Originally Posted By: JimFogle
The statement below was found in the notes for a beginning mixing class. Agree or disagree and why?

Recording/mixing at well below max level (-10 dBFS to -20 dBFS) allows for louder and cleaner masters. After all, the end product is what matters most. The old axiom of “use up all the bits” no longer applies in the age of 24-bit recordings and gear with lower noise floors.


It's a true statement but is more applicable to a beginner mixer. A good, clean recording at a higher level will require less, if any effects such as compression, eq and limiting to bring the dynamics up to level. It's always better to get the recording right than to fix it during post. With beginning mixer, it's also better to be safe than sorry so there is something to work with if the artist is gone and the recording is crud.

BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.