final mix output level to low

[JamiAsbury]

I record with N-track studio and a crappy sound blaster Live!... I have terrible problems with clipping when trying to get a high volume for the final mix. ... The final level' peaks are all just a semi fraction below 0db but it still sounds about -5db lower than that. And in another note, I took the mix to a local Pro studio and fed it into this high dollar Alesis mastering unit and it measured at around -5db lower than 0db on the units output VU meter. I take it home to double check and it still says just a semi fraction below 0db. and still sounds noticably more quiet than a commercial mix. Whats going on here? I need my mix to be just as loud as one that is on the shelf at the CD store. Does the sound card have anything to do with this? Is it the software?
Sampling frequency? (I used a 3200Hz setting to avoid lag problems caused by real time conversion) Will a 24 bit sound card make any difference? How do I get more head room? Please help me!!!!

Im also thinking about getting an M-Audio delta 1010LT (Its gotta be better than the sound blaster!!)

 

[ocnor]

You need a good "Limiter" plugin. When set correctly a limiter allows you to raise the overall level without clipping.

 

[guttadaj]

This is a very common problem in home recording. If you need to have your stuff sound as loud as commercial stuff, you're pretty much gonna have to send it out to a professional mastering house. They have the swanky equipment that can do that without having the results sound like crap. One main thing that is done to accomplish this is heavy compression.

See, even though your peaks may be right around 0db, the perceived loudness of sound is not really determined as much by the peaks as by the average level (actually the RMS...root mean square). Your stuff is probably not very compressed, which is good! Dynamics are dying a slow death these days because of this tendency to try to make everything louder...Louder...LOUDER!

But I do hear what you're saying - it's nice to not have your eardrums blown out when switching from your CD to a commercial CD. You could try things like adding a limiter to squash peaks even more so you can raise the whole mix up higher and like adding some slight compression to your overall mix with some makeup gain to bring up the overall perceived loudness.

HTH
-Jeff

 

[AGCurry]

"Overs" - instances of your sound level exceeding 0 db - are not serious as long as they don't sound bad (and you'll KNOW it when they do). The guy who has done mastering for me prefers a level where there are a few overs. Let your ear be the guide, not a decibel meter.