RMS/Peak Meters

  • Thread starter Thread starter vicevursa
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vicevursa

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Sonar's meters have options for peak, RMS, and peak and RMS. When I track I try to record at the hottest level (before 0dB). I have never really paid attention to what the meters were set to monitor. Now, I'm asking...

1) What is the difference between the information the RMS and peak meters will tell me?

2) Is there specific situations when you would use peak or RMS? Or is this a preference thing?

Thanks,

Vice
 
Vice,

> 1) What is the difference between the information the RMS and peak meters will tell me? <

Short answer: Peak shows the highest voltage level even if that level was sustained for a very short time (ie: a loud rim shot). RMS shows an average of the levels for the last second or two.

For digital recording, the only thing that means anything is peak, since it is the peaks that will distort if they get too high. RMS is useful for getting a sense of how loud something will sound, but it is less related to how close to distorting you are.

--Ethan
 
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