Volume Problem with Cubase

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hubbawho
  • Start date Start date
H

Hubbawho

New member
This isn't the same old "I want the volume of a mastered cd without paying for it" question. I'm only wondering about cubase specifically.

Why is it when I save my mixes in Cubase, they save at MUCH MUCH lower volumes than they mixed at? I'm not aware if this is common or even if it's some default feature that I just haven't shut off, but when I monitor my mixes, they are very loud and register at full volume on the meter. But after I save the song as a wav file, the entire mix's volume is cut in half. PLEASE someone tell me how to get around this - i record a new project at least once a week and finding ways around this is starting to get irritating. There must be an option that I'm not selecting or something. thanks for any help

p.s. - it has nothing to do with the volume of my monitors.
 
Last edited:
The only thing that springs to mind is that when you mix down you are using the pro audio setting (+4db) and when you listen to the mix after, you listen to it on the consumer audio setting (-10db)....I could be way off track but......stranger things have happened.
Lee.
 
This tends to be a monitoring chain problem. If you are listening to the mix in windows media player (or any of the other things on your computer that you listen to music on) you are going through a completely different set of settings on your computer. (even if you are listening on the same sound card)

What happens when you import the wav file back into Cubase. If the file has the same levels as the mix, that proves that your monitor chain is to blame for the problem.
 
There is also the possibility that you have a plugin in the master section which is affecting the resulting mix. Anything like a saturator or tape simulator can do more harm than good in the master section.
 
hmmm... sounds like good advice. But I don't think it can be the wav volume on my computer because this is what I've done to try and counter the low volume:

I listen to a commercial mix in my MusicMatch Jukebox player, and I try to match the overall volume of some of the songs in my play list to the master volume on my mix within cubase. It appears to be succesful at first. Now when I do this, the master volume of my mix is loud both while I'm monitoring it and according to the mixer's meeter. However, when I mix it down into a wav format, and open it up to play in Music Match Jukebox aside from the those other commercial mixes, it is no longer of the same volume. Now it's MUCH MUCH lower. Like ridiculously lower, possibly half the volume or less.

Now I'm aware that project studio mixes won't be as loud as commercial ones. But this is ridiculous - like I said. It's half the volume or less. And it's embarrassing in front of a client and un useful.
 
Did you do what I said? Bring the wav back into the cubase project and solo it. Is it the same volume as the mix is (mute the mixdown wav and listen to the mix so you can A/B between the 2)

BTW My mixes are always about half the volume of the mastered CD.
 
yes farview. I did bring the wav back into cubase. And it appears to be the same volume as the mix, once it's in cubase.

But are you saying, it's normal for the mix to be about half the volume of a commercial mix? Well, if that's normal, then I guess I'm a jackass. lol cuz that's all that is happening. I knew it was supposed to be quieter, but not half the volume. sorry if I've wasted your time. (it just seems to be more of a problem in cubase)

I've used shitty freeware programs in the past - and found ways around the low volume problem. Like for instance, I'd open 2 windows of the recording program simultaneously. I'd open the mix in one program. And in the other window, I'd set it so that it recorded my computers WAV singnals. And then I was able to play back the mix in real time, from the 1st window, while changing the recording level in the 2cnd window. Essentially, I was re-recording my mix. And it always worked fine because I could use the applications in the 2cnd window to re-amplify the mix until it was loud enough. (without distorting it) However, this feature only was available on my old computer's sound card. None of my new sound cards (niether the one that came with the computer, the 2 firepods, or the m-audio that I own) allow me to record a WAV signal in real time. Their settings only allow for line-in or mic recording. So this is why I'm having the problem with cubase - where I am forced to save the mixdown rather than just re-record it in real time.
 
It's a mix issue in conjunction with Windows wav playback levels. You have to remember that a mix that is 6db lower in RMS scaling is MUCH quieter.
 
A good way to check whether you mix is actually too quiet is to look at the wave form. If its tiny and then then yes its too quiet. If it looks normal dont worry about it.

It may sound when played back in a media player that its quieter. But most media players have their own way of processing the sound. Also the existence of an output volume control actually on most media players will mean immediately that the volume of the wav could be loudened or quietened. Whereas Cubase doesnt have a specific output volume for the pure purpose of listening. Its master volume is to determine the loudness of the mix at mixdown, and not the loudness of what is going into your ears at the time of playing .cpr file in Cubase.

Basically the Media Player is not going to be kicking out the same volume when playing a .wav, as Cubase does when you are playing a .cpr, regardless of the mixdown. Its different output processing. The media player is made for listening to music in the sense that a hifi system is used. Cubase is made so you can monitor mixes.

Also my bet is that bearing in mind most commercial music these days is loudened loads, the listening output volume of Cubase is probably upped a bit to allow for a fact that a mix is going to be quiter than a loudened master. Just to save you turning all your dials up to max and you still not being able to hear what you are doing.

Its just a theory but I figured I'd throw it on the table. Also sorry if it sounds confusing. It proved to be harder to put into words than I had anticipated. :)
 
The levels can most certainly ne matched between your different listening environments. Sorry Legion, but I disagree with most of your post. Also, you can't just look at a wav file to see how loud it is. Frequency content, dynamics etc... has incredible bearing on the end appearance of volume. That is stuff you just can't see when you look at a wave form. I do agree however that you can make some estimations from a quick glance, or at least tell when you are way off. My system is level matched however between Windows, Cubase, Sound Forge, different media players etc.... Also, the listening volume in Cubase is not upped at all to counter for anything. Turnin your knobs up to listen to a mix is actually a good thing and not a bad thing. That is a good way of reminding the engineer where the mix stands and why it is still there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top