headroom.

*[Edit] Unless solo is post fader, then pan law is already accounted for. Even more reason to leave headroom.

If I were mixing this from the start I'd set the faders to 0 and get a basic mix going using Take Volume, with the overall level floating around -18dBFS. At this point since it's mixed already I'd probably just pull the main fader down and move on.
 
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I'm really bad at dB math. I thought "double volume" was 10 dB, so doubling one instrument would double the volume would be 10 dB?
 
I'm really bad at dB math. I thought "double volume" was 10 dB, so doubling one instrument would double the volume would be 10 dB?

Doubling the same signal gives you a 6dB increase, because all the waveforms are going the same way all the time. Doubling up the track count when they are different signals produces approximately 3dB per doubling.
 
Well, double volume would be 20 * log 2, which is not exactly 6, but close enough for most. If the two signals aren't exactly the same, then it's impossible to predict, but 3db is as good of a guess as any. :)
 
Well, double volume would be 20 * log 2, which is not exactly 6, but close enough for most. If the two signals aren't exactly the same, then it's impossible to predict, but 3db is as good of a guess as any. :)

Isn't it something like 6.02? I would bet the more channels you add the more it converges on that 3dB (3.01dB?) per doubling figure, if they're all mixed to the "same" level.
 
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