I put a pink noise plugin in the mixer (logic) and let the signal go to to 0db on the master. I loop a part in my song where ALL the instruments are playing. This is something I do before the mixing phase. If you need a sound to be much louder or softer, you can use a trim or gain plugin before the fader (or before the plugins) to get the sound into right ball-park of volume – then the fader can be used in its “sweet spot” to make fine-control adjustments. This is where you usually find “unity gain” marked as “0” and +/- 5 and +/- 10 dB ranges well marked, giving you the most fine-grain control of your sound. The “sweet spot” is usually about 2/3 to 3/4 the way up the fader. Once centimeter or movement near the top of the fader may represent only 5 dB of increase. One centimeter of movement near the bottom of the fader may represent 30dB of increase. Higher levels are not “bad” – but may behave (by design) the same way analog gear does when pushed above 0VU (producing harmonics, distortion, etc.).Ģ) The fader: Faders are not linear. This is where most analog equipment was designed to operate – and therefore the point where most plugins and DAWs have also been designed to operate. In this case, there are 2 different “sweet spots”:ġ) Inside the computer: When the meters read about -18dB full-scale digital, that translates to about 0VU in the analog world. It means a setting where something is designed to function best. “Sweet Spot” is not a technical term – it applies to many things. Either way, now you know the goal and that each DAW is different. You can get a meter to measure RMS, or you can just eyeball it. We’re talking about the average volume (RMS) here. Remember, we’re not talking about your tracks peaking at -18dBfs. Then shoot to have your signals living around that volume. Locate roughly where -18 lives on that meter (not on the fader, but the actual meter itself). Next time you sit down to record, open up your DAW and take a good hard look at your meters. Learn to watch it for more than just clipping, but for healthy signals that will sound their best in the digital domain. Don’t blindly record without regard to the meter.
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They are all different, so you must pay attention to where YOUR piece of software measures the sweet spot.
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Pro Tools 10 reads it at only 30% up the meter (no wonder people recorded so hot in Pro Tools 10 and below) and Pro Tools 11 reads -18dbfs as 60% up the meter. Studio One reads it at just below the half way point. Logic’s meter reads -18dBfs as just above the half way point. (From left to right: Logic Pro X, Studio One 2, Pro Tools 10, and Pro Tools 11) Take a look at four meters from different DAWs and notice where -18dBfs reads on each. But Here Comes The Problemīut the problem comes from the fact that ever meter reads -18dBfs at different heights in different DAWs. And since many DAWs and plugins are built to emulate analog gear, that sweet spot is still smart to shoot for to get the best sound possible. So the point is that the way converters work, -18dBfs will be pretty darn close to the analog equivalent of 0dBVU. It’s dBFS (full scale) and it’s a very different 0. Well 0dB on your DAW’s meter is not dBVU. To help the engineer know when he’s running audio through the hardware at the optimal signal level for that piece of gear. When that needle hovers on or around 0dB on a VU meter that is the sweet spot of that piece of equipment. You know all those fancy pieces of analog gear? Compressors, preamps, etc? They generally have that nice old school VU meter with the jumping needle. Why -18dBfs? Well because that measurement is the signal equivalent of -0dBvu in the analog world. That’s right people, there is a digital audio sweet spot. But did you know that there is a sweet spot for digital recording? Long story short, you want to be recording your tracks at an average volume (not peak volume) of roughly -18dBfs. You read this website so you know to stop recording everything so hot in your DAW. Just give us a clip light.īut you’re smart, and you realize that their must be a purpose for fancy meters in your mix window. If that’s all you need meters for, then why have the meter at all. In fact, they only check in with their meters if they see a clip light go off. They don’t pay much attention at all to what the meter is reading and how hot their audio is (not visually, but numerically). It’s scary to see that most home studio owners treat their DAW’s meters as nothing more than a clip light. Which is why you’re here after all, isn’t it? More Than Just A Clip Light It’s not flashy, fancy, or clever, but if you learn this concept you will get better results in your current DAW and be one step closer to being a home studio master. Today I have a boring piece of advice for you that many of your other home studio buddies are overlooking.