Daw, Soundcard, Plugins and Volumes

Auggybendoggy

New member
I'm wondering, is there a suggested volume for both the soundcard/interface, Windows/OSX? I realize volumes for DAW and plugins will be indicated by the meters, but what about the host computer?

For example, I may have the headphones volume turned way up feeling like it's really loud. My external amp to my studio monitors may be turned up real high.


Any links or suggestions is most welcome.

Aug
 
I'm wondering, is there a suggested volume for both the soundcard/interface, Windows/OSX? I realize volumes for DAW and plugins will be indicated by the meters, but what about the host computer?

For example, I may have the headphones volume turned way up feeling like it's really loud. My external amp to my studio monitors may be turned up real high.


Any links or suggestions is most welcome.

Aug

Hello Aug. If you mean the internal $0.5 soundcard chip in a computer then nobody* here uses them!

Most folks here use an Audio Interface and almost always ASIO driver which keeps sound control (AFAIK) well away from Windows.

No idea about macs except pretty sure they don't use ASIO?

So, not really sure what you are asking so I will give you the "two bob tour of audio levels" !!

Recorded levels should sit in the DAW meters at an average of -18dBFS with peaks no higher than -8dB-ish.

Final result can be anywhere you like but is usually at a dB or so under 0dBFS. How loud things "go out" on monitors or cans depends on the nut holding the knob!

Monitors should be "calibrated". This means a KNOWN level in the DAW (usually of pink noise) produces a known SPL on a meter from the monitors at your listening position, usually around 83dB SPL C but that is often too loud for home rigs. Does not matter so long as you HAVE a reference.

*I keep my Realtek card alive in this laptop so I can record radio.

Dave.
 
Been Here,
Thanks and yes that's very helpful. I've read about calibrating monitors and think I probably should invest in one of those meters.
Yes, I'm referring to ASIO, in my case, an M-Audio audiophile 2496 internal PCI card. Seems to do a good job.

Any recommendations on a meter?

Yes, Calibrating the monitors seems wise. If I crank up the DAW's master volume but turn down the monitor knob, I may wonder why I can barely hear anything. So eventually I find out, OH DUH! So I turn the knob on the amplifier to get more volume, however, that led me to wonder, how do I know when I've set the volume on the monitors to reflect accurately the volume of the master output. I believe your counsel to calibrate the monitors is an answer to my question.

I'm playing around with a master stereo track a friend of mine recorded and man there's no room to play with.
 
I am sure others can find you Massive Mastering's note on calibration so I shall stick to other matters.

I have had several 2496s, good cards and still have one in one of my desktops (but use an NI KA6 almost exclusively now. Just beats the card for noise floor and has lower latency)

The 2496 comes out at 0dBu (0.775V rms) as near as for 0dBFS and that should easily be enough to drive any active monitor to max SPL. All cool so far. The 2496 can also be set to "consumer" output level, -10dBV or 316mV rms. This could be useful if for instance people are using a hi-fi rig to monitor.

How are you (are! You?) controlling the output of the card? I hope you are not using the Control Panel's meter? You really need some form of analogue (stereo pot in a tin will do in a scrape!) volume control twixt RCA outs and monitors. A hi-fi amp will of course have a VC,

Sound Level Meters. Tricky because you really need one with a "C" weighting (near flat response) and the VAST majority are only "A" weighting at the cheap end of the market and you do only need "cheap" although you can of course spend as much as you like!
You should be able to find a useful meter under $30/£25. I shall have a bit of a look as well. N very B. "They" tend NOT to tell you the weighting so make sure it is or has C before waggling flexible friend.

Hope that helps, always around.
https://cpc.farnell.com/tenma/ten01...CIWgHgomHXnc8R8I63wKJw_66MCujplgaAn0ZEALw_wcB

UK ^ of course. Should also have said...I used to leave all the internal levels of my 2496 at max. You cannot overload the internal "mixer", and controlled input and output levels externally using DAW meters (Samplitude almost always)

Input was from an A&H zed 10 and output to a cheap mixer and onto Tannoy 5As. All done in the KA6 now.


Dave.
 
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I must say that this is a good question. I wonder what the output level is from my Steinberg UR824's is and how it is calibrated.

I have a Mackie Big Knob, and it has an input meter. The 824 has an 'output level' knob on the front, but no way to know what that level actually is. If I didn't have the 'Knob' I wouldn't know that around 50% was the good place to start.

In the end, it comes back to the "you will know when you know" vague response. The use your ears thing...

I would suggest keeping any volume levels at half to start. I am not familiar with your interface or setup so my opinion is just a guess. I am sure others with more knowledge of your setup will have better advice.

Dave has good advice. Even if it is hard to understand. :)
 
WOT's Hard?!!

Seriously. I want to know so I can make things clearer. As for output levels? You know how I am ALWAYS banging on about recordists should buy a digital meter? Well effin'do then generate 400Hz at -6dBFS and measure the output.
There are plenty of calculators on Google that will turn volts into dBu and dBV.

Dave.
 
