recording levels?

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dumass

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what should the recording levels be at before recording? i'm using sonar...should i not be seeing any red at all? so around -6 or -3db? then after that, then how do i get them louder? do i normalize them? thanks
 
I try to keep average levels round -14dB, hitting reds isn`t a problem if you don`t push it too hard....
If you hear distortion reduce level,or strap on a compressor for some control....


Amund
 
then what do u do, do u normalize...and then compress (if i dont use a compressor as i record)
 
I never normalize, that will just give you problems when mixing(overloading the mixbus)

The levels don`t need to be high,if recording at 24-bit...
I use compression for the sound and for getting stuff to fit in the mix. But I don`t compress everything, but usually vocals get pretty smashed, bass some gentle compression, I compress the drums on a parallel bus and blend that into the uncompressed tracks.
Electric guitars I usually leave alone, but acoustics may get some depending on the player or music style, it depends....

Just get as high a level you can without distorting , and you`ll do fine....

Amund
 
No need to normalize, and only apply compression if it's needed to produce the sounds/dynamics you're looking for. Remember, loudness is relative, so get all your tracks recorded, see where things sit at that point, and then you can look at how to increase perceived loudness on your individual tracks/busses (again, if needed).
 
well yea im using the m-audio delta 1010...

so i guess the levels would be good at around -14? or -12?

yea im pretty dum and new with this stuff...i've been compressing jus bout everything. how can i tell if it needs to be compressed? also, i've been doing that bc thats the only way i know how to make things louder haha. but lately, i've gone to the limiter to make things louder. i really trying to achieve that punchy, loud, powerful mixes.
 
There are a lot of techiques to get powerful/loud/punchy mixes (Just don't fall into the trend of squashing the crap out of everything - music should be dynamic).

First and formost, capturing the sources properly (mic choice/placement, great sounding instuments, and especially performance).

Secondly, knowing how to use compression correctly, and where to use it. Let's say you want your kick drum to sound punchy, and the source lacks the punch you want. You can apply compression, but if you set the attack and release too short, you'll actually lose punch. You need to play with those parameters so that the attack of the kick comes through, and adjust the release so you're not cutting things off too quickly.

Another trick is applying bus compression. If you put the bass and kick on the same bus (and compress the bus), this will allow those two instuments to mesh together better, which results in a more punchy sound.

Attention needs to be paid to EQ as well...if you have several instrument occupying the same frequencies (Bass and Kick are likely to be this way), then you'll end up with a big build up at those frequencies, and you'll just end up with mud. Most people think subtractive EQ is best (and I'll agree with that in a lot of cases), but sometimes you need to boost some stuff too.

Limiting is the last step in the chain for me, which is applied to the entire mix. You can gain a lot of punch by limiting, but if your mix isn't well balanced to begin with, it will go south quickly when you apply the limiter.

There are a ton of other things that I could get into, and I'm sure others will, but the best advice is to practice, practice, practice. What works for one thing, may not work for another, and it's been said before, there are no rules!

Have fun!
 
I'm a big fan of recording at medium levels and then normalizing. Pushing tape levels is fine, but if you're in the middle of a big digital session and you overload digital equiptment, it doesn't sound "warm" like tape overdrive, it sounds flat out awful. Digital clips are almost impossible to fix without making something else sound wrong. So in short, don't fear the normalizer.

And especially don't fear the compressor. Nothing to complain about there.
 
Sorry - that advice is questionable - and somewhat confused-sounding.

Normalizing each track will definitely INCREASE your chances of digital distortion via the digital mix buss - since it ensures you leave yourself very little headroom. As well, normalizing increases the noise floor along with the rest of the signal, something most home-rec'cers can't afford.

The advice SHOULD BE -- at 24-bit, don't fear lower recording levels and DON'T normalize.
 
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Why so many fans of normalizing tracks? What does that give you that sliding the fader higher won't? And if you've slid the fader all the way up and the sound is still too small, it probably means you recorded it wrong in the first place.
 
Chibi Nappa said:
Why so many fans of normalizing tracks? What does that give you that sliding the fader higher won't? And if you've slid the fader all the way up and the sound is still too small, it probably means you recorded it wrong in the first place.
Agreed!
 
wowwwwwwwww

remember that im a newbie!!! but yea...i tried recording today with the levels between like -18 to -12...

so now to make things louder...would i compress or use a limiter??

also...do those maximizers help in this case? thanks
 
danger will robinson... danger!

you use a compressor when your dynamic range is too wide. don't squash it just to squash it.

ok....

enough with the bull****.

you want your recording to be hot. hot like the foo fighters CD right?

what type of peak limiter to you have.

I use the Waves L1.

If i consistently record my tracks such that the peaks are hitting around -6db it makes it easier to mix.

then, if necessary, i slap a multiband compressor on the main and follow that with the peak limiter.

the multi-band compressor helps smooth out the sound and then L1 allows me to 'pump up the volume' such that I cut off the quick transients and get a hot sound.

since i have gotten better at tracking, and mixing, i don't usually have to do more than 6db of peak limiting to get the really loud mix.

p.s., i don't always like the really loud mix, but the hip-hoppers that i deal with love it.
 
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I use the L1 too

Well in fack, whan it come to -lets call it "mastering"- I use iZotope Ozone 2, then Waves L1

I like the EQs on Ozone, pretty cool!!
 
crosstudio said:
danger will robinson... danger!

you use a compressor when your dynamic range is too wide. don't squash it just to squash it.

ok....

enough with the bull****.

you want your recording to be hot. hot like the foo fighters CD right?

what type of peak limiter to you have.

I use the Waves L1.

If i consistently record my tracks such that the peaks are hitting around -6db it makes it easier to mix.

then, if necessary, i slap a multiband compressor on the main and follow that with the peak limiter.

the multi-band compressor helps smooth out the sound and then L1 allows me to 'pump up the volume' such that I cut off the quick transients and get a hot sound.

since i have gotten better at tracking, and mixing, i don't usually have to do more than 6db of peak limiting to get the really loud mix.

p.s., i don't always like the really loud mix, but the hip-hoppers that i deal with love it.

This all sounds like good advice except I'd like to inject:
Get the individual tracks in shape (dynamics, ect. as needed) and the mix sounding good first befor reaching for the multi-bands and mix comp/limiters.
With tracks that are not laying in well first, the mix limiters can be pumping at the wong time and maybe for the wrong reasons.
:D
Wayne
 
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