# Levels (not the overplayed song) **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** clipping, software, levels\ **Created:** [September 29, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707 "2012-09-29T20:39:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zeddee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b4bc9f/32.png) [@zeddee](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/zeddee)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707/1 "2012-09-29T20:39:50Z")
**Levels (not the overplayed song)** 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! 👍 ---
**Author:** ![calgarc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.djtechtools.com/calgarc/32/11052_2.png) [@calgarc](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/calgarc)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707/2 "2012-09-29T22:01:54Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![rdubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@rdubs](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/rdubs)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707/3 "2012-09-29T22:08:11Z")
> [@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 While this is true to an extent… at least for production it is important that your mix sounds good while also being loud. ---
**Author:** ![SirReal](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.djtechtools.com/sirreal/32/15235_2.png) [@SirReal](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/SirReal)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707/4 "2012-09-29T22:21:19Z")
> [@rdubs](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![loverocket](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.djtechtools.com/loverocket/32/11391_2.png) [@loverocket](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/loverocket)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707/5 "2012-09-29T22:24:21Z")
> [@SirReal](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![SirReal](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.djtechtools.com/sirreal/32/15235_2.png) [@SirReal](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/SirReal)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707/6 "2012-09-29T22:34:27Z")
@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. ---
**Author:** ![loverocket](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.djtechtools.com/loverocket/32/11391_2.png) [@loverocket](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/loverocket)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707/7 "2012-09-29T22:43:33Z")
> [@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. 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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rdubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@rdubs](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/rdubs)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707/8 "2012-09-29T23:11:02Z")
> [@SirReal](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![calgarc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.djtechtools.com/calgarc/32/11052_2.png) [@calgarc](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/calgarc)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707/9 "2012-09-29T23:29:23Z")
> [@rdubs](#): > > 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 ---
**Author:** ![Jester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.djtechtools.com/jester/32/12996_2.png) [@Jester](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/Jester)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 6:15am UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/levels-not-the-overplayed-song/47707/10 "2012-09-30T06:15:33Z")
depending on the mixer, you want to aim for maybe one bar under red as your peak level, with all eq’s zeroed.