Velvet Elvis -- your questions on Metering/Levels....

  • Thread starter Thread starter Blue Bear Sound
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Blue Bear Sound

Blue Bear Sound

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Velvet Elvis said:
Bear...

Sometime I want to talk "metering" with you... I read your article about metering and gain staging etc... and I know you use a Mackie 8-bus and an HD-24... then dump to a Masterlink... same as I am using.

I *think* I'm doing fairly well with my levels, but I'd like to know where you have found (metering input and tape levels... then metering playback and subs/master) to work the best on the Mackie/HD-24 combination.

I changed from 3 black face ADATs to the HD24 half way through the recording :) Wow... life got much easier at that point.

Velvet Elvis
Click to expand...
Typically, I don't track thru the board at all, so signals go right to tape from mic pres and I usually keep the level between -15 & -6dBFS on the HD24.... I don't push 'em too hard because there's no need to.

As well, since the Mackie doesn't have adjustable levels on the tape returns, you also have to consider that the level you send to tape is going to be the output level you need to deal with at the board during mixdown, and if it's too hot because you pushed the levels, you're going to run out of headroom very quickly on the 8-buss!

With 24-bit res, you don't need to worry about keeping the levels very hot, so it's easier on the your board.

As for mixdown, I get the mix somewhere between -15 and -6dBFS...

-15dBFS is the calibration point for 1KHz @ 0VU via the +4dBu inputs on the Alesis units (HD24 and the Masterlink)....
 
Bear,


Thanks man... I appreciate it.

I too track most of my things direct to tape (disk)... except for drums etc... my budget still leaves me to have to use my Mackie for anything that has to go down to multiple tracks at once (I only have a single external mic pre for vocals/guitars etc).

I'll take a look and see what my levels are running... being an 'old school tape' boy... I was so used to trying to maximize the level to tape, that I guess I never considered that I could be overloading the Mackie just from the signal coming off the HD24.

Thanks!
Velvet Elvis
 
Originally posted by Velvet Elvis
...I could be overloading the Mackie just from the signal coming off the HD24<<<------------Very easy to do on the Mackies (overload the mix buss, I mean!)

;)
 
Much obliged Bear...

Just when I think I'm starting to get it all together... now I have reason to go doubt myself again ;P

Oh well... the record company liked the album :)

Velvet Elvis
 
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