How loud do you mix at?

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videodrone

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How loud do you usually mix at to get eh most accurate results?
 
About 80-85 dB at the mix position. At this level for me the Fletcher-Munson curve tends to flaten out.
 
Thanks,

what does at the mix position mean? So you think mixing at that level will give me the best results?
 
Meaning where I sit. I place an SPL meter about where my head is when I'm sitting at the console and adjust play back level to read about 80-85 dB "A" weighted on the meter.
 
Yep, what TR said. I keep the average level about 80db with the peaks around 85. I also check at much lower volumes (looking for things that "stick out" or disappear), and as a final step, crank it up on the mains at about 95db.

Scott
 
Track Rat said:
Meaning where I sit. I place an SPL meter about where my head is when I'm sitting at the console and adjust play back level to read about 80-85 dB "A" weighted on the meter.
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Thats cool.
I'm glad to hear someone else say that, because that's exactly the levels I mix at too.
 
damn it! Now I have to buy a SPL meter. Where can I get that and how much is gonna put me out?


Thanks a lot
 
Many levels. I am constantly adjusting to different levels. Things sound very different at different levels, so the job is to make it sound good at all levels, from whisper quiet to ear bleeding loud, though I try not to spend too much time at ear bleeding levels.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
It's really important to not expose yourself to too much SPL while you are mixing. Your sensor is overloaded and will give you shitty, erratic readings that will confuse the fuck out of you while you are trying to mix. Think "flaccid mix"... :)

You don't need to own one. But maybe borrow one or rent one and get an idea of what:

Known program material on a CD played through your monitoring system reads at for SPL so you have some reference once you no longer have the meter. The initial information is important to have.
And the numbers mentioned so far are conservative. Mixing at levels quieter than 80dB (peak) won't reduce fatigue. But *not* limiting your peaks to 90 dB WILL increase fatigue- fast!
 
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