It's very difficult to link your ears to a volume readout on a meter. Last week we were doing an ABBA tribute show. They brought in their PA, linked to our PA and at the soundcheck I walked towards the stage from the mix position in row CC - as in 29 rows from the stage - towards the stage. Half-way there I put my fingers in my ears. Chicken Tikka making my ears hurt! Their PA guy (in his 20s) looking at me, with his meter saying - it's only 97dB! I have no idea what kind of 97dB it was A, B or C, but definitely L for loud. I put my "in charge" hat on and bluntly said - I don't care what the meter says, that is too loud, by a long way. He was very grumpy. I suspect he was letting his often enforced maximum readings influence his judgement on how loud it was.

In my studio I see the meters on the screen, yet the meters on the monitoring system are hardly registering at all - and I ignore them totally. What the meters tell me, my ears have already sort of agreed on. I do have a lower setting I can switch to if I need to answer the phone or do something else, but all my mixing g gets done at that setting. Below it, it sounds thin, and above it, tiring. I have no idea at all what the actual volume is in the room - adequate for what I need is close enough.
 
You should aim to keep digital levels as close as possible to 100% to avoid loss of definition. That means you'll probably need some kind of (passive) monitor controller or pad in front of your powered monitors. These are all far too sensitive. And if you turn down the digital level to 10% you are loosing a lot of bits in definition.

It's something only a PSL meter, positioned in your chair can tell you. Meters inside your DAW aren't SPL, they are FS, for "full scale".

Most internet sources mention 85 or 86 dB SPL for monitoring. It's good for setting up the system, but you should turn it down at least 6 dB for long periods of work. When the client comes in, turn it up again.

As someone who suffers from tinnitus and hyperacusis, I know how little SPL is needed to damage your ears. And I've always been careful with levels. Not walking in front of PA speakers, fi. I never could stand levels in front of the PA in rock concerts, even 35 years ago when we didn't have 5 kW PA's. I'm very lucky not to be in the rock scene anymore. Most of my colleagues from that period suffer damage. Some are deaf. Only a few came out unharmed, but they spent decades being ridiculed for wearing ear plugs...
 
"
In my studio I see the meters on the screen, yet the meters on the monitoring system are hardly registering at all - and I ignore them totally."

Exactly. I'm using both an M-audio 2496 internal PCI and an Alesis Multimix 8. The mixer is just that, but I use the tape out/in to send to the PC and back (I could use the USB but then I'd have to use the windows audio - albeit, it does quite good with low latency and quite clean - perhaps Windows audio via usb is much better than using the integrated sound). The Alesis Mix ouputs are sent to an Alesis RA100 amp. 2 KRK Rockit's are connected to the RA100 amp.

But yea, I max out all my settings and my DAW meters tell me all is cool. But my monitor output on my Alesis is at 1 and IT'S FREAKING BLASTING! So I'm wondering, what the hell!!!! I don't have the RA100 turned up but to 3 (out of 10).

So with all the confusion racking my brain, I thought, why not ask the experts :)
 
You should be able to find a useful meter under $30/£25. I shall have a bit of a look as well. N very B. "They" tend NOT to tell you the weighting so make sure it is or has C before waggling flexible friend.
https://cpc.farnell.com/tenma/ten01...CIWgHgomHXnc8R8I63wKJw_66MCujplgaAn0ZEALw_wcB




Dave.

Ok, I couldn't find this in our Amazon but what about something similar like...
Amazon.com: Professional Sound Level Meter with Backlight Display High Accuracy Measuring 30dB-130dB (without Data Record Function): Sports & Outdoors
 
Alesis doesn't have ASIO drivers from what I have heard. I may be wrong but that is likely using Windows audio. Turn that down in Windows audio would be my guess.
 
...how do I know when I've set the volume on the monitors to reflect accurately the volume of the master output.

Get a Radio Shack SPL meter...digital or analog. I kinda prefer the analog since you can set the VU needle to fast or slow movement, and it's easier to see the "average " travel of the needle than when you're watching digital number flipping around....but that's a personal choice.
The RS meters have A and C weighted modes....use the C.

Put the meter on a stand or something stable in the position where you normally sit when you mix....and point the meter toward the phantom center (not the individual monitors). Set the level selector on the meter to 90.
Make sure you have your *monitor* (not DAW) volume control off (down to "0") so no sound comes out.

Now (assuming you have it, if not, download it from somewhere) play back Pink Noise from your DAW.
Just load the audio file on a DAW track, and set the track fader to "0"...set your master DAW fader to "0"....hit Play (you may want to put the track on loop).

With the Pink Noise playing back...slow turn up the monitors while watching the SPL meter. When the needle (or digital readout) is "dancing" around the center or around 85 dB SPL...that is your monitor playback level. Mark that spot on the monitor level control.
If you don't have a separate monitor level control...get one....Mackie Big Knob, TC Level Pilot...etc.
If you want to use some other reference monitor level, then adjust for it.
I have 5 levels marked off on my TC Level Pilot, 80, 82, 85, 87, 90..., with 85 dB SPL as my center point, but I generally monitor at about 80 dB SPL. The 5 markings let me know where to turn the Level Pilot knob so I'm not just guess.

Once you have that sorted out...you know where to set your monitors, so then, the individual tracks and the mix in the DAW are used for setting your Mix levels, not your Monitor levels. If you want to monitor louder...you turn the monitor volume up a notch to a known point, or down if you want to lower it...you don't change the levels of the tracks or the master in the DAW to change how loud you want the overall monitor volume.
 
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