Mixing volume, when listening

  • Thread starter Thread starter Terra
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Terra

Scholarly Gentleman
What volume do you guy's mix at?

I've been in the habit of "putting it up" on my monitors so I can hear all those little details...however, I'm starting to realize that the louder the mix, the more the room gets factored into the equation, and the more your power amp noise on your monitors get factored in the equation too.

What do y'all think?

Abterra
 
This is why proper room treatment is non-negotiable.

And 85dBSPL is around where your hearing is most accurate across the frequency spectrum.
 
Most times I'll mix up around the mid 80's like Massive says, but I also tend to vary the volume as I'm making passes thru the tune. Different things in the mix tend to make themselves known when I vary it.
 
I like to spend a good portion of time quite low. As low a possible and practical at times.
Sort of works like the 'listen from the other room effect I believe.
Doesn't work for when others are involved and in the room.
 
I change the volume up and down all the time, I may run the mix loud for a couple of run throughs then turn it down very quiet for a few and see if everything still sound right. I also switch between monitors regularly (if you have that luxury, or if you down set up a boom box or a set of cheap home stereo speakers). Also walk away from the mix every now and then, I go and make a coffee, have lunch or whatever then come back and just push play to see if the mix still sounds right.

Alan.
 
Generally mixes that sound good at low volume will sound good at higher volumes but that doesn't necesarily work the other way around. I tend to mix at low volumes and then listen back at higher volumes.
 
cool, so it seems that mixing at a lower volume is a good practice to get down.

Thanks!
Tyler
 
Terra said:
cool, so it seems that mixing at a lower volume is a good practice to get down.

Thanks!
Tyler
Click to expand...

not entirely my non furry friend. :)

Like John said, and is pretty common, around 85 db is where your hearing is most accurate.
"Most" of my mixing is done in the mid 80's....but I (like others here) vary it up too.
 
This might be a stupid question, but how can you tell when you're mixing at 85dpSPL? Do you have another mic to reference that which is properly calibrated to 0dbSPL? I'm just thinking of all the different volume knobs on my signal path (well really three, my main fader, my interface volume, and my monitor volumes) so I'm wondering how one can easily tell what volume (in dbSPL) they're mixing at.
 
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