Volume Fader/Clipping Question

[TheNightman77]

Hi All,

This is a very novice question I am inquiring about and to be honest, Im pretty embarrassed that I don't already know the answer. When tracking I try to keep my peaks around -18dbFS so as to have plenty of headroom when adding effects/eq/inputgain during the mixing stage. I have my volume faders at 0db for each track and then I raise and lower accordingly after everything is recorded. Does this mean that I can raise my track +6db with the fader, and then up to an additional 11-12db above that for EQing purposes before said recorded track clips?

I find myself constantly boosting the volume for my bass drum tracks which are not nearly loud enough in comparison to the mix when I track at -18 (I use an Audix D6 mic'd inside the bass drum), even when all other tracks are recorded with peaks at the same level. So when I raise my volume fader up to the highest level, +6db, my fader volume is in the red. Does that mean the track is clipping, or is that only during the recording/tracking phase that this applies? Will it only actually be clipping if I apply an additional +12db (eq/input gain) on top of the +6db of volume? I do know that I can just lower the faders for the other tracks to get the bass drum to sit correctly in the mix, but I would still like to clarify this.

Thanks in advance for your help, as I know most people on here know the answer to this!

 

[Chibi Nappa]

Here is the thing with kick drums:

Over half the time, the problem is that you have to turn every single other track down. Just assign everything to the same group, pull the group down, then ungroup. It's all lower without losing the mix. Turning the kick up leads to clipping somewhere before you know it.

Aside from that, beginners usually think they need to mix in way more kick than they actually should. Especially in the low end.

 

[RAMI]

Instead of cranking your bass drum up past "0", turn everything else down. All your faders shouldn't be up at 0db. I always make sure that the fader that needs to be up the most is at -3 or 4db. Everything else is under that.

 

[mixsit]

.. Does this mean that I can raise my track +6db with the fader, and then up to an additional 11-12db above that for EQing purposes before said recorded track clips?

.. So when I raise my volume fader up to the highest level, +6db, my fader volume is in the red. Does that mean the track is clipping, or is that only during the recording/tracking phase that this applies? Will it only actually be clipping if I apply an additional +12db (eq/input gain) on top of the +6db of volume? I do know that I can just lower the faders for the other tracks to get the bass drum to sit correctly in the mix, but I would still like to clarify this..

Part of this is tough to say since you didn't say what you're mixing in/on.
In Sonar for example you can exceed the nominal ranges within its tracks, busses and mixer with out clipping (apparently. It's not like I go looking for it or mix in the red a lot.. It may vary with other systems.
Try that in an analog mixer.. (not.

The difference is the extreme headroom in some (most?) software DAW.
A way to tell.. (-can you see the wave forms? You can hear them even if you can't.. ) Run a bunch of tracks (or even one) way into the red, then attenuate the master fader so it's back down to below 0dbfs. Is it clipped?

In a mix system like Sonar, come in a little high of low is not a problem, you can trim' at the master or sub-busses.
But the way I play this is just always run everything as if you don't have some blank check on headroom -stay in and around 'nominal, then it won't matter much what system you're on- you're clean.

 

[Massive Master]

Saluting your use of "more normal" levels, there's a little something to keep in mind --

-18dBFS is a nice average. A little up, a little down, all is well. With high-transients (individual close-mic'd drums in this case), assuming your meters are fast enough to catch them, you can fairly easily go a bit higher without issue. -12 or -10dBFS isn't a problem.