mixdown volumes for drums/bass/synths

[55stevieboy2010]

It does matter which actually, and you want to set the correct volume in simpler/some other instrument, basically in the first thing in your chain. That way if you put any effects after your instrument they'll be working with a lower level signal, and you will not accidentaly clip it with an EQ boost or whatever. (EDIT: and obviously compensate if any of your effects raise or lower the volume in the chain) That's why it is best practice to keep the mixer faders set to 0 and set it as early in the chain as possible, at least according to macc's (and my) method.

But as others said in the end what really matters is not where faders are set, but what your channel peak volume meter reads. So if you are in ableton, extend the mixer volume thingy upwards with the mouse so you can read peak volume numbers, and those are what you want to be roughly -8db/-10db/whatever.

Also note, that -8db applies to the whole drum bus together, not kick/snare/w/e separately!
And remember that these values are rough guidelines, you don't have to match them exactly, so don't go sweating yourself off trying to make it perfect. Do it so it sounds good!

Hope I was clear enough, good luck mate!

yea that ones helped me. So it isnt each individual drum, its the group track for the drums? And so regarding the simpler volme slider, well that can be set to +5 or whatever as long as the fader is peaking roughly about right. Think i got you

[Genevieve]

-5 damn thats loud IMO for me kick is usually around 10 and snare 12..

Drum bus you dingus

That's still loud as fuck. My drumbus is mostly at -12 and not peaking over - 10.

[Triphosphate]

-5 damn thats loud IMO for me kick is usually around 10 and snare 12..

Drum bus you dingus

That's still loud as fuck. My drumbus is mostly at -12 and not peaking over - 10.

-5, -12... These blanket judgment calls on what 'should be' based on numbers alone is jibberish. First you have to consider what the track's peak volume is being aimed for? -6? -3? Or maybe even -.02 if you're not sending the tune to a mastering house. Maybe his drums are reaching -5 because the rest of the mix is sparse and relies on the drums for it's main content. Maybe your drums are at -12 because you have a lot of other stuff going on that occupies the space. Maybe your whole song is just quieter? As long as you stay below zero the important thing is the relative level differences between instrument, not the top of your headroom.

I know using numbers as reference points helps, but the ears are the final judge here, aren't they?

[ehbes]

You are aware that I said twice in my post that that's my preference right? Nothing about law or have to's

[Triphosphate]

You are aware that I said twice in my post that that's my preference right? Nothing about law or have to's

Trust me, I'm not deeming myself worth enough to teach you something, It was for the benefit of the OP.

[Genevieve]

-5 damn thats loud IMO for me kick is usually around 10 and snare 12..

Drum bus you dingus

That's still loud as fuck. My drumbus is mostly at -12 and not peaking over - 10.

-5, -12... These blanket judgment calls on what 'should be' based on numbers alone is jibberish. First you have to consider what the track's peak volume is being aimed for? -6? -3? Or maybe even -.02 if you're not sending the tune to a mastering house. Maybe his drums are reaching -5 because the rest of the mix is sparse and relies on the drums for it's main content. Maybe your drums are at -12 because you have a lot of other stuff going on that occupies the space. Maybe your whole song is just quieter? As long as you stay below zero the important thing is the relative level differences between instrument, not the top of your headroom.

I know using numbers as reference points helps, but the ears are the final judge here, aren't they?

Way to go off a huge ass tangent. I'll have my drumbus at about -12 and mix the tune around it, because I know that if my drums peak there, I'll always have plenty of headroom, no matter how many effects I throw on a channel or how many sounds I'll have playing at once, and the whole tune will never be peaking MUCH higher than -3.

It's about having headroom, no having numbers dictate my mix.

If the guy wants his drums at -5 that's his deal. But I still reserve the right to say that I think it's loud.

[Triphosphate]

All I'm saying is that in this case loud is relative... His drums at -5 might not be so loud if he only has one other element playing with them, and he's mixing up to 0 db because he's not sending the tune to master... that's all... I'm not looking to say one persons method is any better or worse than another's just that...

As long as you stay below zero the important thing is the relative level differences between instrument, not the top of your headroom.

jeez.

[ehbes]

You are aware that I said twice in my post that that's my preference right? Nothing about law or have to's

Trust me, I'm not deeming myself worth enough to teach you something, It was for the benefit of the OP.

That seems a bit passive aggressive...

[Triphosphate]

You are aware that I said twice in my post that that's my preference right? Nothing about law or have to's

Trust me, I'm not deeming myself worth enough to teach you something, It was for the benefit of the OP.

That seems a bit passive aggressive...

It's not, I'm being sincere. I'm not sure there's anything that I could teach you or Genevieve that you wouldn't already know, more likely the other way around.

[MaZa1]

So the basic idea is set your drums to PEAK at some level, then build your other elements round it. I would like to hear what levels do ppl set their midbasses/cymbals, roughly, because those are always too loud or quiet in my mixes.....
But yeah, main thing is to have your loudest element, think its the drums?, to peak at some point, then build the rest of the track round it and hopefully leave some headroom at the master channel

[Genevieve]

I have no clue where anything I do peaks other than my drum bus (even my kick or snare... I do them all by ear relative to each other and just turn the bus' fader down). If your cymbals are too loud turn them down, if they're too quiet turn them up.If neither work, you probably need to cut more frequencies (don't forget to lowpass it either, yep, LOWpass. there's so much junk in the really high frequencies).

If you're mixing around your drumbus, it really shouldn't matter where the bass peaks. If enough if it's mixed well, it'll sit in the mix. I wouldn't really worry about numbers. But if you want to mix around the bassline instead of the drums, try having it peak at -15db and see how it works for you.