volumes/levels/headroom

[countiec]

Hi all,

I am new in here (coming from the Belgium homerecording site).

I am experiencing some issues with level.

I have an esi1010 soundcard. I connect it's four stereo outputs to the stereo ins of my soundcraft M12.
I mix the tracks untill I have a mix which is nice and around 0db on the mixer.
The mixer has an SPDIF output which I connect to ESI spdif in. This spdif send my main mix out (at 0db) to a new stereo channel in cubase to record it.

Is was aiming at getting a demo ready track this way. Unfortunately, it seems this is not the way when I solo the recorded track (original output on mixer around 0db), and play it from a computer the meters aren't going further than -9db.

What am I missing? I have read on headroom but I don't get the grasp out of it. My manual says eg +21 dbu into 10k(ohm).

Hopefully someone can help me

kind regards
Steve

 

[Vaquero Verbal]

Hi all,

I am new in here (coming from the Belgium homerecording site).


Is was aiming at getting a demo ready track this way. Unfortunately, it seems this is not the way when I solo the recorded track (original output on mixer around 0db), and play it from a computer the meters aren't going further than -9db.

What am I missing? I have read on headroom but I don't get the grasp out of it. My manual says eg +21 dbu into 10k(ohm).

Hopefully someone can help me

kind regards
Steve

Hi there and welcome,
take a look at another thread which is about recording levels (dont know the name of it now,try the search function)

You are missing nothing
A level of 0Db on your mixer equals a -18Dbfs on your computer. And thats a good recording level !

Dirk

 

[kubeek]

If you have the tracks inside the computer, why not stay inside and mix them in some program, instead of multiple A/D and D/A conversion?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

My manual says eg +21 dbu into 10k

Welcome to America, Steve ,

If the above specification is referring to the maximum output voltage, then you mixer is actually converting 0VU analog to -17dBFS (RMS) in digital.

It's easy to figure: Since the maximum voltage is represented on the digital side by 0dBFS (you can't get any higher than that), this means that your mixer is roughtly set so that +21dBu = 0dBFS. Since line level - which is what 0VU is typically calibrated for - is +4dBu on that gear, this means that 0VU will come in on your digital meter at 21 minus 4, or 17dB below maximum. Therefore -17dBFS.

Because VU is a slow-response meter, it's not shoing all your peaks; it's just not fast enough. It's more of an average-reading meter. So when your VU meter is hovering somewhere around 0VU, this would mean that you are more-or-less averageing a level somewhere around -17dbFS, but you peaks will be higher. If you have an 8dB crest factor between your average level and your peak level, which is not unusual, this would bring your peaks in at -9dBFS (-17 plus 8).

In other words, your levels sound as though they are just about perfect, the way they "should" be under normal sweet spot conditions.

If you wanted to make it louder than that - something which I would recommend against doing too much - then you could take care of that by boosting the stereo mixdown itself after the fact. But I'd leave the mix levels right where they are at.

G.

 

[countiec]

Hi all,

first of all, thank you for the welcomes and the replies

A few things clarified :

If you have the tracks inside the computer, why not stay inside and mix them in some program, instead of multiple A/D and D/A conversion?

The reason why I prefer to mix through hardware is quite simply because it sound better. This may sound strange, but, I have more feeling with mixing on hardware then with a software. I own a controller, but yet, since I have the M12, I must say, mixing, recording and more is more pleasing to me

Secondly, I work with 2 computers. There is one running Cubase the other is running bidule as a sort of VSTi Host. The bidule/vsti host is outputting to 12 channels. And thus having separate soundcards I need to get everything mixed .

@SouthSide Glen
thx for your input. I know create a new stereo input (S/PDIF) record the track and adjust gain through mastering plugins (Izotope Ozone)

kind regards
Steve