just trying to get this right...

[endserenading81]

I am new to PC recording, but have been researching it for a long time. Just built my own PC and got an M-Audio Omni Studio, through Cubase VST. I just have one question, HOW DO YOU GET PERFECT LEVELS! I mean really, I want to follow all the right steps to get the hottest, cleanest, most professional signals for my digital recordings. I heard there is a third level you need to check, other than preamp and software meters. Don't get me wrong, I could get clean sounds, but I always have to compromise something. Clean but not loud, loud but not clean. I know the answers are obvious, just shoot!
Thanks,
Rob

P.S. Is a little compression to the signal before it goes to tape recommended?

 

[chessrock]

Don't freak out over it too much. Just make sure that at each stage, you've got moderately healthy levels that don't clip or distort at their loudest peaks.

Any time you've got audio being passed from one source's output to another's input, there should be some sort of meter to let you know how hot the signal is and whether or not it's close to clipping. Use it.

 

[Chibi Nappa]

If you're tracking to 24 bits, don't lose too much sleep over squeezing the last db or two out of the levels. If your main concern is to get the "most professional signals for [your] digital recordings", spend your time worrying about mic choice, mic placement, pre-amp quality, room quality, music performace quality, etc. Get all that right, and your meters could be hitting -12db and sound perfectly professional, clean, and hot.

 

[dave@soundmind]

using a compressor prior to tracking will definately enable you to get louder recordings. Just make sure you are 100 percent comfortable with your compressor so you don't end up with a recording that you have to redo.

also, i have never been able to get a software compressor to sound anywhere near as good as an outboard compressor.

 

[SPINSTERWUN]

http://www.theprojectstudiohandbook.com/articles8.htm

 

[The Seifer]

I've got a question:

I always make sure that I never go over 0dB and clip when I'm tracking, but eventually the sum of all the tracks will sometimes peak over 0dB. Instead of reducing the gain of the output of every plugin that the signal is going through until it doesn't exceed 0dB, I reduce the gain at each stage so that the output is the same volume as the input signal. Then I put a compressor/limiter on the master bus to keep it from exceeding 0dB instead of reducing the gain on the master bus. Is this ok?

 

[Chibi Nappa]

If your master bus is clipping, you might need to just mix at lower levels. Start your mix over from the beginning with all of the faders much lower. It takes a long time and dozens of mixes to learn the correct level to mix at.

 

[The Seifer]

No, the master bus doesn't clip when I have a limiter on it. Some "hot spots" in the song will occasionally exceed 0dB without a limiter, but the limiter prevents that. I was wondering if I was supposed to reduce the gain on the master bus so it wouldn't clip without the limiter and then make up for the loss of volume by turning up the gain on the limiter. It seems pointless, really.

 

[endserenading81]

thanks guys

Great support from everyone. It's nice to hear from people miles away about what they do in their studio. I totally think your right Chibi Nappa. All those great recordings I hear, I don't ever say "Wow, they must have gotten great levels." But I do say "They must have had great EVERYTHING!"
Thanks,
Rob

 

[TexRoadkill]

If your master bus is clipping, you might need to just mix at lower levels. Start your mix over from the beginning with all of the faders much lower. It takes a long time and dozens of mixes to learn the correct level to mix at.

Or just turn down the master buss. It's pretty much the same thing as far as the software is concerned.

 

[Chibi Nappa]

Or just turn down the master buss. It's pretty much the same thing as far as the software is concerned.

Be sure to know your software before you take that approach. I'm sure it works on most systems, but some (like the Roland 2480) will still clip even after you turn the master buss down....even though the clipping light won't go on anymore! Most software probably doesn't behave that way, but the point is to know your own software.

 

[chessrock]

Or just turn down the master buss. It's pretty much the same thing as far as the software is concerned.

Someone should make this statement a sticky.

I see too many newbs running around these boards lately that don't quite get that one.