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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,169
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,169 |
Hi All,
I have been putting my mixes through a process of trying to get them to about the same level. I use MP3 files when performing. I mix and sort of master using various processes. I measure everything using a Youlean LUFS meter and set to -14. I have been setting the peak level to -3db. I then convert the wav to MP3 @320k and use MP3Gain to set the files to 90db according to their level. MP3Gain makes only minor shifts in the levels. I get no clipping messages. My stuff is about the same volume so I don’t have to dive for the volume control when performing.
I have been thinking am I setting the peak too low? If so would this have a negative impact? What should be the correct level? When looking this stuff up there seems to be answers from -0.3 to about -2 or so.
I would be interested in your thoughts.
Tony
HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home,
Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612
BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,864
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Hi Tony, It's the LUFS that the music people on music sites usually work with these days. Like you, I set the LUFS usually between -14 and -15 on my final wav -- it varies from song to song. In Reaper, I have a file that is a collection of songs and each time I produce a new one, I add it to that collection and adjust the LUFS so that the new song's volume sounds reasonable when compared to each of those other songs I've already done. (The volume slider is set the same for all songs and it's only the LUFS that I adjust to volume match.) When in your DAW, it's important to give your audio sound enough headroom to use effects without clipping. The more effects involved, I suspect that the more headroom is required. I've read on a number web pages that -0.3 db gives sufficient headroom. I used to work with that. These days, though, I normalise my individual tracks to -3.0 db. This gives plenty room at the top for audio manipulation. I then balance my tracks that have been normalised to -3.0 dB and adjust the master volume to raise the overall if needed. For me, this seems to have helped improve the clarity of my sound. Since I am going to adjust my track to a specific LUFS as the final step, normalising to -3.0 dB as an intermediate step is fine. At the end of the day, the mix only needs to be loud enough for me to hear comfortably while I'm working on it. Hope this helps, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2024
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jul 2000
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I have always topped out at -3db.
There was another thread here recently about the effects streaming services have on your music, including the warning that some of them will cause distortion by exceeding 0db if your song is already close (in other words, even though it’s under).
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Apr 2009
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-3dB is a good target.
But why are you using mp3's instead of waves for performances?
Use an audio editor such as NCH's Wave Pad so you can see the wave form in both mp3 and wave format. You can see how much room you have to the 0dB level and if you have "overs" or not. It also allows you to normalize and set your peak level to whatever number you want. There's no problem with running the mp3's to 100% or 0dB to get the most from them. Nothing is clipping at that level.
Personally, I think the only reason you would set to -3dB is in the wave if you planned to have it mastered professionally to allow headroom for the mastering engineer to work. Actually -6dB would be better for mastering. -3dB is good if you're converting to mp3 so you don't get overs in the conversion process.
But seriously, I would render to WAVE for live performance. Use a player that supports playing waves.... such as a laptop.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 08/15/18 10:38 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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