Another meter question.

[coolsoundman]

I am mixing a song and my meters are pretty stable. Only thing is that my peak reading is a little high, around -0.1 and the rms reading is about -0.16 - -0.20. Is this ok or must I add more limiter to my master channel or to the channel that is causing this?

 

[mixsit]

The difference between peak and rms is .06 - .1?
Must be a typo?

..must I add more limiter to my master channel or to the channel..?

Does it sound like it needs to be limited?

 

[Massive Master]

Aren't you maybe mixing just a little (???) too hot...? Perhaps? Just a whisker?

 

[rayc]

Don't bung the limiter on the master. the other fellows were being subtle - I'm not good at that. Pull EVERYTHING back a little unless your aiming for a Spinal Tape moment.

 

[TexRoadkill]

If you still have too much dynamic range then just mix in a bunch of white noise to fill the gaps.

 

[coolsoundman]

My rms is still in the green, but there is a couple of spikes that arent that bad that makes it stay in the red at the peak setting. I'm using drum samples and I already put a limiter on the effects bus for the drums. I've even went back into the midi track and lowered the velocity a little. I didn't know if you could put a limiter and compression on the master track, but it sounded a little good. Nothing was distorting and the peaks was still like -.01.

 

[mixsit]

... I already put a limiter on the effects bus for the drums.

Please explain, or.. what is peaking? The drums? Effects?

.. I didn't know if you could put a limiter and compression on the master track, but it sounded a little good.

You could put it on the master, a drum sub-buss (if there is one??) or on the source track(s) that's causing the problem.
Or maybe better yet, go back to the source track and fix (put a volume dip?) the peaks.

 

[TexRoadkill]

Mixsit, if his numbers are correct it would seem the problem is that he is smashing the shit out of everything. I would want at least a 6db peak to rms range but that's me.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Mixsit, if his numbers are correct it would seem the problem is that he is smashing the shit out of everything. I would want at least a 6db peak to rms range but that's me.

Those numbers have to be wrong; a one-half- to one-dB crest factor would sound lousy even to a deaf person listening with their fingertips on the speaker cabinet on anything other than a pulse wave. Either he's not reading his RMS levels properly, or he's got his decimal in the wrong place and is RMSing somewhere around -15 to -20dB.

If it's the former, he needs to figure out what he is reading wrong. If it is the later, he seems to be doing just fine, level wise.

G.

 

[TexRoadkill]

Those numbers have to be wrong; a one-half- to one-dB crest factor would sound lousy even to a deaf person listening with their fingertips on the speaker cabinet on anything other than a pulse wave.

I would hope so. But the other night I witnessed a deaf girl singing karaoke so anything is possible

 

[coolsoundman]

Those numbers have to be wrong; a one-half- to one-dB crest factor would sound lousy even to a deaf person listening with their fingertips on the speaker cabinet on anything other than a pulse wave. Either he's not reading his RMS levels properly, or he's got his decimal in the wrong place and is RMSing somewhere around -15 to -20dB.

If it's the former, he needs to figure out what he is reading wrong. If it is the later, he seems to be doing just fine, level wise.

G.

My RMS is reading at -15 to 20, but the peak meter reads -0.2. If you want to know, I'm using sonar and I'm watching the master meter. I've used a comp/limit and I even went back to the midi track to lower the velocity on some of the drum hits. Unless the -0.2 is less than -1 before it hits 0? I'm wondering if the peak is ok to hit at 0 or do I have to have it lower or even with the rms? How do I accomplish this?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

My RMS is reading at -15 to 20, but the peak meter reads -0.2. If you want to know, I'm using sonar and I'm watching the master meter. I've used a comp/limit and I even went back to the midi track to lower the velocity on some of the drum hits. Unless the -0.2 is less than -1 before it hits 0? I'm wondering if the peak is ok to hit at 0 or do I have to have it lower or even with the rms? How do I accomplish this?

Based upon that description, it sounds like your levels are just fine...assuming it actually does sound just fine to your ears.

Peak levels and RMS levels should almost never be close to the same. Peaks should *usually* (there are rare exceptions) be at or below 0dBFS. The difference between a peak of 0, -.2 and -1 are negligable and not all that worth worrying about. RMS levels can typically fall anywhere between -22 and -12 dBRMS, depending upon the music style and arrangement. Sometimes with harder rock fome folks like squashing their 2mix with a limiter to limit the peaks to 0dBFS and the RMS to anywhere between -12 and -9dBRMS. I personally think that sounds lousy on most home mixes to do that, but YMMV.

G.