none of my tracks clip - why does my mix down clip?

wes480

wes480

New member
I am still REALLY new at using DAW...I have been using cool edit pro. I was really careful this time with tracking that none of my tracks clipped...and they didn't.

Well, when doing my mix down, the overall thing clipped in some places...(i did not raise volume on anything).

Whats the deal? Clipping is a bear for me right now...seems to me that if you record everything with no clipping...then you should come out with no clipping <sigh>

How do you avoid mix down probs? Just have to cut parts until it doesn't clip? Is there a scientific way to go about it?

Is there something that works a lot better for mixing and getting this stuff right than cool edit pro? logic maybe?
 
Well, you've got it partly right.

If you record a track and the track doesn't clip, then the track won't clip when you play it back at its original volume.

However, when you combine several tracks (e.g. MIX), you are in effect *adding* the tracks together, and their combined sum may certainly clip.

This is really one of the fundamentals of mixing.

Slackmaster 2000
 
if you're recording multiple tracks at the same time, like a drumkit, for example, try checking if the tracks are properly aligned.
it works for me many times.
also, go back to your mix, at the exact point where it clipped, and look for the loudest event, then turn that track down a bit.
if it doesn't work, do that to the second loudest track.

adriano
 
what do you guys feel is the "optimum" recording level for an individual track? .001 db everytime? Or do you think it works well for mixing when your average track is maybe -6db, or -10? Is there anything inherently bad about a -10db recorded track?

I've heard before that cheaper preamps (i have an Aardvark) don't do too well at low levels
 
Shoot for the -6db to 0db range, as this is where half of your mathematical resolution lies. Of course if you track under -6db that doesn't automatically mean it's going to sound bad, so use your ears. A 24bit system is more forgiving in this realm.

Slackmaster 2000
 
>what do you guys feel is the "optimum" recording level for an individual track?

I know I'll get a lot of shit for this but I've come to the conclusion that the optimal recording level (we are talking max here, right?)
is 0 dB.

What should you aim for?

If I KNOW the source levels down to a gnat's ass, I use 0 dB.

And I get it simply by trial and error. But that works only for "playback" type source material, like a MIDI triggered synth.

If there is a small degree of uncertainty, take to take: -3 dB.
A bit more: -6 dB.
Out of control: -10 dB.

For example:

When recording acoustic guitar in my "studio" I can usually set it for -3 dB. In other words I'll whap it as hard as I'm going to have to during the take and see what the V/U meter sez, then make an adjustment, and retest until right. Add another guitarist and you'd better aim for a little more conservatism because the additive peaks where you BOTH happen to whap it hard together will sink your ship. If you're tight you can pretest the simultaneous "whap" and go from there. YMMV.

Is it inherently bad that your final recording has a -10dB envelope? Sorry. Yes. But you can boost this digitally.
You can't "unboost" a clipped wave file.

But this is part of the fun of recording. What do people enjoy about slapping a quarter across a long smooth table surface to find their coin come to rest partially hanging over the edge of the table? The estimate and the result.
 
"But this is part of the fun of recording. What do people enjoy about slapping a quarter across a long smooth table surface to find their coin come to rest partially hanging over the edge of the table? The estimate and the result."

that is a really amazing quote. Yours? very nice...

What do you guys think then about compression to tape (HD)?

Becuase I am never happy with especially my drum tracks...they always seem to be recording too low to me. Would a good compressor like an RNC be a good way to go?
 
i guess you're better off using a limiter or, if you don't have one, the rnc set to its highest ratio. set the threshold to around -3 db, and the attack to 0, if possible. that way it will only engage during the peaks that would actually clip, giving you a hotter signal. i don't do this, since i don't have a limiter, but i have a dsp compressor in my direct pro, so i think i'll try that at least for snare, which i think is always recorded too low. experiment to see if it works for you.

adriano
 
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