Volume speaker levels when mixing

[Melodyman]

Can someone tell me what is a good speaker level to mix to. If I have my speakers too loud, my mixing level may be too low, and off course if my speaker levels are too low then my mixing level will be to high and start to clip.

 

[gecko zzed]

Get yourself an SPL meter, and set the playback volume level for between 83 and 85 db. My understanding is that a level around that volume is a good level to mix at.

 

[Btyre2013]

if you are making really dynamic music then louder is better, but be careful not to go too loud for long periods, it's surprisingly easy to do this without realising because the ears adapt so fast, mix at a low or medium level and have breaks would be my advice, and spend as little time as possible doing it, the better the recording or 'pre-production' the less time and effort it takes in mixing and mastering.

 

[Monkey Mixes]

I think it's a good idea to monitor at different levels throughout the mix process, although I often lean more towards lower volumes.

To bring figures into it, our ears hear frequencies most evenly at around 83dB. As the volume increases, our ears perceive greater low-end and pitch can even start subsiding by a few cents either way (lows seem lower in pitch, highs seem higher).

I would recommend that for the majority of mix time, the speakers should be at a level where you don't have to raise your voice when speaking.

 

[Farview]

I don't get why the mix would be louder when you turn down the monitors. If you are using proper recording levels and leave the master at unity, the mix should end up at about the right level. If you want to hear everything louder, turn up the monitors, if you want to hear it quieter, turn them down.

Mix level and volume are two different things governed by different controls. You really need to get a handle on not compensating for one by adjusting the other.

As was mentioned, you need to monitor at different levels to help get perspective on how things are sitting in the mix. The 80-85db thing is just because that is where our ears have the flattest frequency response. It has nothing to do with ending up at the correct mixing level, it's more of a tone thing.