Why are my recordings so quiet?

[adamthemute]

I'm pretty new to recording so this may be a dumb question but, why are my recordings so quiet? I make sure every channel's peak is 0db, but apart from that I'm not mastering anything.

Does it have to do with compression or anything like that? Or maybe the quality of the stuff I'm using?

Many thanks.

 

[Trell Blaze]

I make sure every channel's peak is 0db, but apart from that I'm not mastering anything.


Many thanks.

That, sir, is very dangerous. Digital clipping is not a good friend to make in any situation.

Are you talking about your stereo mix not being loud or the individual tracks?

If you're wondering why your mix is not as loud as a commercial CD then yes, compression plays a part in this but I'd recommend you leave that particualar application of it to a skilled mastering engineer.

Concentrate on your mix sounding GOOD, not LOUD...

 

[adamthemute]

Awesome thanks. Someone showed me some very informative thread regarding 0dBVU and -18dBFS. It is kind of confusing.

I was under the impression that most mixers were analog and it's best the be peaking at 0dB.

 

[bennychico11]

Awesome thanks. Someone showed me some very informative thread regarding 0dBVU and -18dBFS. It is kind of confusing.

I was under the impression that most mixers were analog and it's best the be peaking at 0dB.

in the analog world...yes. But it also depends on the meters you're using. Things can get pretty confusing fast, but if you're recording through a mixer and into a computer like most people here are, levels that read 0dBVU on your mixer should average out to around -18dBFS in the computer. Notice I said average....your peak levels may go quite a bit higher than that from time to time. You basically want to be safe when recording. You want to give yourself room to work with. Loud enough so that it registers on the meters, but not so loud that if the vocalist or musician hits one strong note that all of a sudden the entire take is ruined because of distortion.

When you're mixing, however, you need to realize of a few things that are going on. First of all, the meters in your computer are peak meters. They respond to quick transients in music. That's why a snare might read hotter on the meter than a guitar...but both sound to your ears as equally loud. What's going on here is your ear responds differently to sound than what your meter is showing you. Your ear doesn't recognize quick peaks as easily as long sustained loud sounds. So what might be going on in your mix is you have sudden transients in the mix (ie. snare drum) that are peaking your meters close to full scale. Forcing you to turn down the mix...making it quieter. So ideally if you are able to tame these peaks with compression, volume automation, etc. you'll have lower peaks and be able to turn up the rest of the tracks. But you have to learn how to balance between compressed peaks and a louder mix. Too compressed and it takes away from the quality of your mix. Just keep reading and practicing and you'll find that middle ground soon enough.

This might help you:
http://www.digido.com/bob-katz/level-practices-part-1.html