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Author Topic: Recording Levels  (Read 6245 times)

Dan Lawrence

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Re: Recording Levels
« Reply #15 on: May 08, 2013, 01:17:24 PM »

I do understand that about the "yellow zone." In the case I'm speaking of I use that marker to know when I am keeping a sub mix w/in a certain window prior to mixing. W/ dotted LED meters, it seems that is the easiest place to register visually and consistently. That way, when mixing, I don't have surprise spikes from cumulative issues as I find myself sneaking the drums up. Confession: I have sort of a crappy drum machine (compared to what's available through a DAW today.) I suspect the samples, though not totally offensive, contain an extraordinary degree of transient spiking. Case in point, most often I can barely get the crash cymbals to an audibly robust level before they are spiking too hard, though the rest of the "kit" seems in balance and w/in limits. I often still have issues w/this even after post EL-8 compression (twice, once at recording, again at mix)

The second place I am finding this important is that when I go to experiment w/ final sound, and give "mastering" my best go, especially for discs w/that ... um ... "radio ready" sound ... I find something often triggers the stereo bus compression too hard, and I think its most often the cymbals.

Hence my metering questions, and this puzzle about how the same loop (solo'd) can vary in levels at the exact same point in the loop. I wouldn't be surprised if the machine was inconsistent, but I wondered if folks had experiences w/ LED meters being prone to this, or perhaps a sound physics issue I can't forsee.

Anyways, thanks for the thoughts

d
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Jim Williams

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Re: Recording Levels
« Reply #16 on: May 09, 2013, 11:16:59 AM »

If you use a pulse generator, you can widen the pulse until you see the meter move. That will tell you how it was set up. A 5k hz pulse will probably not show up unless the meter release time is slow enough to see it decay, IF it fires from it in the first place.

Don't have a pulse generator? Grab a set of drum sticks and a mic and start smacking them. Do you see the meters rise to the same level as a steady tone? Do they respond with a slow release to see that decay or does it follow the decay rate of the input waveforms? If you smack them and see a -3 db level on the meter, does it sound as clean as a tone set to -3 db?

That should give enough info to determine if you can trust them, or better yet, learn/understand their timing limits.

"A man's got to know his limitations" ~ Dirty Harry
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Dan Lawrence

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Re: Recording Levels
« Reply #17 on: May 09, 2013, 06:32:55 PM »

Thanks for more details on using the pulse gen, Jim. I do seem to recall one available in some of the freebie ware I've downloaded, just haven't figure out how to use it all yet. I'll do some experimenting and see what turns up.

d
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Jerome Malsack

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Re: Recording Levels
« Reply #18 on: May 10, 2013, 11:15:03 AM »

For a pulse, with RT60 testing you can work the test by popping a balloon.  Would the same popping a balloon provide the pulse test and recording test so you can find the best setting. 
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Jim Williams

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Re: Recording Levels
« Reply #19 on: May 10, 2013, 12:25:08 PM »

That could take a lot of balloons. Better have a party first!
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