Levels (not the overplayed song)

[zeddee]

Yo!

I just need to check something really small. When the volume is in the yellow, near the top, is it bad? I know when its in the red it's clipping, but I wanted to check where the yellow was at for this.

Thanks!

[calgarc]

red bad, yellow good, green great always remember a great sounding mix is always better then a loud mix, that goes for production as well

[rdubs]

red bad, yellow good, green great always remember a great sounding mix is always better then a loud mix, that goes for production as well

While this is true to an extent... at least for production it is important that your mix sounds good while also being loud.

[SirReal]

While this is true to an extent... at least for production it is important that your mix sounds good while also being loud.

If you can't have your mix loud enough when your levels are just tickling the yellow, then your system is underpowered or your gain staging is improperly set up.

[loverocket]

If you can't have your mix loud enough when your levels are just tickling the yellow, then your system is underpowered or your gain staging is improperly set up.

amd don't confuse clipping with compression. Google it and learn about compression audio.

[SirReal]

@loverocket,

Were you talking to me or the OP? My statement has nothing to do with compression. For reinforcement a compressor only comes into play near the end of the audio chain and after it leaves the mixers master out. Compression can and is used earlier in the chain for production, however.

[loverocket]

@loverocket,

Were you talking to me or the OP? My statement has nothing to do with compression. For reinforcement a compressor only comes into play near the end of the audio chain and after it leaves the mixers master out. Compression can and is used earlier in the chain for production, however.

sorry. i was talking to OP. Sometimes people think louder means cranking all the levels to red. Compressions "sounds" louder but is actually .. well you know.

[rdubs]

If you can't have your mix loud enough when your levels are just tickling the yellow, then your system is underpowered or your gain staging is improperly set up.

I should have phrased this differently, your mix should SOUND loud without peaking for the sake of preserving dynamics. I do mastering as well as production and a lot of people send me their tracks and they are so concerned about staying out of the red and not touching the limiter that their tracks are horribly quiet in comparison to most.

[calgarc]

While this is true to an extent... at least for production it is important that your mix sounds good while also being loud.

yes i should have added that

[Jester]

depending on the mixer, you want to aim for maybe one bar under red as your peak level, with all eq's zeroed.