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lets say i have a bass and i check the frequency in logic's eq analyzer and that sucker is hitting 10db, should i bring that down to -5db? (nothing over -5db?)





yes i checked the sticky thread about the mastering and mixing questions? but it was more on db levels on the mixer

What's wrong with it being at 10 db?

is it because you don't want anything peaking in your sound?
or is it a matter of keeping everything below 0 to avoid distorting?

grimace wrote:lets say i have a bass and i check the frequency in logic's eq analyzer and that sucker is hitting 10db, should i bring that down to -5db? (nothing over -5db?)

yes i checked the sticky thread about the mastering and mixing questions? but it was more on db levels on the mixer

Please don't obsess over numbers, especially when you are looking at the wrong ones!

I don't know that logic eq, but looking at that picture you are reading the wrong numbers. You are reading the left hand side, which is not a level/output meter. The left hand side corresponds to the gain you are applying when you use the eq (+ and - numbers, ie. boost and cut). The output level is shown on the right hand side - so your peak at 200Hz reads at about -20dB.

Even then, in the context of that thread you refer to, your channel output will not be -20dB, because there's a whole load of content you haven't taken into account.

To explain; The levels showing in that analyser and in the output of the channel itself are completely different things, albeit related. The analyser shows the total signal broken up into its constituent parts (Fourier transform). The peak level on the highest point of that graph does not equal the output level of the channel. The output level of the channel comes when you add up the signal contributed by all frequencies present. Then you get the output level of the signal but only at the output of the analyser - it can still be turned up/down later, before it hits your channel meter.

So in terms of that thread, this display has nothing to do with peak levels at the channel output at all - unless you perform no subsequent processing that can change the gain (channel gain/eq/comp/anything!). The numbers on the right hand side of your graph here tell you nothing at all about where this sound is sitting in your mix. You could be turning it down later, you could be turning it up. All that matters to your overall mix is what the output meter of the channel is telling you. And that is the area where you need to keep things conservative.

Lastly, don't read that thread as 'nothing over -5dB', that's too rigid and missing the point. It's about keeping it conservative and natural, not rigidly enforcing numbers.

you have 32bits of floating-point dynamic range inside logic, so don't worry about clipping anything other than your output.

(in theory)

personally i turn on "pre-fader metering" in the options tab so that i can get a sense of how hot things are coming out of my plug-in chain-- i try to keep any CHANCE of digital distortion to a minimum.

the only #'s you really need to sweat, level-wise, is your output on your master. don't clip that!

Bonus tip... Turn the analyser to high quality (on the left) and see how much difference it makes! By defult it is set to low and is easier on the cpu but is misleading with bass signals

now i completely understand, its a bit embarassing that i was focusing on the wrong thing


thanx for not chewing me out

I was worried I had chewed you out a bit, so I'm glad you're cool

well a bit, but probably the best i answer i ever got besides the

http://www.dubstepforum.com/the-dubstep ... 14797.html

i think u get it

thanx again

very helpful macc, thanks a lot