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Hi there technical forum members!
I am aiming for a LUFS-I reading of between -13 to -14 on my new project.

The Reaper JS Loudness Meter says LUFS-I is -19.5 (too low - see my next paragraph) whereas a Render to mp3 dry run with no change in settings gives me -15.6! (see first attachment)

I changed the limiter on the master to a ceiling of -0.3 and the JS Loudness Meter= LUFS-I -18.2 whereas the render dry run gives me a LUFS-I=-14.3 but 7 instances of clipping despite the limiter on the master set with a ceiling of -0.3! (See second attachment)

Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm trying to understand how two meters on the same pass can generate a different LUFS-I. Can anyone guide me on this, or have you had similar experience - and which did you use?

Andrew

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
LUFS comparison.png (111.53 KB, 52 downloads)
LUFS set 0.3 ceiling but clipping.png (121.08 KB, 52 downloads)
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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I just worked out what I was doing wrong - with the very helpful assistance of Copilot AI - I had the loudness meter on the master track when it should have been on Monitoring FX - which would be post master fader and therefore measure the same as the render dry run.

In the process though, I got a real chuckle out of Copilot - it referred to ‘expert’ experience of a user who had detected the same variance between loudness meter and render dry run as posted on a pgmusic forum. So much for AI - it was quoting my own question back at me as expert evidence such a variation in readings could occur. It feels like I dug the rabbit hole and went down it! Ha ha!

Andrew

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Originally Posted by Andrew Dee
So much for AI - it was quoting my own question back at me as expert evidence such a variation in readings could occur. It feels like I dug the rabbit hole and went down it! Ha ha!

Andrew
That seems to happen an awful lot with AI.

I've had instances where I've pointed out it's error, which it acknowledges, then goes on to make the same mistake again. Sometimes it's like talking to a six year old who doesn't understand what's correct and what isn't.


Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
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Hi Andrew.

Thanks heaps for posting your solution. I watched the Kenny Gioia video on Monitoring FX a few years ago and as I didn't have a need for it back then, I promptly forgot about this feature in Reaper.


I recently bought a collection of plugins from Waves that allow modelling three world famous studios when mixing in headphones.

The Monitoring FX location seems like the ideal spot to add these effects since they are not meant for the mix.

I really appreciate learning about this, today. Your timing is perfect smile
--Noel


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In Studio One, it's called the "Listen Bus". One way to enable it is to right-click in an empty area in the mixer.


How to set one up in Bitwig Studio.


Last edited by TheMaartian; 07/29/25 09:47 PM.

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