Percussion Levels?

  • Thread starter Thread starter FALKEN
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FALKEN

FALKEN

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ok...I was just wondering when you guys record drums where the VU meters fall in order to avoid distortion. I know the readings are inaccurate and I will use my ears to the best of my ability, but I am also wondering so that I have a typical "range" in my head. we were setting levels for fuzz bass last night and I could hear my preamp crapping out while the VU meter read like -3. I know the input levels are fine, and the preamp has 18db of overhead, so I figure there were peaks that were not showing on the VU. the preamp has no meter. I just gotta do this by ear I guess, but if some of you could let me know where your VU meters fall on drums I think it could help me out a bit.
 
What kind of machine is it? Specifically, are the VUs mechanical or LED ladders? Remember that the mechanical ones have a ballastic effect so you won't see peaks. For this reason many of the more recent/high-end ones have an overload LED as well, so that you can see transient peaks which inertia would smooth out...
 
yes VU meters. It does also have a peak light *and* its adjustable but I wasn't sure how to adjust it. seems to me that using a static 1k sine wave at +6 or +12 or something might not be the best idea.
 
so nobody can comment on percussion (kick, snare, overhead) etc and where it falls on your VU meters?? last night I was getting drum levels and most of the peaks were around -10...not sure if this is being too conservative or not!! I want the best sound possible.....
 
FALKEN said:
ok...I was just wondering when you guys record drums where the VU meters fall in order to avoid distortion. I know the readings are inaccurate and I will use my ears to the best of my ability, but I am also wondering so that I have a typical "range" in my head. we were setting levels for fuzz bass last night and I could hear my preamp crapping out while the VU meter read like -3. I know the input levels are fine, and the preamp has 18db of overhead, so I figure there were peaks that were not showing on the VU. the preamp has no meter. I just gotta do this by ear I guess, but if some of you could let me know where your VU meters fall on drums I think it could help me out a bit.
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0db on the highest peaks. I use a limiter for backup.
 
What recorder are you using? Are you reading the level from the recorder, or the mixer?

Even on my MSR-16, if the snare or kick hit above 0, even up to +6, in extreme cases, things have been fine. -10 is being WAY to conservative, in my opinion.

I just try to avoid pushing the levels on the cymbals.

-MD
 
When I record drums with my old needle meters on a teac narrow format, I keep the average at about 0 db, but peaks swing as high as +6. I don't hear any distortion from this, using no NR. Hope that's helpful...
 
I've been having the problem with the mixer clipping before I get what I think is a good recording level on kick so it's hard for me to say what level I go with. I'm always trying to keep the mixer from clipping. I generally keep the snare at about the same level -3 to +3 and kick about -6 with it's transients unseen and the cymbals way lower in the mix. The ride barely reading on the meter. This with no NR and I'm still in the process of trying to get a better sound so....
 
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