Another question about LEVELS when mixing. Sorry if I'm repeating myself!

[mikehoman316]

Hi there, I recently asked a similar question about optimum levels when TRACKING, but I'm still a little confused about levels when mixing.

I know that when recording, levels should be peaking at around -12 db to -6db. Is this also the case when you are mixing or do the peaks not really matter then? Can the levels be bumped up?

My main output channel seems to be peaking at above 0db, but I don't seem to be getting any clipping or distortion. Should this be lowered anyway? Where should the main output channel be peaking?

 

[Chibi Nappa]

You could even track lower than that. Peaks at -6 is really pushing it when tracking.

Do not "bump up" levels when mixing. The total mix should not get anywhere near 0. If you start with the kick drum hitting about -15 when soloed and build around that kick level, you should be fine.

 

[RAMI]

My main output channel seems to be peaking at above 0db

You're mixing way too hot. Like Chibi said:

The total mix should not get anywhere near 0.

Mixing isn't where you should be worrying about volume. Get a good mix at a "low" volume (which is actually "normal" volume). If you want your final mix to be loud, you do that after you mix, in the mastering stage.

 

[Massive Master]

Even when tracking at "normal" levels, you're almost guaranteed to have to attenuate most faders into the negative to avoid clipping at the main buss.

Granted --- Not nearly as much as if you'd tracked "as hot as you can without clipping" (where pulling them all to -15 might be a starting point).

You probably won't hear any clipping with occasional 2-buss overloads while working in floating-point. But there's no doubt that distortion is occurring, that distortion will be much more obvious when transitioned to fixed word length and it's just "really bad form" from the start.

That said - It's awfully simple to fix -- Grab all the faders and pull them down a bit. Or if it's barely happening, track it down and find out if that source is too loud. But in either case, take care of it before it's too late...

 

[kentheriot]

Hi Mike,

As a good rule of thumb, even your main channel should not be going into the red...ever...when you're mixing down. Obviously this is the sum of every unmuted track, so you could have ever track peaking well below 0dB and still have the master channel showing clipping. Also, even if you don't hear distortion, you could still have some (assuming there is no safety buffer set in your meters). If you are set up to monitor the the output of the tracks and not the master channel, you wouldn't hear it and so wouldn't know about it until you were listening to the mixed-down file.

When doing digital recording you really must try to avoid that red on the meter pretty much everywhere you see it. IN the analog days you could tolerate some of this and even get some pleasing sounds from it. Not so with digital.

Try for your largest peak to be safely under 0dB when mixing and you'll be fine.

Ken

 

[phlopip]

not to hijack this thread but in terms of tracking at a workable level, should the gain be brought down so as to avoid the red or can you just pull the faders down as you track?